Security challenges, poor infrastructure… NCAA explains why airlines cannot run night operations

The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) says security challenges and poor infrastructure are some of the problems making night flights impracticable in the country.

Musa Nuhu, director-general, NCAA, disclosed this to NAN on Tuesday at the side-line of the 26th annual conference of the league of airport and aviation correspondents.

Last week, George Uriesi, chief operating officer (COO), Ibom Air, said domestic airlines lost N4.3 billion annually due to the inability to operate 24 hours flights daily to the airports of their choice.

But Nuhu said poor infrastructure contributed to the challenges faced in night flight operations in airports.

He added that based on statistics provided by the African Development Bank (AfDB) in 2019, Nigeria would require more than N1.5 trillion to fix the airport infrastructure gap.

According to him, any airport planning to operate beyond dusk requires a large financial outlay and compliance with important conditions for safe landing and take-off of aircraft.

Nuhu added that the issue of security risks and traffic levels were other challenges associated with 24-hour airport operations in the country.

“All manners of security risks including kidnapping, robbery and others are evolving rapidly in many parts of the country,” he 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.

“The risks are enormous and seriously impacting airports’ operations, airport workers and passengers and crew even in the 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.”

The director-general further highlighted possible solutions such as the provision of an adequate number of competent personnel, power supply and availability of ancillary service providers, among others.

He also said airport and air navigation services infrastructure, search-and-rescue and airline capacity as some of the safety implications of sunset to sunrise airports.

“High risk of accidents during night operations at airports are due to inadequate power supply from primary and secondary sources was daunting,” he added.

“Night operations at airports depend majorly on functional and appropriately calibrated landing aids and serviceable automatic weather stations among other infrastructure.”

Nuhu further warned that the absence of the essential infrastructure could lead to fatal consequences during night operations.