Aviation professionals outline paths to sector recovery

Professionals from different disciplines in the aviation industry have suggested various ways to ease the pains and ensure progress in the sector over the next 12 months.

They spoke during different interviews with our correspondents. A retired airline captain, Muhammed Badamosi, raised concerns over the state of Nigeria’s aviation sector, warning that years of neglect, weak regulation, and poor infrastructure could push the industry to the brink of collapse if urgent reforms are not undertaken.

Badamosi likened the sector’s development to “a journey where you take one step forward and two steps backwards,” arguing that little has changed over the past decade.

“In terms of infrastructure, financing, and regulatory oversight, the aviation sector today is no better than it was 10 years ago. Which of these areas has truly improved? We need to ask ourselves honest questions if we want progress.”

According to the retired pilot, Nigeria’s major airports are still operating with obsolete navigation systems that the rest of the world has long abandoned.

Badamosi explained, “Since the 1980s, most of our major airports have relied on Category 2 Instrument Landing Systems and VOR for navigation. Globally, aviation has moved on to Category 3-1, 3-2, and even 3-3 systems. What are we still doing here, more than 20 years after joining the world on Category 2 ILS?”

He noted that while Nigeria is spared the extreme winter conditions of the northern hemisphere, the limitations of Category 2 ILS still pose risks. He said, “In severe weather, Category 2 ILS is practically useless. We are only lucky that what we deal with here is mostly harmattan haze and short-lived fog.”

Badamosi also pointed to deteriorating airport infrastructure, including runways and taxiways that require urgent rehabilitation or outright reconstruction.

“Have we achieved total radar coverage under TRACON? I don’t think so. These are the things that make airports safe. Without them, safety is compromised.”

Another major concern raised was the prevalence of ageing aircraft in the country’s fleet, many of which are second-hand. He cited recent incidents involving nose-wheel collapses during landing or taxiing as troubling signs.

“Some of these incidents should never have happened,” Badamosi said. “In some cases, the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority is complicit because of corruption in the system.”

Badamosi criticised the current structure of aircraft inspection within the NCAA, noting that inspectors often stay far longer than regulations allow. “Inspectors are meant to be engaged on three-year contracts, renewable for just one year. Today, some have been in the system for over eight years.”

He explained that the original policy was designed to reduce the risk of inspectors becoming compromised by operators. “If you ask the Director-General, he may say it’s cost-effective,” Badamosi said. “But it’s time we weigh the cost of training against the cost of flight safety.”

He also described federal funding for aviation as inadequate, noting that about N714bn has reportedly been budgeted for aviation services. “That amount is highly inadequate for a sector as capital-intensive as aviation,” he said.