Despite the protracted security challenges in the North, most of the airports in the region are still operating regular flights and other aviation services.
Investigations by LEADERSHIP Friday on the state of the aviation sector, especially services at the airports and the security situation in the region, revealed that they still enjoy high patronage from both domestic and international flights.
Airlift business at the Umaru Musa Yar’Adua International Airport, Katsina State, has been impressive amidst the rising cost of fuel in the country due to removal of subsidy on Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) by the federal government.
Findings revealed that patronage at the airport had been overwhelmingly outstanding and has overstretched the available flights made for the schedules, forcing the management to sort for additional airline services.
A commercial officer at the airport authority in Katsina, Muhammad Gazali, attributed the high patronage to speculation of insecurity in some parts of the North West states
He said, “We started with two aircrafts on Monday and Wednesday. It was unexpected; the patronage was so alarming due to the rumours of insecurity. We had to add another aircraft on Wednesday which has also been outstanding.
“As I’m speaking with you, we are going to have another aircraft. A. A Rano is about to start an airlift here. At the moment, we have about 10 to 12 flights in a month, depending on the number of days in a month, and our schedule is Monday by 8:30; Wednesday, 8:30 and usually evenings on Friday.”
Gazali further said the area is well secured because of the presence of Nigeria Air Force and Army operatives in the airport.
He however expressed uncertainty about increase of cost of the airline which the management may consider shortly.
Similarly, the Sultan Sa’ad Abubakar International Airport, Sokoto, operates both international and domestic routes. Pilgrims from Sokoto and neighbouring Kebbi and Zamfara States to yearly pilgrimage and lesser Hajj, Umrah, do take off from and return home to the airport.
For domestic flights, four airlines namely, Aero, Arik, Max and lately, Rano airlines operate Sokoto- Abjuja- Lagos to and fro flights, whereas, the peak periods are mostly in December, festive periods and rare occasions when there are political activities.
Chartered flight in and out of Sokoto is not rampant, except at the behest of the state governor.
Airlines operating domestic flights keep to their schedule, though they rarely operate direct flights from Sokoto to Kano.
They always combine passengers going to Abuja and Lagos together, thereby subjecting passengers going to Lagos to the stress of connecting another aircraft from Abuja to Lagos.
Arik and Aero airlines skip flights to Sokoto twice in a week.
While Arik skips flights to Sokoto on Mondays and Wednesdays, Aero takes its turn on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
Max airline flights to Sokoto is epileptic, as much has not been recorded on the part of Rano Airline that started operation barely two months ago.
The Sokoto State manager of Aero Airline, Tony Ameh, declined enquiries put across to him on why his airline skips flights two times in a week.
However, a source who spoke to our correspondent under the condition of anonymity confirmed that Aero and Arik airlines skip flights to Sokoto twice in a week, citing lack of enough passengers.
In Benue State, Air Peace flight commenced operations in April 2023, and since then their operations have been stable, with their flight cancelled only once.
A source at the Airport who pleaded anonymity told LEADERSHIP that the airport, aside chartered flights records 12 flights per month, which is three per week.
He however said although Air Peace commenced operations here in April, the turnout is very encouraging because any day airline complains of low passengers, it will be talking of over 20 passengers on board.
“The Flight which has a capacity of 50 passengers is en routing Lagos, Abuja to Makurdi and Makurdi, Abuja to Lagos and the passengers are divided 50:50, that is 25 slots for Lagos and 25 slots for Abuja,” he told our correspondent.
About the scheduled flight, he said the flight is scheduled for Monday, Wednesday and Fridays, while the chartered flight comes any time they are needed.
On the issue of security in and around the airport, the source said the airport being a military base is under tight security
“We have tight security in and around the airport because we are operating in a military based we have on ground the Police, Officers of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defense Corps (NSCDC) and Department of State Services (DSS). So we don’t have problem of security in and around the airport.
“Another thing is that we are not operating 24/7. We don’t operate at night; we operate here only in the day time. Our operations start from 6am and shutdown at 6pm, latest 6:30 in extreme cases where we usually give grace period of 30 minutes”.
