The Chief Executive Officer of United Nigeria Airlines, Obiora Okonkwo, has shed light on the factors contributing to flight delays and cancellations in Nigeria’s aviation sector.
According to him, the primary culprits are adverse weather conditions and inadequate infrastructure.
Delving into the myriad causes of flight delays in Nigeria, Okonkwo highlighted that there are approximately 90 factors that can lead to delays, with only around 5% attributable to the airline operators.
He explained, “And the only reason there could be is if you have an AOG, AOG is that if you have an indication of any fault in the aircraft, for safety reasons, you must have to clear this before you take off. It might not be that there is a problem, but this is a business nobody wants to take a chance because of life that is involved.”
He pinpointed that the majority of delays are beyond the control of airlines, with weather conditions and infrastructural limitations being prominent contributors. “But beyond that, the rest of the reasons are from the weather, from lack of infrastructure, and all that. You might find out that 90% of the time for the delay, you might look out across the window, and you will see the aircraft parked there. The aircraft is parked there because it’s trying to check the weather in the next destination, and this weather is bad,” he added.
Okonkwo also raised concerns about infrastructural challenges, noting that in many parts of the world, aircraft can land with zero visibility. However, in Nigeria, about 2000 meters of visibility are required for planes to land due to the inadequacies in airport facilities. Some airports even lack proper runway lighting, forcing pilots to rely on their visual acuity during landing.
Regarding the operational hours of airports in Nigeria, Okonkwo pointed out a significant limitation.
He said, “Part of the things we have made a very strong request about with the minister was that why should we have airports, and we can’t fly into these airports as long as we want? From 6:30 to 12 midnight, or even 24 hours? Because aircraft are manufactured to fly.
“We are underutilizing the equipment we have paid huge money to bring into Nigeria. As a matter of fact, a typical aircraft should fly 18 hours out of 24 hours in a day, but here, we’re only flying 8 hours, and you know why? Because there is what is called sunset in the airport and sunrise.”
He highlighted that limited operating hours constrain airlines, as they are forced to maximize their flight schedules within a limited timeframe. This leads to tight turnaround times and a susceptibility to delays. If there’s any delay, it can result in a flight being canceled. Okonkwo emphasized the importance of understanding these operational constraints and the challenges faced by airlines, which are often not within their control.
“So, in that case, the airlines squeeze their operations to get a minimum of what we call 8 circles in a day, at least to break even on that flight. With that 8 circles, you are forced to be doing a turnaround within 30 minutes, because you have turnaround 30 minutes which gives you 12 hours.
“So, when that is done, at any slightest delay, then you are already overshooting the 6:30 time, and then what happens, you don’t have to go to that airport. You have aircraft, you have crew, but you cannot land, then you cancel. And you know, in all of these things, the only thing the passengers know is to blame and to hit on the operators. So, when the minister said they have to announce these delays, it is not really, it is to the best interest of the operators. We are happy with it, we demanded for it, we are going to show all the cooperation that is needed.”
Okonkwo further conveyed his satisfaction with the new rule on announcing flight delays, stating, “So, when the minister said they have to announce these delays, it is not really, it is to the best interest of the operators. We are happy with it, we demanded for it, we are going to show all the cooperation that is needed.”
When asked about what Minister Keyamo could do to improve the aviation industry, Okonkwo recommended that the minister intervene less in the activities of aviation agencies, allowing them to operate in accordance with international aviation law. He also underscored the importance of the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) serving as the primary agency in the sector to facilitate more effective regulation and communication.
“There is a need for him to intervene less in the activities of the agencies. The agencies, by the law establishing them- it’s not Nigerian law, it’s international aviation law under the auspices of ICAO. They have to operate without interference from the government or from the ministry. Obviously, minimum oversight is also very important. So, we made that demand with the minister that we must have to be allowed to operate.”