On May 7, 2024, Nigeria’s foremost public-private partnership terminal, MMA2, operated by Bi-Courtney Aviation Services Limited marked its 17th anniversary. In this interview, the acting chief operating officer of the terminal, Mr Oluremi Jibodu, discusses some of the milestones recorded in nearly two decades of operation, the challenges, immediate plans and future outlook.
Ime Akpan
Relationship with FAAN
In terms of our relationship, you know this industry is a big one. There is no way it can operate in isolation. We have a very good relationship with the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN). We may have, even if you are in the same organisation, you have to have issues; one has to speak. We don’t have any reason to start having issues. What is important is the collective goal for the industry in Nigeria. This is what all of us are very particular about and that I think has fostered the relationship we are enjoying today.
Passenger traffic and terminal expansion
Traffic is growing every day. Immediately after the covid when we had a downtime, traffic at the terminal has been picking up. Recently, we have been having issues whereby you have aviation fuel going up. In this industry, normally you will have these fluctuations. When you have aviation fuel, there will be an issue, you will have capacity issue. But by and large, traffic has been growing. In terms of expansion it depends on the context you are talking about. We have a particular landmass in which we can operate. But within that landmass I’m sure that even recently we expanded our apron which will be completed soon. At the moment we have 1o airlines operating from this terminal daily: Ibom Air, Valuejet, Air Peace, Arik Air, Aero Contractors, Dana Air, United Nigeria Airlines, Azman Air, Max Air, and Rano Air.
If they are increasing their aircraft landing and takeoff here, definitely the apron size has to be increased. We are already looking at that.
We play host to over ten thousand guests every day at this terminal, including passengers, stakeholders, concessionaires, and many others who come here to shop, eat, and fly.
This has strengthened our commitment to continuous improvement and significant development of our infrastructure.
Status of regional operations
In terms of regional operations, we had inspection taking place a long time ago. The infrastructure have not changed; we have to maintain them. So, everyday whether we have started regional or not we have committed funds to the infrastructure. We cannot fix a particular time we are commencing regional operations but I’m very sure we are close to it than before.
The launch of regional operations, considering our track record of continuous growth and excellence, will provide a single hub for domestic airlines, boost their revenue through transit flights, drive economic growth by creating more jobs, and enhance connectivity. This expansion will open new revenue opportunities, benefiting all stakeholders involved. The economic ripple effects will be felt far and wide, from increased foot traffic in our terminal to enhanced commercial opportunities.
Barriers to expansion
One of the issues I can talk right away is that when you have pilots going for simulation training, medicals, etc most of these things are not done in Nigeria. Checks, yes we thank God that there are some maintenance repair organisations around us here, but majorly people take their aircraft out. Whenever we have this issue of checks, it reduces the passenger figures. Even some times, aircraft are parked in the apron and they are not operated simply because of crew; they have to go for training and all that.
If we can really expand in terms of training of pilots, in terms of the MRO that we can use to handle all the aircraft that we have in Nigeria that is one thing I’m looking on to. Whenever aircraft go for maintenance it affects the passenger figure that we have and for us passenger traffic is key because we need the numbers at the end of the day. So, the thing I look forward to is to have more MROs in Nigeria, more training centres for pilots, etc.
Slot management system
Slot management is the way we want to see how we can reduce the overlapping in terms of traffic, especially departures in the mornings. We have commenced the discussion with the airlines and we are having a little issue in terms of the peculiarity of the industry, peculiarity in the sense that you have the issue of weather for instance overlapping with people not departing on time. That is the peculiarity in Nigeria. Thirty minutes before departure (time) you still see a lot of people coming and the airlines, of course, have to make their money. We have to close those gaps. That will make it a bit difficult for us to be able to do the slot system. We are working very closely with the airlines to streamline things because some airlines departing within 15 minutes in the morning will not help all of us. Sacrifices will be made at some point. Discussions are ongoing.
Milestones
Over the past 17 years, our airport has evolved into a symbol of excellence, innovation, and efficiency in the Nigerian aviation industry. Through steadfast dedication and tireless efforts, we have achieved numerous milestones that have propelled us to the forefront of the global aviation landscape.
Among our many achievements the MMA2 Training Centre stands as a testament to our commitment to nurturing the next generation of aviation professionals. Through our state-of-the-art facilities and hands-on training by aviation professionals, we are shaping the future leaders of the aviation industry.
Our training centre is not just a place of learning; it is a symbol of empowerment, providing individuals with the tools they need to soar to new heights. Whether it’s aspiring ground staff learning the intricacies of customer service or advanced aviation security courses, our training center is a place where dreams take flight.
Looking ahead, we are poised to embark on an exciting journey toward continued growth and innovation.
Our plans include further expansion of our terminal facilities, implementation of improved technology to enhance security, sustainable initiatives to expand our cargo ecosystem, and the commencement of regional operations from our terminal.
