By Joyce Ekeh
Airline Operators of Nigeria, AON, has warned that the rapid issuance of Air Operator Certificates, AOCs, to new airlines could overwhelm existing airport infrastructure if urgent capacity planning is not undertaken.
AON spokesperson and Executive Chairman of United Nigeria Airlines, Prof. Obiora Okonkwo, said the concern was not the emergence of new carriers but whether airports and other aviation infrastructure had the capacity to accommodate the additional aircraft expected to enter the market.
Speaking at the 30th Annual Conference of the League of Airport and Aviation Correspondents, LAAC, in Lagos, Okonkwo said several more AOCs could be issued before the end of the year, potentially adding to pressure on already stretched facilities.
He said: “More AOCs are being given and there will be many more, maybe before the end of the year about five to six will still be out. The more the merrier, it is not a problem. But where are the infrastructures to accommodate aircraft that will be flying?
“The biggest challenge facing the industry today is the number of AOCs that are coming out. It took me about two or three years to get my AOC. Some of these AOCs are coming out now in six months.”
Okonkwo said the situation could become more critical if the newly licensed operators quickly acquire aircraft and commence operations, stressing that available ground infrastructure was already under pressure.
“If these people are getting the aircraft very soon, the ground is already full. I do not know if we still have space to fly above,” he said.
He, however, stressed that AON was not opposed to competition, describing increased competition as beneficial to the industry.
“I am not being jealous of competition because the more competitive we are, the healthier we become. I am calling for us to start thinking about it, to start discussing it, to start engaging those who are involved for the interest of the industry,” he said.
His concerns were echoed by the Acting Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Ibom Air, George Uriesi, who said existing infrastructure was already stretched.
Uriesi warned that the planned expansion of existing airlines, alongside new operators entering the market, could expose capacity limitations at major airports.
“He’s made a very important point that we should pay attention to. At the moment, infrastructure is choked already,” Uriesi said.
According to him, failure to plan and expand infrastructure ahead of traffic growth could eventually lead to congestion and the need for strict slot management at airports.
He said the industry could be forced to introduce enforced slot systems before traffic levels naturally warranted them, simply because of infrastructure limitations.
Some of the airlines recently granted AOCs include Binani Air Global Services, Enugu Air, MCM Jets Limited, 3 Horizons Limited, K-Impex, Pioneer Airlines and Rocket Aviation Services.
Under the Nigerian Civil Aviation Regulations, the AOC process involves pre-application, formal application, document evaluation, demonstration and inspection, and certification stages.
