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Pwajok's blind date...

pIvanova — Wed, 13 Sep 2023 11:58:42 +0000

ATM and regulatory 13 September 2023

Pwajok's blind date...

Matthew Lawrence Pwajok is the man tasked with filling the spaces in Nigeria’s airspace management system.

Last year, Nigeria became the first country in Africa to implement free routing airspace giving airlines capacity and ability to fly any direction freely, rather than going on fixed routes.

The managing director of the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) – the agency behind the progress - Matthew Lawrence Pwajok is a man on a mission.

The agency is working to enhance the security, effectiveness, efficiency and management of the country’s airspace through equipment upgrade, training, partnerships, as well as addressing the blind spots in the Niger-Delta region and the Gulf of Guinea, among other measures.

In an exclusive interview Pwajok said NAMA has been able to complete installation of the surface movement radar and ground control in Abuja. “We just completed site acceptance test of the equipment. It has been test run and is functioning effectively, and ready for commissioning,” he said.

Pwajok said the two priorities and objectives set by his agency for 2023 were to ensure the completion of these critical ongoing projects before the transition to a new government in May - and to prepare for ICAO’s universal oversight safety audit scheduled for August 2023.

Equipment for installation of multilatration facility in the Niger-Delta region was due for completion in June The wide area multilatration project in the Gulf of Guinea is a surveillance system intended to cover the whole of Niger-Delta and be able to provide surveillance and effective control and management of low-level helicopters.

“We have done the factory training of the engineers and the operational personnel last year, 2022. So, the system already has technical and operational personnel that will maintain and upgrade it,” he said. “One significant aspect of this project is that it provides capability for monitoring unmanned aircraft systems too.”

Pwajok who was in the ministry of aviation’s delegation to France in March 2023 for the factory acceptance test for some of NAMA’s telecommunication equipment in the TRACON project said with the availability of funds, the modernised total radar coverage project was expected to be completed in nine locations across Nigeria in 2023.

“The communication equipment comes from France and the VSATs are from Germany while the multiplexers are from France,” he said, adding that there were VSATs in 24 Nigerian airports based on NAMA’s AIS automation project and that the VSATs were being upgraded to 5G network.

On the challenge of blind spots in the airspace, Pwajok said: “We have completed the extended range voice communication system. What we have done is to take care of the project’s blind spots. These are normal situations because of the expansion of our airspace architecture. Nigeria has had a high number of aerodromes, state owned airports that have been developed and gone on stream into the air navigation system. These new airports require connectivity. Airways have to be connected or developed to connect these new airports with other destinations in the country and when these new routes were provided, they were not captured in the architecture of the existing communication systems and so, it is normal to begin to have challenges in terms of voice communication in the upper airspace. What we have done is to increase the number of remote communication aircraft systems to increase the coverage over Nigeria. Before now, we had eight satellite stations covering Nigeria’s communication ground to ground and air to ground. We have increased that to 14. We added six new locations to bridge the gap in air to ground communication. That has adequately taken care of the challenges of air to ground voice communication,” he said.

On partnerships, Pwajok said NAMA was partnering with a UK firm to get signed up or get certification for its own engineers. Also, a memorandum of understanding has been signed with Ghana on cross border search and rescue operations while NAMA partnered with ASECNA in the implementation of satellite based communication system.

“We also have inter-FIR coordination meetings. We signed agreement on air traffic management with all our neighbours. We signed agreements with Ghana, Benin Republic, Togo, Chad, Cameron and DRC. We have agreements with these countries on exchange of flights. We have also entered into collaboration on air traffic management contingency planning,” he said.

Chiedu Albinus Emeke

Chiedu has been a West Africa correspondent for African Aerospace since 2016.

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Aviation Africa: Nigeria and UAE to resume air links

aPeaford — Tue, 12 Sep 2023 11:59:16 +0000

An effective visa ban was ended following a meeting between Nigeria’s President Bola Tinubu and UAE President, Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, in Abu Dhabi.

The agreement saw top level aviation administration from the GCAA heading to Abuja from the UAE to ensure the immediate resumption of flight schedules of both Etihad Airlines and Emirates Airlines into and out of Nigeria without any further delay.

