Despite the protracted security challenges in the North, most of the airports in the region are still operating regular flights and other aviation services.
“As I’m speaking with you, we are going to have another aircraft. A. A Rano is about to start an airlift here. At the moment, we have about 10 to 12 flights in a month, depending on the number of days in a month, and our schedule is Monday by 8:30; Wednesday, 8:30 and usually evenings on Friday.”
For domestic flights, four airlines namely, Aero, Arik, Max and lately, Rano airlines operate Sokoto- Abjuja- Lagos to and fro flights, whereas, the peak periods are mostly in December, festive periods and rare occasions when there are political activities.Airlines operating domestic flights keep to their schedule, though they rarely operate direct flights from Sokoto to Kano.
However, a source who spoke to our correspondent under the condition of anonymity confirmed that Aero and Arik airlines skip flights to Sokoto twice in a week, citing lack of enough passengers. “The Flight which has a capacity of 50 passengers is en routing Lagos, Abuja to Makurdi and Makurdi, Abuja to Lagos and the passengers are divided 50:50, that is 25 slots for Lagos and 25 slots for Abuja,” he told our correspondent.
“Another thing is that we are not operating 24/7. We don’t operate at night; we operate here only in the day time. Our operations start from 6am and shutdown at 6pm, latest 6:30 in extreme cases where we usually give grace period of 30 minutes”. It was learnt that the administration of the latter also tried to engage Overland Airlines to fly the route at least twice a week but the arrangements could not work after spending a few months on the route.
But a senior official who preferred anonymity said, “The major problem Is the runway and some little things.” Azman Airline is the only registered commercial airline operating within the five days, Monday from 3pm to 3.45 Birnin Kebbi to Abuja and Birnin Kebbi to Lagos and from 8pm to 845pm. Yauri added that it was not Kebbi Airport alone, as most of the airports in the North and other parts of the country were sold to the federal government under partnership with state governments.
Apart from internal security arrangements, it shares a fence with the Nigerian Air Force Special Operations Center. Similarly, it is a few kilometres away from the Nigerian Army Armoured Corps Bauchi. Similarly, arrangements have been completed to start airlifting for lesser hajj from the airport to Saudi Arabia.At the Yakubu Gowon Airport, Heipang, in Barki Ladi local government area of Plateau State, apart from the runways, other parts of the Airport is porous without perimeter fence to prevent intruders from coming into the place.
He said Arik air operates three scheduled flights a week; Value Jet operates on Sundays, Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays based on flight availability, while unscheduled flights can come into the Airport anytime. “As a result of this development authorities have constructed a perimeter fence to prevent any intruder to the quarters.”
Officials of the three airlines that are operating from the airport declined comments on their schedules, saying that only their head offices could comment on such issues. There are several police checkpoints along the routes to the airport which enhances the security of the site. A source at the airport says the state government through the ministry of environment fumigates the airport from time to time to ensure the safety of the passengers.Meanwhile, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria has said commercial airlines are no longer landing on Kaduna International Airport again.Speaking with our correspondent, the spokesperson of Kaduna International Airport, Ibrahim Dawi, said however that the airport is secured.
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