The managing director of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Capt. Rabiu Yadudu has said that it is the agency’s wish for all the airports to operate for 24 hours but it makes no economic sense to run any airport for such a long period if the possibility of breaking even is slim.
Speaking at a media briefing in Lagos on Wednesday, Yadudu said the cost of keeping an aerodrome that handles about three flights daily is enormous.
“FAAN wants all airports to operate 24/7 because it is business for FAAN. We earn our revenue from the operations; we are a service delivery agency, but the challenge is will the 24/7 operation pay for itself? Somebody has to pay for the 24/7 operations. Will the business pay for itself? If we open an airport for just only three landings, FAAN will close down.
“No organisation in the world will do that. Even, if you go to Europe, you will find out that many airports are sunrise to sunset. You can operate an airport even for sunrise to midday so that everybody that knows should go around that window,” he said.
Yadudu further said FAAN cannot operate an airport that it cannot break even, “because we are already challenged.”
“We want 24/7 airports, but we need to know if the business will be sustainable. At first, some of the businesses may look as if they are sustainable even for the next two years. So, somebody must be ready to have the business model to sustain 24/7 operations. I cannot commit to 24/7 operations when you are not coming,” he added.
Furthermore, he said an airline had approached FAAN and wanted to do a 24-hour operation to Yola.
He said an airline may decide to open a route and dispatch one aircraft while FAAN, Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) would have to mobilise personnel, ensure efficiency and fix facilities that can be moved in and out.
“Sometimes, fuelers and handlers will be needed. We don’t want a situation whereby an airline will start a route now and in the next few months, it will stop such route due to lack of passengers. Then, who will pay for all we have gone through? FAAN is a business; we pay our salaries, wages and we have to be sure that we will breakeven when we do that,” he said.
He noted that even in Europe and other developed countries, many airports still operate from sunrise to sunset.
“An airline once wrote to FAAN that it wanted to operate to Yola airport. We looked at it and said we were not going to deny them the service. Having to run a 24-hour operation is good but it takes a lot of effort and it costs so much.”
“We asked the airline for the feasibility study of running the service for at least six months. We do not want a situation where we start and less than two weeks you stop. We waited for the airline and we never saw the airline again. A lot goes into it like fueller. We don’t open airports for 24 hours anyhow”, he added.
