The ravaging COVID-19 has not been kind to the aviation industry as the travel and airline sub-sectors and allied service providers have are the worst hit.
Consequent on the negative development, players in the travel, trade and airline sub-sectors at a recent Sabre Africa Network Webinar conference tagged: ‘Understanding travel complexities post-Covid-19’ charged stakeholders in the aviation industry to increase their technology performance so as to be competitive in post-COVID-19 era.
They also urged the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) and the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) enhance technology for the new international protocols on check-in procedures for air travellers in a bid to improve the turnaround performance of airlines.
The participants argued that without technology and dissemination of adequate information, the recovery level of air travel in the country would be slow when compared to other countries around the world.
In his contribution, the country manager of Cabo Verde Airline, Mr. Gbenga Onitilo said the coronavirus disease had reduced the capacity for airlines by over 90 per cent, while about 30 million people are directly and indirectly unemployed globally as a result of the pandemic.
Nevertheless, he said the COVID-19 crisis had compelled the need for innovation in business environments.
Onitilo explained that the global travel sector would never remain the same post-Covid-19 until vaccines are developed to combat the disease.
He noted that countries with the highest number of tourists like United States, United Kingdom, Italy and few others are mostly impacted by the pandemic.
Onitilo who emphasized that the travel sector thrives solely on buoyant economies noted that the gross national product of numerous countries have been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
On resumption of flight operations, Onitilo explained that no airline would operate beyond 40 to 50 per cent capacity and expressed doubt about the preparation of Nigerian airports post-Covid-19.
“We are not going to return to pre-Covid-19 era again in the way we do our businesses. So far, we have about 600,000 deaths globally, which has brought changes in human interactions. A lot of air travellers are bothered about aviation and the possibility of contracting Covid-19 onboard aircraft.
“Everybody is now innovative about taking the business to their customers; even airlines are having a lot of shifts. The travel sector can never be the same again until you have the vaccines, which may come in the next 18 months.
“People have lost jobs and thousands of people are redundant. The protocols of airlines to ensure safety will determine the travel for the future.
“Airports will determine aircraft turnaround and not the airlines alone. We don’t know the pre-checking procedures in our airports. Dubai International Airport has embarked on automation process for air travellers; yet, we don’t have information from FAAN and NCAA,” Onitilo added.
Also, the country sales manager of Air Cote D’Ivoire, Mr. Abiola Bakare, in his contribution expressed optimism that the travel industry would return to the pre-Covid-19 era in the next two or three years.
He said Air Cote D’Ivoire had put in measures to facilitate passengers’ check-ins at all the airports it operates, including Nigerian.
He also agreed with Onitilo that the virus would bring change to air travel business, but noted that air travellers would only patronise the sector when they are sure of total safety.
Bakare charged airline operators to be ingenious and think out of the box in order to be competitive after Covid-19 period.
He stressed that it was time the operators worked with the travel management companies for improved delivery to clients.
He also called for harmonised health certificate for all travellers worldwide, saying people would not travel for fear of being isolated for 14 days in any country.
“Going on 20 days holidays and having to spend the first 15 days in isolation will not worth the while.
“Covid-19 has come to stay here with us and may end up like a way of life just like malaria, yellow fever and others in Africa.
“For Air Cote D’Ivoire, passengers would need about three hours to go through the check-in. Even, FAAN in a statement said passengers should expect delays at airports.
“Air Cote D’Ivoire is putting in a lot of measures to enhance safety in its operations.
“We will be able to return to pre-Covid-19 pandemic in the next two to three years. People are willing to travel inasmuch as the airports are safe. We are embarking on aircraft sterilisation,” he added.
For her part, the president, National Association of Nigerian Travel Agency (NANTA), Mrs. Susan Akporiaye, expressed optimism that the travel agencies would blossom more post-Covid-19 as more travellers would seek more information about their travel plans and destinations.
She called on the travel agency practitioners to equip themselves with more relevant information and charged government to release more necessary information on new procedures to NANTA for easy transition.
“The government should stop thinking that we as travel agents will come to ask them for money.
“What we need is international standards in our operations for the country. People want to travel, but are also careful about safety.
“Nigerian airports should emulate what is happening around the world. We can’t be an island. We need to be part of global travel community.
“Government should carry along the travel agencies in review of procedures they are putting in place,” she said.
The managing director of Bazzi Voyage, Mr. Faddy Bazzi, appealed to some of the employers in the travel sub-sector to be cautious about sacking their employees.
He also charged African countries to increase their testing capacities to boost travel participation.
In his contribution, the senior vice president of Sabre Network West Africa, Mr. Allen Awosikunde, in a statement entitled ‘We’re in this together: Helpful resources for the aviation industry’ pointed out although 60 per cent of air travel would return in the nearest future, most would be business travels.
Earlier in her opening remarks, the director of operations at Sabre, Mrs. Hannah Ogunsulire, said decried that the travel industry had been heavily impacted in recent time while job losses are regular.
She hoped that with adherence to international standards on safety, the sector would return stronger.
