Financial constraint and security challengeshave been listed as some of the problems making night flights impracticable in Nigeria.
Capt. Musa Nuhu, Director-General of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) made the declaration on Tuesday in Ikeja when he spoke with tnewsmen in Lagos.
Quoting statistics provided by the African Development Bank in 2019, Nuhu said Nigeria would require more than N1.5 trillion to fix airport infrastructures gap.
He said poor infrastructure also contributed to the challenges faced in night flight operations in Nigeria’s airports.
Nuhu explained that any airport planning to operate beyond dusk required large financial outlay and compliance with important conditions for safe landing and take-off of aircraft.
He listed some of the conditions as the provision of adequate number of competent personnel, adequate power supply and availability of ancillary service providers, among others.
He said security risks and traffic level were other challenges associated with 24 hours airport operations in the country.
“All manners of security risks including kidnapping, robbery and others are evolving rapidly in many parts of the country.
“The evolving security challenges make night operations dangerous because many airports, by reason of construction and operational requirements are located mostly on the outskirts of towns.
“The risks are enormous and seriously impacting on airports’ operations, airport workers and passengers and crew even in daytime.
“Available data show that the levels of passenger and traffic activities are not financially viable or self-sustaining to operate a majority of the airports beyond sunset,’’ Nuhu lamented.
He spoke on the side-line of the just-concluded 26th Annual Conference of the League of Airport and Aviation Correspondents.