₦airaland Forum

Baby mama: How can you compare Akwa Ibom to Bauchi?
I keep redirecting you
bauchi already has an airport that sustains one flight per week
An airport built over 20 years ago



What is stopping it from averaging 2 flights a week in the last 20 odd years?
You have not answered that question


If you are driving a danfo and can barely fill it up for a trip from Afikpo to Abakaliki in 29 years of danfo business,will you go and buy a luxurious bus?
Isn't this common sense?

Simple question, who owns that airport you keep referring to?

Baby mama: I already know the outcome of that airport
First of all,it won't be built in the next 10 years
And after it has consumed 10 times the amount budgeted for it,it will be worse that Kano airport because Bauchi cannot sustain any visits to warrant it's existence
I could bet on this if I were a gambler

When I read comments like these from people like you, I thank God that your type are very few in Nigeria, else our dreams and struggle would be in vain! I, not exempting myself as a Nigerian, we are too quick to condemn anything in Nigeria. We spend no energy understanding the rational behind a thing and with our very limited knowledge we criticise high heaven, yet we in ourselves cannot come up with better alternatives!

I am sure people like you would have bet their lives on Akwa-Ibom airport as at the time it was conceived that it would never materialise, but today, someone has brought it to fruition. Lt be forward thinking and positively expectant of good things not negativity al the time!

CFCfan: Wow! I always thought MMIA was bursting at the seams. This info already puts the viability of the Lekki Airport in doubt, but I like the idea of an airport in Lekki though, for aesthetic/business purposes .

Lekki airport is for business not for political jobbers! Ever business hotspot these days want connectivity to the outside world and mostly an airport is what you find closer by. Yesterday, I flew out to one of France's business hotspot and I found it very convenient that I could fly directly there rather than flying to CDG! Plus it saved me more than 5hours of business time and I could rest and be prepared for my business meeting this morning!

That is what lekki will be offering touch and go people like me who want to get to a place swiftly, do business and out they go again!

babyosisi: We are talking comparatively now with other airports around the world with similar population as Lagos
I wish I could find that article,I was also surprised to see it

How do you mean? I don't want to come across as Mr know all, but there is so much to airport utilisation. The case of Lagos is one good example of bad government policy hurting the airport utilisation instead of lack of market opportunities. Do you know ow many airlines would love to fly into Lagos and connect other cities in West Africa from Lagos because it will profit them to fly such flight path? But we all know how obnoxious Nigerian airport charges are and the unfriendly policies of current government when it comes to aviation

babyosisi: Google and Facebook are private citizens
We are talking about state money here

By your reasoning, I pointed out to you that you don't have to wait for opportunities to present themselves when you can make them happen. That is just what those 'private' folks did and they envisioned how they would change the way humanity lives and whether you like it or not you are doing just that today. Same goes with the state government. If the man at the head has the right vision, he can change the way Bauchi as a state operates by tapping into her potentials rightly and you and I with business interest will begin to see Bauchi as another business heaven!

babyosisi:
No be so?

How can folks wey no fit ill up one kabu kabu aircraft once a week attract a jet liner?
Is it spirits that will come to the place

Statistics says MMA is underutilized
To make money they need more flights coming in than they currently do
I have read that somewhere

Ad somebody wants to tell me that Bauchi airport will fill up one jet daily when currently they cannot ill up a small craft weekly

Kano has a good international airport that is laying fallow
The busiest time is during Hajj
Most people there still fly out if Lagos and Abuja
If Kano,a city maybe 4 times larger than Bauchi is struggling with attracting daily flights from international locations,how will Bauchi?

Any body who tells you MMA is under utilised is lying to you! MMIA as it is presently is not meet for purpose and they government of the day lacks the political will and sincerity to turn it into a continental hub.
FYI, Kano airport is under utilised because the FG has made no effort to even things out without playing politics with it! If Kano is the second biggest city after Lagos in Nigeria and there is daily business trip between the Arabs in and outside Nigeria, does that not tell you that the FG is missing out on something?

