Ground Handlers under the banner of Association of Aviation Ground Handlers (AGHAN) have been urged to set out survival strategies as part of post-COVID-19 plans.
This is also as ground handlers are urged to consider price adjustment, instead of price increase, in order to survive the effects of the current pandemic.
Aviation Ground Handling companies including the Aviation Handling Services (AHS), Nigerian Aviation Handling Company Plc (Nahco Aviance) and the Skyway Aviation Handling Company (SAHCO) Plc came to these conclusions during a webinar titled, ‘The Impact of COVID -19 on the Nigerian Aviation Ground Handling Industry: Safety, Rates, Regulation’
It was well attended by key players in the aviation industry, and Harold Demuren, who was one of the panellists, emphasized that foreign airlines should pay the dollar equivalent for ground handling services rendered to it in order to ensure the survival of the Aviation Ground Handling companies.
In his opening remarks, Olaniyi Adigun, Chairman of AGHAN, who is also the Executive Director, Sales and Marketing of SAHCO Plc explained that AGHAN was created to represent, advocate policies and regulation for the overall interest of the members of the association.
He stated further that the creation of AGHAN will foster an enabling environment to build and reach a consensus on critical aviation ground handling matters.
On his part, Akin Olateru, the Commissioner/Chief Executive Officer of the Accident Investigation Bureau of Nigeria (AIB), enjoined AGHAN to stop the price war.
Olateru encouraged the Aviation Ground Handlers to collaborate more and improve on their service delivery to airlines and other clients.
He also said that SAHCO and NAHCO should synergize to get appropriate pricing for the services they provide.
He enjoined ground handlers to improve on their service delivery by reducing turnaround time for carriers while also applying new innovation that will break the operational silos from the traditional primary services to innovative secondary and tertiary services.
Olatokunbo Fagbemi, Group Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer NAHCO Plc, in her remarks, called on all stakeholders to work together for the survival of the industry, according to her” the aviation industry is the worst hit by the pandemic, and by extension, the ground handling companies’’.
Fagbemi opined that the time has come for stakeholders to fashion out a survival strategy, get the buy in and support of the regulators and above all seek and push for government interventions.
According to her, ground handlers should be given national awards for their efforts at sustaining the industry. “We are not charging appropriately, even pre-COVID-19. Let’s get what is due to us so we can survive, and we need the help of everybody to grow, we shouldn’t engage in destruction of wealth by the introduction of self-handling, instead, appropriate pricing should be implemented”.
Edem Oyo-Ita, the Director of Air Transport Regulation of NCAA, Group Captain (Rtd) who spoke at the webinar said he cannot remember the last time Ground Handlers adjusted their price meanwhile Airlines and other service providers adjusted their prices periodically.
He enjoined AGHAN to set ground rules and agree on minimum ground handling rates that would be domesticated with NCAA who will in turn monitor and ensure compliance.
On his part, Basil Agboarumi, the managing director/ CEO of SAHCO Plc, said that the aviation industry is one and enjoined ground handlers to be united just like the airlines are and that the best way to go is to collaborate. The birth of AGHAN is a thing of joy and it has come to stay, he emphasized. He however disagreed with the call for self-handling, urging airlines to focus on its primary business of flying.
He reiterated that in comparison to other countries, ground handling charges in Nigeria is very low. “For ground handlers to provide safe, speedy and efficient services there is a need for the right pricing. It is wrong for Nigeria to charge naira to service a foreign airline; the time has come for right pricing so that ground handlers can survive’’.
Speaking also, Herbert Odika, the Deputy Chairman of AGHAN, and Chief Operations Officer of NAHCO Plc, in his closing remarks said the coming of AGHAN is a major milestone that will change the face of ground handling in Nigeria.
He appealed to the regulators and the government to provide an enabling environment for all operators at the various airports across the nation by improving on the facilities to reduce overhead cost and make business more attractive.
Specifically, he proposed the creation of a base-rate for handling, and urged that safety should never be compromised.