Africa’s aviation industry is gathering in Abuja this week for the annual Aviation Africa Summit & Exhibition.

Government ministers and directors-general of civil aviation from across the continent are gathering with leadership teams from IATA and AFCAC. GCAA’s director general HE SaIf Mohammed Al Suweidi and the UAE’s permanent representative to ICAO Saeed Alsuwaidi are believed to have travelled to the city and meet Capt. Musa Nuhu, Director General & CEO of Nigeria CAA and the new Minister of Aviation & Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo.

The diplomatic row which caused the airlines to suspend their operations in the country was due to withholding of millions of dollars of funds earned from their operations said to be due to foreign exchange problems in the country.

There were also said to be also some security issues.

In a statement issued by President Tinubu earlier this week, it was said the agreement did not involve any immediate payment by the Nigerian government.

The issue of the withholding of funds is likely to be highlighted at the summit as some 13 African countries are believed to be guilty of withholding funds. Qatar Airways Group CEO is expected to call on the African governments to stop hindering the development of connectivity between countries.

The UAE is also expected to announce significant investment in Nigeria in the coming weeks a joint, new foreign exchange liquidity programme between the two governments.

Posted date

Tue, 12/09/2023 - 12:00

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Nigeria and the United Arab Emirates have resumed diplomatic relations and opened the door to a return of air routes between the two nations.

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Calculating the risks brings reward

pIvanova — Fri, 28 Jul 2023 10:11:44 +0000

ATM and regulatory 28 July 2023

Calculating the risks brings reward

Sydney Hapenga, director of quality assurance, safety and security at Int’Air Iles explains how quality assurance and safety play a key role especially for inter-island operations.

Safety and quality management is essential for aviation operators and at Int’Air Iles, the quality assurance and safety teams are responsible for ensuring compliance with all aspects of the airline's operations to comply with applicable regulations and standards, including those related to maintenance, training, and operations.

The airline operates a C208B Grand Caravan (D6-NOE) and one Let 410 LVP (OK-LRA), from its base at Ouani Airport, Anjouan serving local island routes within The Comoros.

Sydney Hapenga, director of quality assurance, safety and security at Int’Air Iles said that mitigating risk was a major task for the airline while considering a range of risks, from mechanical failures to weather-related disruptions. So, the quality assurance and safety teams are challenged to identify potential risks and develop strategies to mitigate them.

“One of the primary roles is accident prevention which includes developing safety protocols and procedures, conducting regular safety audits, and investigating incidents to determine their root causes, analysis of data on airline operations to identify areas for improvement,” said Hapenga. Additionally, his team also work to implement changes that can reduce risk, enhance safety, and improve operational efficiency; “we are mandated to ensure that customers have a positive experience when flying with the airline and this includes monitoring customer feedback and addressing any issues that arise,” he added.

Hapenga has observed some specific challenges with quality assurance and safety implementation systems locally. Despite its small size, the airline must comply with a range of regulations and standards related to safety and quality assurance to ensure compliance which requires significant resources and expertise.

He said continuous training of personnel has proved to be expensive particularly for an airline with limited resources. “Resistance to change, implementation of new processes within the existing processes and procedures is often met with resistance from personnel who are used to doing things a certain way,” he noted.

Quality assurance and safety systems are complex therefore involving multiple processes and stakeholders, so coordinating these processes and ensuring effective communication between stakeholders can be a challenge, he stressed. “Human error still occurs, we have always ensured that personnel are properly trained and equipped to follow safety protocols and procedures, because it is critical in minimising the risk of human error. Implementing a quality assurance and safety system also requires careful planning, investment, and ongoing effort to ensure that the system remains effective over time,” he said.

Hapenga is also keen on leveraging technology in the quality assurance and safety process, and he said the airline is using technology to collect vast amounts of data on operations, flight data to maintenance records which when analysed, identifies trends and potential risks enabling the airline to take proactive measures to mitigate them. “We are able to automate inspections of aircraft and other equipment, reducing the potential for human error and improving the accuracy and efficiency of inspections,” he said.

Keith Mwanalushi

Keith has been an aviation journalist and editor for several industry-leading publications.

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Saudi takes Chair of ICAO aviation security committee

aPeaford — Fri, 14 Jul 2023 10:27:55 +0000

The announcement was made in the sixth session of the organization council’s 229th session, held in Montreal, Canada, the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported.