CFCfan: I'm all for the expansion of aviation business in Nigeria; but as Babyosisi said, the current airport has very few domestic flights (sometimes 1 flight a week lol). The first priority would be to market Bauchi as to other Nigerians as a nice destination, before expanding their frontiers to the outside world.

How do you market a place without reach? Or don't you see on those holiday adverts that the first or last thing they show you is how easy it is for you to get there without stress relax yourself and head out when you are done!

babyosisi: No businessman starts thinking of starting off a business and without even one customer you go out and hire a 20 garage sized warehouse and hire a bunch of staff.
That is foolishness
You will be bankrupt before you ever started
You increase your space as your business grows,likewise your staff.
That is what every intelligent business man does
Some actually start off from their homes and eventually hire a store front

If the founders of Facebook, google, twitter etc had this kind of a mind set, they will never have come to light. I understand where you are coming from because in Nigeria, we have been made to believe that to eat, you must have you bread baked and buttered for you, so no need to figure out how bread can be baked differently!

manny4life: Isn't that the who idea, Bauchi for now isn't economically viable whether it's tourism, agriculture, banking or whatever. It isn't just there. Going by your example, they may have less than 1million passengers monthly, but the airport is running very low. At least there's activity from the tens of thousands to the hundreds of thousands. A small passenger airport with INT designation, with a $5 PFC can sustain the airport. Add rentals, royalties, sales et al, and you're in business. What's in contention is the viability.

If I have to say this a million times, I will. You don't sit brand let opportunities present themselves, you make them happen! First, having a direct connection between your capital and anywhere around the world is a huge boost! Bauchi has so much to offer but like most states in Nigeria, they are yet to be lead by a visionary leader who can harness the potentials of the state

I do not know how we'll you know the UK but you need to see some places that have international airport built and they handle less than 1m flight yearly!

CFCfan: You've stated some good points, but we aren't sure if Bauchi State presently has a high volume of economic activity/GDP. International flights would also depend on the willingness of airlines to use the airport. Apart from KLM and Lufthansa, there are no other major airlines that fly to destinations other than Lagos and Abuja.

Point of correction, that an airport is named international does not mean international flight from Europe is what the airport will be handling! There are several countries in Africa growing rapidly, and the people would want to expand their frontiers as their pocket swells. Bauchi preparing herself in time will avail her the opportunity to play host to these people by providing a direct flight to the capital.

Also, I do not know about you, but I continue to see a Nigeria with a generation so intermixed that some people will have two places as their home just like some of us today can fly from London to Newcastle or even Edinburgh fora weekend visit!

babyosisi: Honey who is going to Bauchi?
There is already an airport in Bauchi and it is not enough to fill up a plane for a weekkly light let alone daily
Akwa Ibom is an oil rich state,there is need for an airport there and it will be busy and it is
bauchi has an airport built 20 years prior to Akwa Ibom airport and yet no lights are going there
Is it an international airport that will bring the flights?
From where?

Question is, do you know why the governor choose not to renovate the old airport? Could it be that the airport is FG owned and all effort to get FG to cooperate with the state to revive it failed?

babyosisi: Honey who is going to Bauchi?

Do you know the same question you are asking was what someone raised when Lagos was mentioned in my office. To the surprise of those around, one of our directors said, oh actually we have float chartered flights into Lagos on several occasions for business.

Like I said, the opportunities don't "happen" in themselves, you make them happen by creating the enabling environment. Again, if that money is truly spent on the Airport construction, don't you think the local economy will get a huge boost? What pulse would it have served if the governor stole the 9.7bn Naira and hide it in a foreign account?

I think it would be better if energy is channeled to making sure that the project is completed as specified and the right amount spent judiciously!

CFCfan: ^^^
With Kano, Jos and Gombe have airports, the economic viability of Bauchi's airport is seriously in doubt. If the Bauchi govt is merely upgrading the existing airstrip, that would be a different story altogether.

