AM EDITORIAL: Can The Aviation Sector Make Progress Without Real-Time, Accurate Data?

Organizations like the International Air Transport Association (IATA), Airports Council International (ACI), African Airlines Association (AFRAA), International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and other serious-minded aviation organizations, periodically release real-time reliable data to the public. This is because of their understanding of the place of data in planning and aviation industry’s investments, growth and development.

In parts of the world where aviation business is taken seriously, access to data such as passenger, aircraft and freight movement is not as difficult as it has been in Nigeria where it took several months to access such data, until last month. Even aviation and non-aviation agencies that ought to share such data for the overall development of the country, have overtime, found it difficult to do so, as many agencies have worked in silos as if they have different employers other than the Nigerian government.

This is why we have a situation where for instance, more non-recorded export trade is ongoing in the airports than those captured by the bureau of statistics, according to the National President of African Association of Professional Freight Forwarders & Logistics of Nigeria (APFFLON), Otumba Frank Ogunojemite.

It is very unserious and visionless to plan without real-time, reliable and accurate data. Development of a good business plan for a cargo airline requires accurate data on freight movement and other cargo related statistics. Determining the volume of passenger, aircraft and freight movement, evaluating it in comparison with the country’s overall population, helps interested airline investors and other potential service providers in the sector to make good business decisions.

Development of Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) for an industry or an organization, cannot be done without real-time, reliable and accurate data. The same applies to periodic evaluation of overall performance of the sector, to determine industry’s retrogression or advancement rate. It is data that drives revenue boosting efforts and targets for an organization and industry.

Data is helpful for staff deployment. For instance, a particular airport in the northern region, according to the Managing Director of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Mrs. Olubunmi Kuku, has 122 staff, whereas no single flight is operating out of the airport. Is this not wasteful deployment?

Security level of Nigeria’s airports and categorization of airport crimes year-on-year can only be determined by real-time, reliable and accurate data to aid proper information and decision. Data shows frequency and methods of certain crimes at an airport to help tackle them. It reflects periods or seasons of the year when a particular type of crime is prevalent at an airport.

Records of safety related incidents and accidents involving both aircraft, personnel and other facilities at the airport helps to know, review and enhance safety and safety regulatory standards.

The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) should be applauded for the recent measures put in place to capture data of flight delays and cancellations and which airlines do what. This will help to regulate airlines better. NCAA’s Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, Mike Achimugu said the newly established portal will not only resolve complaints effectively, but also addresses issues of data accuracy in the aviation sector.

It is equally hoped that the figures on the website showing the number of pilots, engineers, cabin crew and other professionals in the sector will be real time, changing from time to time as professionals enter and exit the system. How many and what categories of professionals are graduated by approved Aviation Training Organizations (ATOs) across the country and at what frequency are the graduations done? The industry regulator should not only have custody of this information, but make it available on its website.

It is data that can guide the handling of unruly passengers and management of volume of consumer complaints at the airports.

Even the much talked about development of masterplan for airports is not possible without accurate data analysis. Environmental impact assessment for the establishment of an airport requires data while the viability or otherwise of an airport is not a guess work. It requires properly captured data and efficient analysis.

More collaboration of the research and development departments of aviation organizations with the public affairs units could deliver reliable, accurate, problem solving, progressive, real-time data for the development of the industry.

A better performance of Nigeria’s aviation sector is anticipated and expected by all stakeholders.  However, can the aviation sector perform better without real-time, reliable and accurate data? AM