Mrs. Olubunmi Kuku, MD, FAAN
By Sade Williams
For the objective of increasing aviation revenue to be achieved and the development of airports sustained, an aggressive and well-crafted plan must be developed to make the numerous airports across the country viable.
Managing Director of Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) Mrs Olubunmi Kuku, disclosed this at a function in Lagos recently, saying that it was not economically acceptable to have airports scattered around the country without being able to pay electricity bills and maintenance costs.
She cited that most airports were sustained from the revenue generated from Abuja and Lagos airports, a situation that she was working hard to find a solution in solving the problem which will start with refocusing airport managers from operational competent persons to airport business managers.
Kuku, who is expected to lead other speakers to the 2024 Airport Business Summit which is planned for 20 to 22 August 2024, will also buttress this point at the event.
Meanwhile, the chairman of Airport Business Summit & Expo 2024, Mr Fortune Idu, has stated that the summit has been crafted around the airport viability pillar and revenue optimization plan of the present administration
Idu said it could be achieved with the airport managers fully empowered through training, exposure and equipment to perform the task that goes beyond the procedures for managing and taking off aircraft.
He urged managers of Nigerian airports to remain focused and attract more passengers to the growth of air traffic in their airports.
Idu, who spoke in an interview with a select group of Aviation reporters in his office at the NIGAV centre at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport Lagos on the forthcoming Airport Business Summit and Expo, which has been shifted to August 20 to 22, called on airport Managers to come up with ideas for selling their products to investors, governments, and the communities around them by allowing them to have stakes.
According to Idu, if a portion of an airport strip is sold to a very big, tourism-oriented hotel, the hotel will attract traffic by increasing the number of passengers already on the plane.
He said airport managers should look seemingly beyond passenger flow, which they inherited as managers, but should be more business-oriented than from the operational perspective.
While commending most of the managers for doing good jobs in terms of operations at various airports, Idu called on them to be more business-conscious as part of the Aviation business structure.
He cautioned that when designing an airport, the type of business it can support should be considered so that the airport can balance aeronautical and non-aeronautical revenue
“Airports have vast land for business, and airport managers need to understand how to effectively utilize it to create revenue without creating an air transport-restrictive cluster around the airport.
“Airports can design plans to increase traffic by examining relationships between airports, airlines, states, and investors to make it work for airport performance”., he said.
He said the summit will focus on airport viability as a key to successful aviation business ambition.
The Managing Director of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, Mrs Olubunmi Kuku, will lead other speakers at the conference, which will feature the Director General of NCAA and a host of other speakers.
Dr Mr Richard Aisuebeogun, Chairman Avialog, and the Vice Chairman of ABSE will moderate the event.
Over 15 speakers have confirmed their participation, with prominent International Airport Managers attending the workshop session, who are expected to attend the two-day event billed for the NIGAV Expo Event Centre at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport Ikeja.