The economic viability of any airport is dependent on the opportunities the host communities, cities and town present to people will to splash their cash! If you ever have been to Seville in Spain, you would understand why I am speaking this way.

I mean, just go on one of those holidays here in Europe, and see the places with International Airport at handle passengers barely less than 1million every year but the local economy is booming with the visitors foreign cash!

babyosisi: Somebody wrote up there there is Only one flight into and out of Bauchi a week,in a lucky week
Is that a place that needs an airport let alone an international one?

What you have failed to. Realise is you don't wish for things to happen in life, you make them happen! That only one flight makes it to the current airport does not mean that they cannot improve on that by having an international airport.

Do you know how big Bauchi is? Do you think every state will remain a village forever? It will only take another visionary leader to sort things out I that state and lo everyone wants to go to Bauchi! I am sure couple of years ago when Akwa-Ibom wanted to build an international airport, people scream high heaven, but today people fly direct to Uyo to go things happening there and that has brought some revenues to the state!

Think about a tomorrow !

babyosisi: International airport in Bauchi
For who and who?
The one in Kano has been reduced to Hajj airport
A state that had 4 students clear 5 credits in WAEC thinks an international airport is their immediate concern?

That this generation may not know how to live in peace does not mean the next generation will not. Your ignorance of what Bauchi has to offer is clearly apparent in your post. The game reserves, mineral resources if properly tapped would bring in so much to that state.

It is no wonder white folks come to Nigeria to lecture us about Nigeria because too many of us busy ourselves with bigotry and. Tribalism instead of learning of the great opportunities each region has to offer and prepare ourselves towards taking due advantage.

I ask you, how much do you. Know about Bauchi? What is her main revenue base? What potential has Bauchi got? Don't tell me nonsense boko haram because even in the heat of the inhumane kidnapping in the East, that has not deterred the sensible governors from investing infrastructure.

HNosegbe: My comments:

1. N5trillion is about $33billion, about 8% of the value of Apple. It's chicken change, really, for a country of 160-odd million people.

2. There is need for the Federal Government to explain to us the rationale for further borrowing when its revenue targets are being exceeded.

3. If the FG can raise such monies from taxes, what are the states doing?

4. The government should extend the tax net to cover "luxury" items such as private jets, yachts, mansions and other items of ostentation purchased by the elites. There's no reason we shouldn't slam a 40% tax rate on private jet purchases by our politicians, businessmen and pastors, for instance.

5. Specific proportions of these funds should be set aside for infrastructure and savings for the future. I expect such excess revenues to be transferred to the Sovereign Wealth Fund to ensure that something is left for our children.

You no. 1 point is innately ridiculous! How can you compare a company whose stocks and value is based on speculation to the "hard" earnings of a country? Or did you not realise that Apple within two months lost over £15bn of her worth due to speculation?

The silent point of this article is this; If taxes are truly raised and collected in Nigeria, budgetary provisions would be met and the crude earnings would sure up our reserves and our currency would regain value within 5years! Imagine, despite the slackness in the taxation system and collection of taxes, FG still rake in this much. Imagine how much FG will rake in if much effort in put into collecting 70% of the taxes due the treasury!

PointB: Thunder fire your blokos for this comment. Your level of intelligence is very questionable if that's all you could decipher from my comment.

These days you come across as unreasonably reasonable

Good that this woman has shown that Nigerians of great intellects can not all be bought with money! Let Maku come out and debt with Oby so the people would know who is lying! This is where NTA and FRCN. Ought to be playing the middle man of the common good! Invite these two folks for Straight talk and let the people know the truth. Like the bible. Says, and they shall know the truth and the truth shall make them free!

The designer of the modern Akwa-Ibom has finally spoken, as my people would say.... When breeze blow, fowl yansh go....... . Hmmmm, so my dad was right after all !

Fellow Nigerians,
It is true that we always boast about our military, claiming they are professional in acts and conduct. However, the recurring behaviour of our Naval personnel attached to the Lagos bases is now unbecoming of any professionally trained military officer.

