The Director-General, Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Capt. Musa Nuhu, yesterday identified paucity of funds, and security risks as some of the challenges making night flights impracticable in Nigeria.
In an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), Nuhu quoting statistics provided by the African Development Bank in 2019, said the country would require more than N1.5 trillion to fix airport infrastructure gaps.
He said poor infrastructure security risks and traffic congestion other challenges associated with 24 hours airport operations in the country. also contributed to the challenges faced in night flight operations in Nigeria’s airports.
Nuhu explained that any airport planning to operate beyond dusk required large financial outlay and compliance with important conditions for safe landing and take-off of aircraft.
He listed some of the conditions as the provision of adequate number of competent personnel, adequate power supply and availability of ancillary service providers, among others.
“All manners of security risks including kidnapping, robbery and others are evolving rapidly in many parts of the country.
“The evolving security challenges make night operations dangerous because many airports, by reason of construction and operational requirements, are located mostly on the outskirts of towns.
“The risks are enormous and seriously impacting airports’ operations, airport workers and passengers and crew even in daytime.
“Available data show that the levels of passenger and traffic activities are not financially viable or self-sustaining to operate a majority of the airports beyond sunset,” Nuhu said.
The evolving security challenges make night operations dangerous because many airports, by reason of construction and operational requirements, are located mostly on the outskirts of towns.
He spoke on the side-line of the just-concluded an annual aviation conference, themed: “Sunset Airports: Economic and Safety Implications.”
Nuhu also listed airport and air navigation services infrastructure, search-and-rescue and airline capacity as some of the safety implications of sunset to sunrise airports.
He said the high risk of accidents during night operations at airports due to inadequate power supply from primary and secondary sources was daunting.
He stressed that night operations at airports depended majorly on functional and appropriately calibrated landing aids and serviceable automatic weather stations among other infrastructure.
He cautioned that the absence of the essential infrastructure could lead to catastrophic consequences during night operations. (NAN)