The most important tasks of the committee of the ICAO Council are to submit its recommendations to the council on policies, strategic directions, priorities, and planning activities related to aviation security, in addition to providing consultation to the council on international standards and security recommendations.

The committee will assess new and emerging threats to international civil aviation and will take the necessary measures to protect civil aviation from acts of unlawful interference

Saudi Arabia has been playing a more pivotal role in supporting the air transport industry regionally and internationally, and it reflects the Kingdom's position in international civil aviation forums as well as in regional organisations. Kingdom representatives chair several committees in the Arab Civil Aviation Organization (ACAO), including the aviation security committee.

According to SPA, the Kingdom continues to support civil aviation globally by launching several programmes and initiatives, in addition to dispatching Saudi experts to work in specialized organizations, hosting the permanent headquarters of the Cooperative Aviation Security Program Middle East (CASP-MID) of ICAO, and the permanent headquarters of ICAO's Regional Safety Oversight Organization for Middle East and North Africa (MENA RSOO).

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Fri, 14/07/2023 - 12:00

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Bader bin Saleh Alsagri, Saudi Arabia’s permanent representative at ICAO has been named as the new Chair of the UN organisation’s aviation security committee

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IATA urges Sri Lanka to focus on aviation plan for economic growth

aPeaford — Fri, 14 Jul 2023 10:16:43 +0000

“Aviation connectivity can play a much bigger role in Sri Lanka’s economic development and social advancement. But this will not happen by chance. Government support will be critical to growing a strong airline sector and developing Colombo as an aviation hub. We urge the government and all industry stakeholders to collaborate on developing an aviation blueprint to strengthen the aviation industry’s competitiveness and bring greater prosperity to Sri Lanka. And IATA stands ready to support through our expertise and sharing of industry best practices,” said Philip Goh, IATA’s regional vice president for Asia Pacific.

Aviation has a role to play in 15 of the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals. Trade and tourism rely on aviation, and this helps to create jobs, alleviate poverty and generate prosperity. In a 2018 IATA study, Sri Lanka’s aviation sector supported some 700,000 jobs and contributed $8 billion to the GDP. This has the potential to increase to over 1 million jobs contributing nearly $30 billion to the GDP by 2038.

In his keynote remarks at Aviation Day Sri Lanka, organized by IATA and the Civil Aviation Authority of Sri Lanka (CAASL), Goh suggested three areas to consider in the aviation blueprint: facilitating sustainable growth, safety, and sustainability.

Facilitating Sustainable Growth: “Sri Lanka’s aviation blueprint needs to facilitate the sustainable growth of the industry and having an updated airport masterplan is the first step. I urge the government to engage in a consultative approach involving airlines to ensure that industry input is factored in,” said Goh,

Goh urged Sri Lanka to digitize processes for passenger and cargo facilitation. “Many of the country’s passenger and cargo processes continue to be paper based. As traffic grows, digitization will be key to address capacity constraints, increase efficiency and improve the travel experience. IATA’s One ID and One Record initiatives can help support this,” said Goh.

Goh also highlighted the need to keep costs low, in particular jet fuel. Airlines pay more for jet fuel in Sri Lanka than at other major airports in Asia. He recognized much has been done in recent months to lower the cost of jet fuel, and encouraged the government to review and consider placing limits or capping the amount that CEYPETCO can mark up for supplying fuel at the airport.

Safety: “It is important for Sri Lanka’s aviation sector to grow sustainably in a safe manner, and IATA is doing our part to support the country’s efforts. Utilizing the International Airlines Training Fund, IATA will support the aviation industry in Sri Lanka by conducting safety related training in August for CAASL and Sri Lankan Airlines,” said Goh.

Goh encouraged the government to explore how the IATA Operational Safety Audit (IOSA) and IATA Safety Audit for Ground Operations (ISAGO) can be used to contribute to greater aviation safety in Sri Lanka.

Sustainability: “I am delighted that net zero carbon from aviation by 2050 is one of the stated policy goals of Sri Lanka’s sustainable aviation environment policy, including the need to ensure the availability of sustainable aviation fuels (SAF) in the country,” said Goh. SAF is expected to abate more than 60% of aviation carbon emissions by 2050.