The Minna Airport recently named after Abubakar Imam, was constructed over three decades ago and was to serve as a cargo airport, but has never served the purpose.
LEADERSHIP Friday findings revealed that except for chartered flights by the bigwigs in the state and those visiting them, no daily or weekly commercial airline is using the airport.
Findings revealed that the busiest periods since the airport was constructed were during the administration of the late Engineer Abdulkadir Kure from 1999 to 2007 and Dr. Muazu Babangida Aliyu from 2007 to 2015 as governors when pilgrims from the state to Saudi Arabia were airlifted from the airport.
It was learnt that the administration of the latter also tried to engage Overland Airlines to fly the route at least twice a week but the arrangements could not work after spending a few months on the route.
It was however observed that the airport under former Governor Abubakar Sani Bello was busy with chartered flights while airlift of pilgrims stopped.
Consequently, there is no operational schedule for any flight in the airport yet as the renovation of some of the facilities is said to be ongoing but the runway is still in bad shape
Attempts to get the airport manager, Mohammed Liman Katamba Kutigi, to speak on the challenges stopping them from operating fully proved abortive.
But a senior official who preferred anonymity said, “The major problem Is the runway and some little things.”
Ahmadu Bello International Airport in Ambursa, Birnin Kebbi, in Kebbi State is the only airport constructed during the administration of former Governor Saidu Nasamu Dakingari.
It operated five times per week since its inception namely Monday, Wednesdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, recording 150 flights in a month.
The state of its facilities are standard and safe due to the adequate security personnel attached in and around its premises.
Azman Airline is the only registered commercial airline operating within the five days, Monday from 3pm to 3.45 Birnin Kebbi to Abuja and Birnin Kebbi to Lagos and from 8pm to 845pm.
Speaking with LEADERSHIP Friday yesterday, airport manager, Abubakar Zaki Muhammad Birnin Kebbi said the airport was generating income to the government but lamented that since former Governor Abubakar Atiku Bagudu sold it, the patronage has reduced drastically.
He called on the present administration of Governor Nasir Idris to reverse the sale.
The Airport was sold by the previous administration to the federal government through the Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria under the Ministry of Aviation.
This was confirmed to LEADERSHIP Friday by the former secretary to the state government, Babale Umar Yauri.
He said the airport is now under the custody of the federal government under the ministry of Aviation.
Yauri added that it was not Kebbi Airport alone, as most of the airports in the North and other parts of the country were sold to the federal government under partnership with state governments.
In Bauchi State on average, the Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa International Airport (SATBIA) operates three Max Air flights weekly.
LEADERSHIP Friday gathered that while SATBIA has state-of-the-art facilities, Max Air remains the major airline frequenting the route to and fro Abuja. However, Aero Contractors and Arik Airlines also fly the route.
The flight schedule at the airport is available on Saturdays, Tuesdays and Thursdays. Cumulatively, SATBIA records 12 flights in a month.
Other flights at the airport are chartered to any part of the country.
The airport, which is about 22 kilometres away from Bauchi metropolis, boasts of maximum security.
Apart from internal security arrangements, it shares a fence with the Nigerian Air Force Special Operations Center. Similarly, it is a few kilometres away from the Nigerian Army Armoured Corps Bauchi.
Another remarkable factor of this airport is its closeness to known hotels and relaxation centres in Bauchi State, such as Bauchi Polo Club, Emir of Bauchi Place, Yankari Game Reserve, Sumo Wildlife Park, and Wikki Warm Springs are near to the airport.
LEADERSHIP Friday reports that the government had hinted at building a cargo terminal at SATBIA to deepen economic and commercial activities in the state.
It is expected that the terminal, if constructed, will increase the passenger and air traffic movement in the airport.
Similarly, arrangements have been completed to start airlifting for lesser hajj from the airport to Saudi Arabia.
At the moment, pilgrims from Plateau and Bauchi are being airlifted to Saudi Arabia for Hajj.
At the Yakubu Gowon Airport, Heipang, in Barki Ladi local government area of Plateau State, apart from the runways, other parts of the Airport is porous without perimeter fence to prevent intruders from coming into the place.
Effort to speak to the Airport manager, Rindap Nantim, did not yield any fruitful result as he was not on seat when our correspondent visited the Airport. He also declined requests to speak on phone.
