AON CRIED AFTER CLOSURE OF RUNWAY AT MURTALA MUHAMMED INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT

The controversy over the closure of the domestic runway of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) has deepened as the Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON) cried out over the closure, saying it has added to its cost of operation about a week after the closure.

The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) had shut down Runway 18 L for the installation of the Airfield Lighting System which would make the runway operate for 24 hours.

FAAN had said the decision to shut down the runway for 90 days was reached after consultation with critical stakeholders.

However, one of the key stakeholders, the AON, representing the indigenous operators, faulted the total closure of the runway, saying FAAN had not shown evidence of work on Runway 18L despite its closure for one week.

The operators in a letter dated July 15 to the Managing Director of FAAN, Captain Rabiu Yadudu, and signed by its president, Alhaji Abdumunaf Sarina, lamented that the airlines have suffered untold hardships since the closure of the runway.

In another letter to the apex regulatory authority, the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), the AON is seeking palliatives to cushion the effects of the rising cost of operation especially the exorbitant price of Jet A1 on airline operations in the country.

The operators in the letter dated July 18 also sought an audience with the Director-General of NCAA to address the rising costs of operation.

In the letter written to the FAAN MD, the AON stated that the closure of the main domestic runway of MMA automatically adds 10-15 percent more fuel cost per sector into and out of MMA based on the additional flights and taxi time incurred as a result.

Daily Trust reports that with the closure, aircraft landing and taking off in Lagos would now have to taxi for about 20 minutes thereby burning more fuel.

According to them, the airlines have already felt these additional costs within the first week of the closure of the runway, adding that: ‘This unnecessary burden is unsustainable for three months on the airlines.’

The letter read: “For the major airport in Nigeria, AON notes with disappointment that Runway 18L has been closed for a week now with no evidence of any work going on. Yet the airlines have been burdened by unnecessarily huge and additional costs and flight delays.

“Moreover, the additional taxi time due to closure of runway 18L impacts negatively on airline schedules to sunset airports around the country, leading to delays and cancellation of flights to these airports.

“For infrastructure projects such as this one to limit the impact of flight operations, FAAN ought to have ensured that the contractor does the work at night when the runway is not in use. If there is an absolute need for work to be done during daylight hours, then an agreement should have been reached with the runway users on what time window would allow this.

“Given the above critical concerns, AON implores the management of FAAN to urgently review the closure of Runway 18L and enter into discussion with the users of the runway in a procedure for the project that limits both the cost impact on airlines as well as disruption to normal flight operations.

“AON hereby requests FAAN to convey an urgent stakeholders’ consultation meeting to achieve the above.”

In the letter to the NCAA addressed to the Director-General, Capt. Musa Nuhu, the operators highlighted areas the NCAA can intervene in salvaging their situation.

“These include approval of Fuel Surcharge as an ameliorative measure to cushion the effect and review of decisions.

“In addition to the crippling effect of intermittent shortages of Jet A-1, the price has risen from N200 per liter in February 2022 to over N780 today. This has greatly increased the operational cost of airlines by well over 130%, yet airlines are unable to increase fares and as well suffer from the unavailability of foreign exchange to conduct their operations,” they said.

To forestall a backlash and total shutdown of the system, the operators said they are hoping to resort to an introduction of a Fuel Surcharge of between 25 percent and 40 percent as a way of offsetting the additional burden brought about by increased fuel cost bearing in mind that jet fuel accounts for about 40% of total operational expenses.

The operators also demanded the immediate review of the decision that airlines are required to obtain approval for an initial three (3) months before implementation of a fuel surcharge as well as a waiver of the demand that airlines pay an additional 5% on the Fuel Surcharge entirely separate from the 5% Ticket Sales Charge (TSC).

The letter read: “Unless this is done, it will mean in effect that whatever is collected by the airlines as Fuel Surcharge to cushion the effect of the high fuel price will be taken away once again by the NCAA.

“This in effect will amount to double jeopardy as airlines will be unable to offset the additional cost which the Fuel Surcharge is meant to address in the first place.

“May we, therefore, propose that taxes should be based on the portion of the fare due to airlines less the Fuel Surcharge which is specifically to cushion the effect of rising fuel price and not on the total paid for the ticket inclusive of the Fuel Surcharge (i.e. Fuel Surcharge should be exempted from TSC).”

Runway work in progress – FAAN

But just as the operators said there is no evidence of work by FAAN, the authority has insisted that the work is progressing.

In an update released by the authority, it revealed that the digging of cable trenches is in progress just as installation of the threshold 18L has commenced with cutting and excavation of the secondary cable trench and fixing of fittings.

It added that marking of the taxiway Centreline, stop-bars, and No Entry lights on taxiway *C* has commenced and is almost completed.”