In any case, Nigeria today operates in a democracy , though not fully the kind of democracy we all desire, it is therefore now more important than ever that Nigeria military are taught the lessons ment for any citizen of a democratic state that violently takes the law into her hands.

It is my humble view that the Naval ratings who engaged in the wanton destruction of properties of the state be made to face the full wrath of the law and if as a result of their conduct any life was lost, a death penalty or life imprisonment be full administered to these Naval ratings.

The commandant of the base where these ratings are based should be demoted and redeployed on training!

taharqa: Maku is d SPOKESPERSON of d Govt; he is d ONLY official REP of d Govt in d strictest sense of dat word, and since it is a written press release, he must hv had access to every resource of Govt including d Min of Finance, CBN etc (at least dat is d assumptn).... BUT dat is not even rili important. My questn to you was why you wud bliv any person, moreso when they are 'reportd' to hv said so, that '$67billion was squandered by d 2 Govts' without even d slightest explanatn as to how dat is even possible when d lowest value of d reserve was never below $30billion and is even now increasing. I cant just undastad dat, and need to plz explain it to me...

In a serious government, when it comes to matters such as embezzlement of funds, the President Himself will seek a platform to quickly address the accusation raised by Mrs Ezekwesili. Your claim that Maku must have had access to Ministry of Finance, CBN is just laughable! Do you think Sanusi or NOI will waste their time for a political jobber like Maku when they obviously know the truth? Watch out, the President will soon discredit Maku as this accusation and debt continues in some circles.
Some of you really have short memory, and for real people that do have a wicked heart. Was it not in 2010 when GEJ in the name of share the money democracy allowed the governors to keep dipping their hands in the excess crude reserves to fund their frivolous life styles instead of asking them to tighten their belt and look internally to generate funds? We're you not alive when every month the FAC keep dolling out billions of dollars in monthly allocations which were mainly gotten from the excess crude reserves? I remember reading an article on one of the dailies then depicting how the excess crude reserves was systematically depleted with nothing to show for it. They claim it was to cushion the effect of the global economic crisis, but today, can the FG show Nigerians any major infrastructural project she spent those billions on dollars on? Which major super highway was constructed, which high speed rail was built, how many ultra modern schools and hospital, which public water works was renovated, etc.

Each time I am in Toronto, I see the huge infrastructure works going on in their public infrastructure and most are traceable to the funds used to cushion the economic crisis and not just in Toronto, I see the same in Edmonton, in Vancouver etc. How many states in Nigeria can One say a massive federal government project is ongoing courtesy of the excess crude oil reserve funds or the draw down on the foreign reserves?

We know where the funds went to. The over 1tn naira stolen in the name of fuel subsidy comes from this fund. The billions stolen by GEJ to fund his re-election comes from His fund! GEJ is laying His foundation to become the biggest looter of Nigeria treasury following in the footsteps of Abacha, Ibb, Obasanjo!,

taharqa: Am actuali astonished that you believe the THRASH that was said to have come out of Ezekwesili (I say 'sai to have come out of' cos am not sure she was even quoted right Or the context in which she made those comments was understood by our increasingly hopeless Press) that '$67billion was squandered by Yar'adua and GEJ's Govts'. For God's sake, was there any time the reserves went below $30 billion?

I hope you know that this woman has been in the thick of the Nigeria economy as a member of the strong economic team during Obasanjo's second term and she is very much sure of what she is saying. Also, even though I most do not like foreigners telling our own story better, the British PM corroborated Mrs Ezekwesili's claims during His speech in DAVOS last week and as Well as several financial analyst.

I think it ifurther weakens GEJ's government in international circle by using crude tools to attack Mrs Ezekwesili in person, rather, let His government use the right avenue to explain tovNigerians the true amount she met in the coffers and how that money has been spent or what it was spent on!

