The Airline Operators of Nigeria has sounded a warning over the growing rate at which Air Operator Certificates are being handed to new carriers, cautioning that current aviation facilities might struggle to cope with the projected rise in aircraft numbers.

AON spokesperson Professor Obiora Okonkwo, while expressing support for greater competition within the sector, explained that the worry was not about new airlines entering the market but rather whether adequate infrastructure existed to support their activities.

Okonkwo, who also serves as Executive Chairman of United Nigeria Airlines, made these remarks at the 30th Annual Conference of the League of Airport and Aviation Correspondents, LAAC, themed “Towards Sustainable Aviation Industry: Balancing Government Revenue Demands with Sector Growth,” which held in Lagos.

An AOC refers to the regulatory clearance issued by the NCAA that permits commercial aircraft operators to run flight operations. Guided by Part 9 of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Regulations, Nig. CARs, the process for obtaining certification involves five distinct stages: pre-application, formal application, document evaluation, demonstration and inspection, and final certification.

Among the carriers that have recently received AOCs are Binani Air Global Services, the Enugu State-owned Enugu Air, MCM Jets Limited, 3 Horizons Limited, K-Impex, Pioneer Airlines and Rocket Aviation Services.

Okonkwo disclosed that additional AOCs were anticipated before the year runs out, warning that this trend could pile further strain on already stretched infrastructure.

His words: “More AOCs are being given and there will be many more, maybe before the end of the year about five to six will still be out. The more the merrier, it is not a problem. But where are the infrastructures to accommodate aircraft that will be flying? The biggest challenge facing the industry today is the number of AOCs that are coming out. It took me about two or three years to get my AOC.

“Some of these AOCs are coming out now in six months. I do not know, and I stand to be corrected. There is a speed about how they are coming out. If these people are getting the aircraft very soon, the ground is already full. I do not know if we still have space to fly above.

“I am not being jealous of competition because the more competitive we are, the healthier we become. I am calling for us to start thinking about it, to start discussing it, to start engaging those who are involved for the interest of the industry.”

Speaking separately on the matter, acting Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Akwa Ibom state-owned carrier Ibom Air, George Uriesi, concurred that infrastructure across the sector was already under pressure.

He stated: “He’s made a very important point that we should pay attention to. At the moment, infrastructure is choked already. With the growth plans of a few airlines we already know about, not to mention the new ones we hear are coming on board, the capacity limitation is real. It says to us that there’s need for urgent planning and execution in arrears. Otherwise, gridlock is not far ahead and that would mean capping the peak at one or two airports and introducing strictly enforced slot systems, way ahead of time. By this, I mean we do not yet have the levels of traffic to require strict slot management, but have to resort to it due to system capacity limitations.”