BY OLAPEJU OLUBI
Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association of Nigeria (AOPAN), on Wednesday, lamented travellers are increasingly bypassing Nigerian airports, not solely because of infrastructure deficits, but due to poor airline design, negative perceptions and rising security concerns.
Speaking at the JustAlive Communications Limited Maiden Summit in Lagos, themed “Nigeria’s Transport Infrastructure: Innovation for a Sustainable Future,” AOPAN President Dr. Alex Nwuba argued that the country’s transit challenges are often misunderstood.
“We blame the transit challenge on infrastructure, but that is not the fact. Infrastructure plays a very minimal role in transiting passengers. Even if we had a shed and the appropriate transit structure from the airline’s point of view, people would come to that shed and go to their destinations”, Nwuba said.
He pinpointed flaws in airline operations as a major issue.
“If you look at our airlines, for instance, you are going to Freetown, they don’t aggregate from various markets domestically and internationally and take you to Freetown. Our airlines will take you to Ghana and transit you to Freetown. We have not addressed the issue within our airline design”, he added.
Nwuba also highlighted the impact of international passenger experiences on perceptions of Nigeria.
His words; “The other problem is the experience Nigerian passengers get when they fly through somewhere like Turkey. Their experience would make them not want to fly Turkish airlines again when going to Europe. It would shock you to know that even if we had the perfect infrastructure, the average Beninese, our next-door neighbour, would not fly through Lagos. That is because of the perception issue. Our neighbours perceive Nigeria as a dangerous place.”
He added: “Lagos airport is not considered as a friendly place through which to travel. They all believe that potentially, they will be victims of one criminal activity or the other. That is the perception that exists as the reality out there. So, if you like, build the most fantastic facility, people are not coming.”
Meanwhile, the Managing Director of Aero Contractors, Captain Ado Sanusi, who was represented at the event by Head of Sales Mr. Benedict Oluwafemi, acknowledged the persistent gaps in airport infrastructure while also pointing to rising operational costs.
“If you come into our airports, you would see that the infrastructure needs a lot of work. What is the processing time a customer needs to pass through? What type of structures should we put in place to ensure that their experiences at the end of their flight are better?” Oluwafemi said.
He also raised concerns about security and economic conditions affecting airline operations.
“In the last few months, maybe a month or two, we have had increases in pilferage at the airports. One of the challenges that we have also is increasing costs. The economy of this country is not friendly to businesses. The policies of this country need to improve so that everybody who needs to contribute to the well-being of the nation can actually see something that is worth the effort of putting in their money.”
The summit brought together aviation and transport stakeholders to discuss innovative solutions for a sustainable future in Nigeria’s transport infrastructure, emphasizing that addressing airline design, passenger experience, and perception issues is as urgent as upgrading physical facilities.
Olapeju is a journalist and aviation reporter.
