Experts in the aviation have said that none of the country’s exports is qualified for a second runway as all the airports are currently underutilised.
They advise that monies be channelled into infrastructures than wasted in constructing runways that are not needed, especially at a time when the country’s debt profile is rising.
These insights by experts who spoke to BusinessDay are coming at a time when the joint committee of the National Assembly on Aviation and Enugu State is canvassing for the construction of the second runway for Nnamdi Azikiwe Airport, Abuja and Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu.
“We technically do not need a second runway at this point in time for two reasons. The runways currently being built are grossly underutilised and most of our airports are not able to experience the predicted traffic that was designed for these airports.
“Before we waste more money constructing airports that will be moribund or runways that will be underutilised, can we investigate and find out if the current authorities in charge of airports maintenance as well as oversight have done their jobs well? When Abuja airport was closed, my recommendation was that the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, (FAAN) should be investigated with regards to the remaining 22 airports that they are in charge of,” Dung Pam, former Chairman, Governing Board of the Nigerian Aviation Safety Initiative (NASI) told BusinessDay.
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Pam insists that a public audit be carried out to find out if indeed the mandatory maintenance regime for all of those airports in their privy were carried out as required since there are yearly budget for runway maintenance and proceeds from landing and parking charges can be used in carrying out comprehensive maintenance.
He said in the last ten year, the government has spent one billion naira in airport remodelling yet the standards of Nigeria’s airports do not reflect that this amount of money has been spent in its remodelling.
Citing an example of Heathrow airport with two runways, he noted that the airport is situated in a country of about 65million people but processes 78million passengers yearly but Nigeria with a population of 180million people processes 15million passengers annually with Lagos alone accounting for 69percent of this traffic.
“Currently, the utilisation of Heathrow airport is in the region of 96% and every 45seconds, an aircraft takes off and land within the period of 6am until 11.30pm in Heathrow. The airport has a total of 1300 aircraft movement daily. The airport is organised enough to have that kind of utilisation of runway services.
“Aircraft movement for Heathrow is almost five times higher than that of Lagos alone and almost eight times higher than Abuja airport. How will anybody say we need a second runway for this amount of traffic compared to Heathrow airport?”
BusinessDay’s checks show that the number of flights landing and taking off at Nigeria 26 airports daily is 597flights, which does not equate to just Heathrow airports which generate 1,300 flights annually.
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Heathrow has four other airports aside Heathrow airport which include Gatwick Airport, London City Airport, London Stansted Airport airport, and London Southend Airport. In 2016, Heathrow airport alone accounted for 78million passengers.
John Ojikutu, member of aviation industry think tank group, Aviation Round Table (ART) and Chief Executive of Centurion Securities also told BusinessDay that none of Nigeria’s airports is qualified for a second runway including Lagos.
“Our runways are underutilised; the total air traffic landings on the 26 airports in the country are less than that of Heathrow with two runways or Gatwick with one runway. The problem of poor maintenance culture that characterised our public infrastructure is at the height of our want for reckless spending.
“As I talk to you, none of the airport’s runways has periodic maintenance programs as recommended by the documents supporting the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) Annex 14 for aerodrome’s standards and that include the Lagos airport that has just been hurriedly given certification by the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority, (NCAA) in anticipation of its concession,” Ojikutu said.
Also, Tunbe Fagbemi, chief executive officer, Maevis Nigeria Limited said Abuja airport with a runway accommodating less than 200 landing and take-offs should not need a second runway.
Fagbemi said what the government should invest in is infrastructure, not runways.
A few weeks back, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi governor of Enugu state called on the Federal government to commence construction of a second runway at the Akanu Ibiam International Airport.
Ugwuanyi said the expansion has become necessary following the expected volume of activities that will henceforth take place at the only international airport in the South East.
Also, the joint committee of the National Assembly on Aviation canvassed for the construction of the second runway for Nnamdi Azikiwe Airport, Abuja.
IFEOMA OKEKE