Goh called on the government to adopt a comprehensive consultation process involving airlines and other aviation stakeholders as the government develops sustainability policies.

Posted date

Fri, 14/07/2023 - 12:00

First paragraph

IATA has urged Sri Lanka to develop an aviation blueprint so as to generate greater economic growth and prosperity through having a stronger aviation industry.

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Airline Associations join together to call for global alignment of slot regulations

eNethersole — Thu, 15 Jun 2023 11:25:37 +0000

This is to safeguard the consistent, fair, and transparent allocation of slots under the Worldwide Airport Slot Guidelines (WASG).

In a joint statement, the African Airlines Association (AFRAA), Airlines for America (A4A), Airlines International Representation in Europe (AIRE), Arab Air Carriers Organisation (AACO), Association of Asia-Pacific Airlines (AAPA), European Express Association, European Regions Airline Association (ERAA), International Air Transport Association (IATA) and Latin American and Caribbean Air Transport Association (ALTA) set out the benefits of the WASG, which has ensured decades of stability and consistency in the application of slot management. Under the WASG, consumers have benefitted from a consistent growth in reliable schedules and expansion to new markets, while airlines and airports have seen an increase in the utilisation of scarce airport capacity.

Fragmentation of slot regulation risks disruption to airline schedules and imperils the advances in global connectivity, efficiency, competition and choice which have characterised the aviation industry in recent decades. With the number of slot-regulated airports worldwide growing steadily, it is vital that governments recognise the importance of the harmonisation of slot regulations in line with the WASG.

The WASG has undergone a significant revision in recent years, with improvements to the new entrant definition to increase competition and access opportunities at congested airports. Slot performance monitoring has also been better defined to ensure optimal use of allocated slots. It is therefore important that national or regional slot regulations are aligned dynamically with the WASG so that the aviation sector and travellers can immediately benefit from these and other enhancements to the system.

The Associations also urged governments thinking of incorporating the WASG or amending existing slot regulations to work with the Worldwide Airport Slot Board, a body comprising slot experts from airlines, airports, and slot coordinators, who oversee expert revisions to the WASG. Consulting with this group of experts can ensure that governments, their economies and citizens, will continue to reap the benefits of an increasingly more interconnected, sustainable and efficient air transport network.

“The air transport industry thrives on consistent global standards. The Worldwide Airport Slot Guidelines are the unsung hero the air transport system. Because of the WASG, travellers, businesses and economies the world over have benefited from constant growth in air connectivity, strong competition, and route diversity while ensuring that utilisation of scarce airport capacity also increased. Governments should align their slot rules with this global standard to benefit from better air connectivity, efficiency, and consumer choice,” said Willie Walsh, IATA’s director general.

Posted date

Thu, 15/06/2023 - 12:00

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Airline associations around the world called for governments to ensure the global alignment of airport slot regulations.

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IATA AGM: Schiphol and South Africa named and shamed in Walsh warning

aPeaford — Mon, 05 Jun 2023 09:20:58 +0000

That was the key concern announced by IATA director general Willie Walsh as he gave his annual report on the state of the industry at the association's AGM in Istanbul today.

Walsh selected South Africa, the Netherlands, and the EU for particular attention.

Pointing out that industry had “wafer thin” margins of just $2.25 per passenger – “the value retained by airlines for the average plane trip won’t even buy a subway ticket in NYC” – but this was at risk because of some actions by airports and government actions.

Describing Schiphol Airport as “the worst in the world”, Walsh said: “Schiphol has no shame. After a self-made operational disaster in 2022 the airport continues its three-year 37% charges hike—with 12% this year.

“In South Africa, airports want a 38% charges increase, only to be outdone by ATC demands for a 63% hike.

“And, back to Europe, airlines are paying for a €1.9 billion addition to the air traffic management cost base in 2022. You’d expect good performance. But delays were triple what was anticipated. And capacity and environment targets were missed,” Walsh said.

“With such bad behavior on open display, calls for lighter touch economic regulation of our monopoly suppliers must not be taken seriously by any government,” Walsh said. “Considering these many challenges, that airlines are turning a profit at the industry level is truly impressive.”

Walsh said the financial performances are improving.