In as much as I do not surrport the mismanagement of the proceeds of oil by the government, the writer of this article is very much unaware that Nigeria gold mine is not oil but GAS! Gas is going to continue to be in high demand so long as industries and homes exist in the West and Far East.

Also, in as much as the US will like to be energy independent by relying on Her own crude oil for her energy needs, they still have a very long way to go. Besides, Nigeria crude is now finding its way into other countries like India, Indonesia, which are much bigger or are of comparable size to the US energy market.

Olodo 1: sincerly speaking the writer is just misbehaving and talking anyhow. Let him go and listen to the chinese president speaking english.

If only the Chinese president is a Phd holder Don't let me spake like kringlori Else your become a zebodaya. Of a President. Anuk talk nonsense!

J12: Ezekwesili as a former top public official should've known all these before running her mouth like a drunk fish.

I know of a fact that the excess crude account was $22bn as at the time Obasanjo left office and external reserves was $43bn or there about with the projection that year end, Nigeria's external reserves will reach the $50bn milestone.

On Education, I can recall during Obasanjo's second tenure, several universities saw a facelift in their infrastructure and the 'red bricks' university were beginning to attract attention overseas. All that appears to have melted like the snow. As for Universal Basic Education, we know that that fund was the conduit for theft by most governors, for example, it is on record tht states like Edo, Delta, took billions of Federal government counterpart funding, never made a single contribution as required by the UBE ACT and at the same time, there was no evidence whatsoever of what the governors used the money for. Again, Muku's rejoinder is one joke too many. UBE funds are for states and the FG cannot dip her hands into that fund.

I think it is obvious to any sane Nigerian that the rejoinder by MAKU further cements the truth exposed by the ex-minister.

GAR3TH: Who are the id!ots who left those planes there in the first place? Dont they know you can sell those planes for millions of dollars as scrap metal.

Yes you can if there is no claim against them! Okada Air is a common sight in MMIA and we all know how it went burst -Debt!

manny4life: That they pulled out of the contract doesn't mean the Boeing isn't in pursuit elsewhere. They just exited the market perhaps, they aren't competing enough... This isn't about DOD but two companies - Boeing and Airbus. One reason why Defense companies cannot actively participate in foreign sells( with exception to allied nations like Israel), because under the Defense Authorization Act of Congress (if I'm correct, may be wrong though), U.S. Defense companies like Lockheed, Boeing et al cannot participate in the sales of technology to other nations. As it is now, their lobbyist are trying to push congress to ratify that act. As soon as it's a go, U.S. companies can transfer technology to other combat nations.

EADS pulled the plug on hybrid A330MRTT for the USAF because the risk was too high! Now that other markets are opening up as there is barely any modern air tanker and supplier comparable to the A330MRTT, EADS sees her risk much lower venturing into places like Malaysia, India.

FYI, Boeing's aircraft did not match up to the A330MRTT Airbus option and even Boeing's US rivals made it clear to the congress but Boeing as usual play the jobs politics whenever they can't compete.

manny4life: Bros, thank you. I respect Omo (forgive me o becos I shortened your name) opinion, he's very good. I will love to debate him in real life when it comes to aviation.

Like I heard, Congress in the near future has asked Boeing to draw up replacement plans for the current airplanes now because they're nearing their life span. It's obvious they have to go with Boeing (a US company), keep the reserve back home. I know that the replacement bill is before congress now.

FYI, Airbus now has an assembly line in Mobile, Alabama and by 2016 will start rolling out the sweet bird A320 Neo with Sharklet See one of the sexies... so if EADS wants to bid for Airforce one replacement, the will give Boeing a run for their money. Mind you, four of the presidential fleet of Helicopters is being designed by AugustaWestland, so that tells you American government can play the politics where it matters..

manny4life: Range is simply how far a aircraft carrier can travel based upon it's Airframe and Power Plant limits. Unlimited may be an inappropriate word, but I was letting you know that perhaps, they indeed altered the limits making it endure further.

