Blackout: Senate Directs PHCN to Open Service Station at Abuja Airport

By  Kunle Akogun   and Chinedu Eze Thisday.ng

The Senate Tuesday directed Power Holding Company of Nigeria Plc (PHCN) to establish a full-fledged service centre at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport (NAIA), Abuja to avoid a repeat of last Saturday’s incident of power outage which disrupted flight activities at the airport.

Also, the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) directed airlines operating in Nigeria to submit the total fares they charge passengers so that the Federal Government would stem the culture of exploitation of air travellers, especially by international carriers.

But, the power outage which occurred around 5a.m. coincided with the arrival of a British Airways aircraft from London, which made it impossible for the over 200 passengers on board to disembark for more than one hour. The passengers were said to have been advised to remain on board while the outage lasted for security reasons.

The directive, which was handed down by the Chairman Senate Committee on Aviation, Senator Hope Uzodinma, was part of the agreement reached during a meeting the committee held with the officials of PHCN, Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), and the National Integrated Power Project (NIPP).

At the meeting, which was also attended by the Minister of Power, Prof Barth Nnaji, it was also agreed that, “NIPP, PHCN and FAAN shall collaborate to construct a new 33kv line from Apo transmission sub-station to the airport unto which all the street lights and other customers will be connected in order to free the double circuit 33kv feeders dedicated exclusively for the Airport.”

Other resolutions at the meeting included: “That the PHCN shall set up a full-fledged service centre at the NAIA, Abuja, while the FAAN shall provide office accommodation where PHCN technical crew  that would work alongside them will be stationed permanently.

Meanwhile, international operators, prior to the directive, were asked to submit their base fares, which might just be about 30 per cent of the total fare charged passengers and it is from this base fare that the regulatory body deducts its passenger service charge (PSC).

THISDAY learnt that any airline that fails to abide by this directive would be subjected to swift and total suspension of its operation in the country.

The directive was given by the Authority so that it would be able to capture the entire revenue and also ensure the full remittance of the PSC.

The regulatory body issued a letter to the airlines yesterday with reference number, NCAA/DG/OR/12.1 and titled, “Re: In the Issue Regarding Tariff and Fare Components”, which partly read, “This is an order made pursuant to Section 30(4) (a-d) of the Civil Aviation Act 2006, which requires every airline to file and keep open for public inspection, tariffs showing all rates, fares and charges in such form and manner as may be prescribed by the Authority, and to approve or reject tariffs so filed.”

“FAAN shall endeavour to send all their switch room operatives to the National Power Training Institute for intensive technical training, while there is need for the installation of a second 5MVA Power Transformer to serve as a back-up to the existing one in the station.

“FAAN shall also incorporate Uninterrupted Power Supply, UPS of adequate capacity to all strategic locations to provide backup lighting and illumination to facilities at the airport, while similar measures shall be adopted in all the remaining airports across the country. 

The letter ordered that every airline shall file every tariff, whether seasonal, discounted, promotional or otherwise and provide within the tariff, the different specific classes or types of passenger service (that is whether it is economy, business class or first class, or whatever other class or type of service.)

The airlines must also declare in their submission the availability of the class of ticket, the type of aircraft and the seating configuration used on such aircraft for each class or type of passenger service.

“The filed tariffs shall, in all cases, include all booking classes available within the different travel classes or cabins and the specific fare for that booking class including all applicable terms and conditions,” the letter said.

NCAA also ordered that every airline must immediately remove any distinction between surcharges and base fare on their tickets and cargo sales (excluding any third party fees or taxes) and have one single integrated fare.

“Other than approved statutory taxes which are collected component of the cost of travel shall be included in the single integrated fare.”

The regulatory body said that every airline must provide within its tariff, in relation to the different specific classes or types of passenger service, the integrated fare applicable, its availability, the existence of special or promotional fares, and the general fare basis code.

Over the years foreign airlines and some domestic carriers have devised ways to unduly exploit and rip off Nigerian passengers and at the same time pay little passenger ticket charge to the regulatory authority.