“Airline financial performance in 2023 is beating expectations. Stronger profitability is supported by several positive developments. China lifted COVID-19 restrictions earlier in the year than anticipated. Cargo revenues remain above pre-pandemic levels even though volumes have not. And, on the cost side, there is some relief. Jet fuel prices, although still high, have moderated over the first half of the year,” he said.

Posted date

Mon, 05/06/2023 - 12:00

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Although airlines are currently moving toward a profitable, safe, efficient and sustainable future after the rigours of the pandemic years, the industry is being hit by governments and airports who are taking unilateral decisions that threaten the financial recovery of the air transport industry.

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Saudia passes IATA Operational Safety Audit

eNethersole — Thu, 25 May 2023 21:32:05 +0000

Conducted every two years by the International Air Transport Association (IATA), IOSA is an accredited international evaluation system designed to assess the operational management and control systems of an airline. IOSA certification is considered one of the prerequisites for IATA membership, and in some countries, IOSA certification is required to get a license for regular operation.

Captain Ibrahim Koshy, CEO of Saudia, emphasised that safety procedures and keeping track of the latest developments are part of Saudia’s daily operational processes. He expressed his pride by saying: “IOSA certificate is considered an international recognition of operational safety for the national flag carrier."

“Saudia implements and prioritises strict internal procedures to ensure safety and excellence of its operations, encompassing over 460 daily flights across four continents. Our people's unwavering dedication to our meticulous procedures has led to the achievement of passing the audit at this advanced level and resulted in receiving the best safety and operational quality reports.,” said Koshy.

Posted date

Fri, 26/05/2023 - 12:00

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Saudia has successfully passed the IATA Operational Safety Audit (IOSA) for the 10th time and renewed the IATA Operational Safety Audit (IOSA) certification.

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A beacon of safety in AviAssist support for Dutch initiative in Zambia

aPeaford — Thu, 11 May 2023 09:48:55 +0000

The Foundation, Air Traffic Control the Netherlands (LVNL) and the Zambia Airports Company (ZACL) worked together to not only to improve flight safety in Zambia, but also ensuring re-use of high-quality materials rather than discarding.

This was done with a donation of 12 non-directional beacons (NDB) to ZACL.

“The navigation beacons have served us well for many years, received excellent maintenance, and are nowhere near the end of their technical lifespan,” said Dave Vrielink, team leader at the LVNL department of communication, navigation, surveillance and infra, who took initiative for the donation.

“I'm very happy that these navigation beacons will now have a second life in Zambia, facilitated by the AviAssist Foundation. That feels good.”

Aircraft fly based on multiple sources of information, including conventional ground-based navigation beacons and satellite navigation. The Netherlands has a robust nationwide network with various types of navigation beacons, increasingly relying on satellite navigation. It means these beacons were no longer needed and have been decommissioned and dismantled.

AviAssist has been leading, building and supporting aviation safety promotion in African aviation since 1995. Although it is normally reluctant to support the donation of second-hand equipment to Africa in view of the risk of continent being seen as a dumping ground of old technology, this was different.

“It was the commitment of the LVNL in ensuring that the shipment of functioning beacons included the maintenance logs, manuals and spare parts that led us to support the re-use of these beacons” said AviAssist director Tom Kok. “There are plenty of countries in Africa that could use these beacons but we were also very keen to make sure that the recipients have the knowledge and maintenance discipline to install and maintain them. That why we opted for Zambia.

“It is crucial for the Foundation to ensure that international standards are met. This type of non-directional navigation beacon has been used in Zambia for some time now. As a result, technical staff at the Zambian airports are already familiar with the operation and maintenance of these NDBs. It is also great to witness the pride at the LVNL of its employees’ efforts to make its processes more sustainable”.

Maggie Kaunda, acting director at ZACL said: “These beacons are going to help us to close a number of gaps we have around the country. Some of them will be in Lusaka but they will be spread around the country as well so that they can address some of the gaps that we’ve had around the nation. We are excited about this donation”.

Link to the video about the beacons: https://bit.ly/3nUOzPi

Posted date

Thu, 11/05/2023 - 12:00

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Sustainability and safety have come together thanks to the AviAssist Foundation to improve flight safety in Zambia.

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