As collaboration and diversification top the list of priorities for airlines and aviation service providers, Omni-Blu Aviation Limited and the National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA) have entered into a partnership to use specialised aircraft (air tractors) for oil spill combat emergency preparedness in Nigeria, writes SADE WILLIAMS
The aviation industry, being a tough one, has brought out the best in airlines, aviation support services and others. While some have been compelled to diversify due to the difficulty of the terrain, others are simply doing do so in order to look at other areas that are more lucrative.
For those in the former category, the proverbial road to success has become a little narrower as companies transform, trim their fat and consolidate their way to what is possibly a brighter future.
For Omni-Blu Aviation, it is a way of providing aviation services in other critical areas like oil and gas as well as agriculture.
The United States aviation is a prime example of how any aviation company can utilise diversification as a powerful tool for growth.
An aviation expert who spoke to BusinessDay on conditions of anonymity said every company has to find its own path, noting that there’s no such thing as a predefined route; adding that through diversity, many new things are possible.
“You can’t know where your next customer will come from but the more possibilities you explore the more your world opens up – the proverbial thinking outside the box,” he said.
In the US, aviation firms look for diversity through services that complement what they already do. Everything has to work hand in hand to create a sort of synergy.
With a little luck and the right emphasis on quality, efficiency, and safety, any aviation business can make it through to the brighter end of the economic tunnel.
Consequently, the National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA) has entered into an agreement with Omni-Blu Aviation Limited to use specialised aircraft (or air tractors) for oil spill combat emergency preparedness in Nigeria.
The deal between NOSDRA and Omni-Blu is a Public-Private-Partnership (PPP) with annual subscription – payable by all IOCs and industry operators based on average production factor.
Speaking during stakeholders’ meeting on aerial capacity building on oil spill management in Abuja recently, Peter Idabor, director general of NOSDRA, stated that the strategic alliance with the firm was a modern approach that was in line with global best practices.
Idabor explained that the aerial spill combat capacity programme would involve using customised aircrafts located within Nigeria shores to, amongst others, undertake surveillance and aerial dispersant spraying.
He disclosed that with NOSDRA’s partnership arrangement with Omni-Blu Aviation Limited, the dream of having a tier-3 oil spill response capacity fully domiciled in the country was coming to fruition, with the Ground Receiving Station of the aerial surveillance equipment positioned at the agency’s Incident Command Centre.
He further noted that the specialised aircraft will enhance NOSDRA’s regulatory capacity by enabling the agency and all stakeholders to effectively handle major spills in deep and shallow water areas.
Speaking in the same vein, Lawrencia Mallam, minister of environment, expressed delight at the partnership arrangement on aerial management of oil spills, saying that the laudable initiative was in line with the transformation agenda of the President in the environment sector, as championed by her ministry.
The minister urged relevant stakeholders, including the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR), to support the aerial capacity project.
Akin Olateru, chairman of Omni-Blu Aviation Limited, explained that when fully implemented, “the aerial aviation service, the first of its kind in Nigeria and indeed West Africa, will optimise the window of opportunity for timely application of dispersant to contain the spread of oil spills and significantly reduce consequent environmental damage, as well as swiftly and efficiently deploy aerial firefighting to support ground efforts in the event of associated spill fire incidents or accidents.”
He stated that the acquisition of air tractor 802 installed with infra-red cameras’ to relay pictures in real time to base; enabling prompt and effective real time assessment, analysis and decision making.
According to him, “Two x brand new AT-802 aircraft are fully dedicated, registered and domiciled in Nigeria. Aside that, it does aerial surveillance and tracking services – real time detection and reporting of oil spills.
On the air tractor, Olateru stated that the gap is that the time, it takes days for them to respond, adding that “they don’t provide surveillance system; the aircraft they use does not have fire fighting capabilities. These are the issues.”
Air tractors, he said, is a specialised aircraft manufactured for spraying and used over the world for agriculture, fire fighting.
“The air tractor they subscribe to in the UK is not fully dedicated to that operation. Ours is brand new while the one they initially subscribe to in the UK is 30 years old,” said Olateru.
The AT-802/802A is the world’s largest single engine aircraft, and its popularity reflects the industry’s trend to larger, high-production turbine equipment. With a payload of 9,249 lbs, the AT-802A provides more working capacity than any other single-engine plane. Its power, speed and payload deliver large operation efficiencies and opens up new income opportunities.
Equipped with Wipaire amphibious floats, Air Tractor’s AT-802F “Fire Boss” adds yet another dimension of capability for fire fighters. It can scoop 800 gallons of water in 12-15 seconds and be off the water and on its way again to the front lines in as few as 20-30 seconds.
With the ability to work as a land-based aircraft or a scooper, the “Fire Boss” can drop an initial load of retardant then remain close to the fire by scooping water from a nearby lake.