Your link is explaining more about load factors, fuel burn as well as other factors. That the 380 is a lil fuel efficient to the 400 series that has been way out before 380 came into existence is just laughable. Let the 800I come online first, then we shall see how the 380 fairs on the same market.

No Sir! Range has nothing to do with Airframe and Power Plants. Airframes are designed typically in fatigue for 19,000FC and Power Plants in Engine Hours typically specified by the Airframer. An engine will run and run so long as tyou feed it will air and fuel. An airframe will fly for how long you anticipate using the aircraft for.

Aircraft fatigue is a function of your mission which could be Short, Medium, Long and Maximum Ramp mission. Range is a function of how much fuel you'ved got to burn which is related to how much weight you are carrying. Fly heavier, burn lot of fuel to produce the 1lb of thrust required. Remember the Breguet Range equation ? Read a few here : http://web.mit.edu/16.unified/www/SPRING/propulsion/notes/node98.html

manny4life: I'm lost how they came about their numbers since ASM is just a calculation simply showing (no of seats x available distance, using max range as a final point). So if I'm getting this correctly, it's not the ASM, but the CASM, right? If the CASM is very low, then it's wonderful, meaning that airlines can be profitable.

A lower Cost per Available Seat Mile is the darling for ALL airlines, perhaps, you misunderstood what the guy is saying. A lower CASM is very important for profitability. So if the CASM is lower than the B777, then it's a welcome development. Adding extra fuel tank to negate for the seats will indeed reduce ASM but if it's extended range, they get to charge more, thus compensating for it. I mean, that's how I view it.

For instance, if you have to eliminate say 5,000lbs (equivalent to 25 pax @ 200) to add fuel tank for extend range, then it makes more sense that the CASM will increase a lil higher for same route, but under different circumstance. In this case, just like ER versions, it will have extra capacity to carry cargo...

Dreamliner is one of it's kind in manufacturing - using almost 30% composites, I was anticipating they have problems but not to these extent. Dreamliner WILL DEFINITELY bounce back, the EVO launch might be postponed till Boeing engineers figure it all out, but they will finally get it together. Boeing has a slight history of flopping and then gaining back full gear when no one even expected.

CASM makes more sense when you are looking at routing and the number of aircraft in your fleet. Your ASM has a huge impact on your CASM. If you think of it this way, how far I can fly is a function of the weight I carry + Fuel + OWE. So to fly further, I do not have much influence over Fuel, OWE hence I would have to play around with my additional weight which often come in form of passengers, luggage. Look at the seats available to both A380 and B747-8I and the range of both aircraft. Typical A380 is 555 config, and B747-8I is 467 similar range of 3,400km vs 3,500km. Which shows A380 carrying more passengers + cargo at same range as B747-8I, now I leave you to figure the rest out when you juggle things around to get similar configure on both Aircraft and what that means to your ASM.

As for the dreamliner, Airbus has more than two killers for the B787, A330 EVO, A350-900, A350-1000. A330-3/340-2 is a proven, highly reliable aircraft that continue to see her order books swell despite the 787 EIS.

Reference: The air-tankers are KC-35's an aging fleet to be replaced shortly (that battle is raging between Boeing and Airbus). But they typically drop airspeed and thus altitude to between 10 and 20 to engage.

What I would like to know is who is in charge of security once on board, the Secret Service or the Airforce cos I assume once on board all firearms borne by civilians must be under lockdown.

FYI, Airbus North America has pulled out of the KC-35 tanker replacement project. With recent orders for the A330MRTT by the India government with more orders to follow next year by Asian government, airbus sees a bigger fat elsewhere!

manny4life: Unlimited range means on a particular leg. They said the airplane was redone/customized, it means that the airframe could have been likely altered to withstand the stress limits of flight NON STOP probably lasting for days. Anything is possible as long as the security of the president is involved. Engineers can do anything and everything...

What is the basic definition of a Range? Simples.... How far you can fly on full tanks and Engine Opti, and norminal routing. So it is completely misleading for anyone to claim the range is unlimited.

@ bold, that is really laughable dude!


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