Flying in the Face of Adversity (PDF of Layout)
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BUSINESS XXXXXXXXXXAIRLINES The wreckage of a Nigerian airliner – which crashed just after take-off – lies in a field Flying In The in Abuja. Among the dead was the spiritual leader of Face of Adversity Muslims in Nigeria. Nick Ericsson assesses the state of Africa’s airline industry following the recent crashes in Nigeria Boeing 737 belonging to ADC AFRICA’S TEN WORST CRASHES of the many challenges facing an industry Airlines in Nigeria dropped with a critical image problem is that African- from the skies and crashed Location Airline Fatalities grown staff, at least those who can boast last October 29, and with it Morocco 1975 Alia 188 some measure of competence and profes- A Nigeria 1973 Nigerian Airways 176 what was left of the reputation and confi- sionalism, are increasingly being lured away dence in the country’s airline industry. The Niger 1989 UTA 171 by more established and wealthy carriers, loss of 96 lives – among them the spiritual Ivory Coast 2000 Kenya Airways 169 particularly from the Middle East. To remedy head of Nigeria’s 70 million Muslims, the Libya 1992 Libyan Arab Airlines 159 the problem, Afraa suggested that institu- sultan of Sokoto – followed soon after the Nigeria 1992 Nigerian Air Force 158 tions such as the African Development plane took off from the capital, Abuja. But Egypt 2004 Flash Airlines 148 Bank, as well as donor countries from the Nigeria 1996 ADC Airlines 143 the tragedy, the third in a year, has meant developed world, should provide funding Angola 1995 Trans Service Airlift 141 industry watchers are throwing their hands to establish skills training for the continent’s Benin 2003 UTA Guinea 141 up in collective exasperation at what they most under-resourced airlines to meet these see as typifying the state of much of the Source: Aviation Safety Network skills shortages. continent’s airlines. After all, it was only ut even the most skilled and in September that another major crash passengers are most at risk include Sudan, motivated pilot may find it diffi- killed ten of Nigeria’s top army generals, Nigeria, DR Congo, Angola and Kenya. This, cult to fly what the European nine months after an aircraft operated by Benjamin says, is bad news for a continent B Union’s transport commissioner, Sosoliso Airlines crashed, killing more than which relies heavily on tourism to create Jacques Barrot, has labelled “flying coffins”. 100 people, most of them children, and 11 jobs and generate economic output. Often, African airlines will purchase old months after a Bellview Airlines carrier killed More telling is that in March last year the and rickety Soviet-era aircraft, including 117 people soon after take off from Lagos European Aviation Safety Agency (Easa) decommissioned military planes, without airport. These crashes have been variously banned 83 airlines from five African countries any safety records and for which spare parts ascribed to malfunctioning engines, poor landing in Europe because of serious are almost impossible to find. But it is not weather and pilot error. Beyond Nigeria, the concerns over their safety records. This list only the airborne equipment that needs to Aviation Safety Network notes that Sudan, includes airlines from Swaziland, Liberia, be updated. The Economist reported that DR Congo, Morocco, Algeria, Kenya, São Equatorial Guinea, Sierra Leone and DR following the 2005 Sosoliso crash in Nigeria, Tomé e Príncipe, Chad and Libya also feature Congo. Some airline companies operating many of those killed were burnt to death in a list of countries which from Rwanda have also – unnecessarily it seems since there were have had airline fatalities “Africa has suffered been told to stay out of no fire hydrants available at the airport to in the year to November Europe. Easa said at the fight the flames. 2006. Are these isolated about a third of the time that even though Furthermore, should money be given for incidents? most of these airlines skills training, recipient countries would Well, no. Africa has world’s air disasters, did not actually fly to have to provide some sort of guarantee that suffered about a third any European desti- the funds would be channelled appropri- of the world’s air disas- despite having less nations, the ban was a ately. As an extreme example of misplaced ters, despite having preventative measure priorities, it has been reported that even less than four per cent than four per cent to avoid these airlines though Nigeria set aside US$150 million in of its air traffic. More being subcontracted by an emergency fund early last year to improve specifically, Chantelle of its air traffic” larger carriers and so its airports, one government agency alleg- Benjamin of South “sneaking in through edly spent US$1 million on cutting the grass Africa’s Business Day newspaper writes that the back door”. at the