However, a source who is also staff of FAAN who did not want his name on print because he was not authorized to speak said because of the porous nature of the airport, herders come to graze on the vast land of the airport.
He also told our correspondent who was there to assess the level of operations at the airport that Arik, Max Air and Value Jet operate flights at Yakubu Gowon Airport.
He said Arik air operates three scheduled flights a week; Value Jet operates on Sundays, Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays based on flight availability, while unscheduled flights can come into the Airport anytime.
The source further said festivities, burial and marriage of prominent individuals always attract both commercial and chartered flights to the airport.
According to him, some of the challenges being faced by the airline operators is the fact that some of their aircrafts need to be overhauled. He said all the airlines operators are complaining about a hike in the price of aviation fuel.
The source further said another challenge being faced by the airport is insecurity, adding that sometimes ago, the staff quarter in neighbouring communities were attacked and some staff were kidnapped for ransom.
“As a result of this development authorities have constructed a perimeter fence to prevent any intruder to the quarters.”
In the same vein speaking to our correspondent one of the Airport security personnel who craves anonymity said although the airport runway is secured, that is not to say other strategic locations of the airport are secured.
He also noted that the authorities should build a high fence to prevent intruders while urging the federal Government to ensure that all the Airports in the country are secured for smooth operations to attract investors into the country.
In Kwara, three airlines – Overland, Green Africa and Air Peace – operate from Ilorin International Airport on a daily basis.
The airline’s major routes are Ilorin- Lagos and Ilorin- Abuja.
LEADERSHIP Friday gathered that the airlines run majorly scheduled flights while they run chartered flights once in a while.
An official who pleaded anonymity said the facilities at the airport are good enough.
“Security is okay, with almost security personnel from most security agencies on posting to the airport,” the source added.
Officials of the three airlines that are operating from the airport declined comments on their schedules, saying that only their head offices could comment on such issues.
A senior official of the airport said security issues are sensitive issues that only the top management of the airport authority could talk about.
In Gombe State, travellers fly from the state airport four times a week via air peace airline, even as most of these flights are usually from the state to the nation’s capital, Abuja.
Also, the airport is secured due to its location in Akko along Bauchi road, one of the most peaceful areas in the state.
There are several police checkpoints along the routes to the airport which enhances the security of the site.
Recently, the federal government of Nigeria took over the airport to serve as a federal airport. The Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) explained that the federal government would upgrade the facilities at the airport to enable it render better aviation services.
The state governor, Muhammad Inuwa Yahaya, commended the federal government for taking over the state airport to serve as a federal airport.
He explained that the Nigerian Air Force is building an Air Force Base at the place, adding that with the takeover it means there will be more resources to maintain the airport
A source at the airport says the state government through the ministry of environment fumigates the airport from time to time to ensure the safety of the passengers.
Commercial Airlines Shun Kaduna Airport – FAAN
Meanwhile, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has said commercial airlines are no longer landing on Kaduna International Airport again.
It noted that only few chartered flights land once in a while.
Speaking with our correspondent, the spokesperson of Kaduna International Airport, Ibrahim Dawi, said however that the airport is secured.
“Commercial airlines are not coming to Kaduna International airport. Only Azman commercial airline that was coming but they have stopped.
“There are chattered flights coming to our airport once in a while. In a month or a week, we have like ten chattered flights but it depends on the nature of the event they are attending in Kaduna or elsewhere. On security, we have military around and inside the airport,” he added.
Flight operations is no longer what it used to be following insecurity around the airport which forced airline operators to stop using the airport except for one and chartered flights.
At present, only Azman Air flys daily to Kaduna as other operators stopped their ooerations following an attack at the airport in recent past.
An official who said he has no authority to speak to but did so on condition of anonymity said, “Only Azman air comes from Lagos to Kaduna on daily basis.”
He however said it comes with full capacity of about 120-130 passengers on board.
He disclosed that other airlines will resume operations fully in the month of July which will return the once boisterous airport come back to what it used to be.
He said security at the airport now has been beefed up, as the Air Force has a major security base at the airport to provide all round security.
