Nigerian Flight Deck Travel and Business Reportage
THE outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic has exposed vulnerabilities in Nigeria and the global aviation industry which may affect growth monumentally if the needed adaptations including, use of technology and being future-wise are not rapidly embraced.
Director-General of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Capt. Musa Nuhu who hosted a one-day workshop organised in conjunction with the Aviation Strategies International (ASI) Institute and Egis with the theme: ‘Global Megatrends and Impact on Aviation, joined global players to seek solutions on the industry’s survival entering the new normal.
President of ASI Institute Pierre Coutu, in his paper: ‘‘Global Mega trends in Aviation,’ said that the aviation industry faces one of the stringent periods in the world, courtesy of the outbreak of Covid-19 pandemic.
Coutu stated,’ Megatrends are the global transformative forces changing the entire world, affecting everything:labor, assets and infrastructure,systems and processes and corporate structures even human existence.Identifying the potential impacts of a megatrend and preparing an organization or an industry to respond effectively is difficult- so difficult that in many cases,the challenge is being ignored.”
He identified six key areas to ensure compliance with global practices. The areas: climate change, global economic power shift, rapid urbanisation,demographic changes, new technology and global connectedness, he said, are the current global megatrends that may define the future of the industry.
He added: “There are more networks and communications, which seek to connect the world than in the past. This leads to things happening so fast in the world. According to IBM 2016 Study, 90 per cent of data in the world had been created in the previous two years alone.
“Scientists say frequencies of pandemic might increase in the future. Covid-19 pandemic was not the first pandemic ever. Aviation organisations need to plan to reduce such impacts in the sector in the future.”
For the sector to succeed another pandemic, Coutu canvassed for scenario planning, adoption of future-wise strategic management, competency-based human capital, data analysis, risk analysis, partnership-based organisation and agile organisation culture, stressing that in this era, no organization could stand alone without the supports of the others.
Jean-Marc Trottier, in his paper, ‘Planning for a Turbulent Future,’ said that climate change would affect the African aviation industry.
Trottier, explained that the outbreak of Covid-19 pandemic would make investors and lenders to view aviation investments through a different lens.
Also speaking, Capt. Nuhu particularized the situation in Nigeria and revealed that unlike some CAAs on the continent, the NCAA does not receive subvention from the Federal Government.
According to him, 80 per cent of its revenues are from the Ticket Sales Charge (TSC) which has plummeted due to the pandemic-induced shutdown.
He said,” We can’t go back to the way the aviation industry was being run before the advent of Covid-19 pandemic. Covid-19 has given us the opportunity to reset the sector,” he added.
Nuhu explained that it had become paramount for players in the industry to develop strategies that would lead to development.
He noted that technology was an ongoing issue, which a lot of the airlines had keyed into, but noted that for the agencies, such changes would be a bit difficult because of regulations.