airport in Lagos. while there has been an overall decline in At the root of these fatalities is a lethal In an overview, the Montreal-based fatal airline crashes in most of the world, mix of inept airline management, poor International Air Transport Association Africa has seen its average of fatal crashes training of pilots, corruption and, perhaps (Iata), a regulatory body for more than 250 rise from 5.1 in 1993 to 9.2 in 2005 – making most crucially, the absence of any binding major airlines, released an agenda for African EZE/ AP PHOTO A the continent “ten times more dangerous regulation in the industry. airlines in October 2005. Of course, passen- Y AGH than North America, Europe and Asia, During its recent general assembly in ger safety was the primary concern – flowing A and four times more dangerous than Latin Egypt, the African Airlines Association from which was the need to renew equip- UND S America”. Countries where the lives of (Afraa), representing 41 airlines, said that one ment and buildings in the continent’s ➤ 48 BBC FOCUS ON AFRIca BBC FOCUS ON AFRIca 49 BUSINESS XXXXXXXXXXAIRLINES M records are poor. In order to retain member- E.CO ship of Iata, airlines will have to have an audit certificate. This has begun to bare fruit, GALB / K although there is the danger that govern- HU ments with poor safety records may want to LC SE deflect attention away from the problem by A claiming sovereignty of their skies. LORI W LORI What of the success stories? Kenya Airways, Ethiopian Airlines and South African Airways (SAA) are consistently named as three of Africa’s best. At first glance, the market in South Africa seems to be in glowing health. There is SAA, the strong and established national carrier with experienced pilots, servicing one of the main routes into Africa from Europe, North America, the Far East and the Pacific, as well as enjoying competition through the presence of smaller airlines, which bring Passengers boarding a flight at the OR Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg prices down. This is taking place under the watchful gaze of a number of regulatory airports, as well as updating its fleets of The fact that the aviation minister in Nigeria bodies: the independent South African Civil planes. Here there were non-committal and was sacked soon after the ADC disaster does Aviation Authority and even the state-owned woolly statements made about the need for not remedy the problem of kickbacks and Airports Company of South Africa and the co-ordinated plans “to develop efficient and compromise in the name of profit, nor does Air Traffic and Navigation Services. reasonably priced infrastructure”. Iata was the promise of an official enquiry into the This does not mean it is perfect. The particularly reticent about throwing money state of the airline industry sufficiently arrival in South Africa of yet another low- at the problem. It said that, while it was avail- placate passengers’ fears. cost airline is causing concern – least of all able to help, “governments must approach Afraa concluded its for the added carbon continental solutions with vision, leadership Cairo gathering by calling “Kenya Airways, emissions promised by and speed”. In other words, Africans need to for a grand African alliance one more player. Mango come up with solutions to their own airline in which members would Ethiopian Airlines Air is the latest addition woes – and fast. give each other access to to a crowded market, but aviation markets and and South African is allegedly being part ut what was most concerning routes without the need subsidised by the national was Iata’s advocacy of the priva- for bilateral trade agree- Airways are carrier, and by extension tisation and liberalisation of the ments. This would be tax payers, in order to B African airline industry. “Regional liberalisation on a massive consistently named beat the competition and liberalisation with achievable targets is a scale in response to what secure passengers. start,” it said, with the ultimate goal in mind Afraa sees as fierce compe- as Africa’s best” Ethiopian Airlines too of “a commercially competitive air services tition from European seems to tick many of the industry in Africa”. What alarms is not the carriers such as British Airways (BA) which boxes: a high safety record (which includes advocacy of liberalisation per se. Rather, it is are increasing their presence in Africa. being audited regularly by bodies in the that a crucial aspect of Iata’s brand of liber- But this fails to take into account that the United States as well as Ethiopia), a diver- alisation seems to be missing from much of biggest threat facing African airlines is not sification into passenger and cargo flights, the African market: the opening up of the from external forces, rather it is a matter new planes, a programme to mentor new airline market to smaller carriers in order to of getting one’s own house in order.