Nigerian Aviation Handling Company (NAHCo) Aviance has deployed new equipment worth N1.5 billion at major airports across the country.
The Head, Corporate Services, Ahmed Bashir Gulma, who made this known, added that the equipment started arriving in the country in August and were currently being deployed to all airports where NAHCo operates.
According to him, “We are deploying the new equipment in the airports to satisfy our domestic and international clients. The equipment are the types you will find in the best of modern airports in the world.”
Gulma further disclosed that the first batch of the 131 units of Ground Support Equipment, (GSE) arrived the country last month and had been deployed even as the Federal Government was still putting finishing touches to the airports it was re-modeling across the country.
Among the GSE are aircraft passenger steps, self-propelled pallet transporter, belt loaders, wide aircraft cargo loaders, aircraft tow loaders and towable toilet service units.
Others include towable fuel bowsers, pallet dollies, container dollies, baggage trailers, belt loaders and ACUs.
Stakeholders in the industry have stated that retooling was a cardinal principle of management of the company, adding that NAHCo Aviance constantly re-equips for added efficiency.
The company has a culture of deploying state-of-the-art equipment as part of its re-investment strategies.
Recalled that in March this year the Managing Director of NAHCo Mr. Norbert Bielderman, stated that the company recently invested more than N700 million in equipment purchase.
This purchase, as disclosed by Bielderman, was preceded by another huge investment in equipment in the two years preceding 2014.
The Chairman, NAHCo, Mallam Suleiman Yahyah, stated on the sideline of the inauguration of the NAHCo’s Learning and Development Centre in Lagos in March 2013 that, “in the last 24 months, we have invested over N11.3billion about ($70m) in equipment and are putting things in place to ensure that the flow of cargo is efficient.”
He said at the time that the company was set to ensure that it maintained its position as a top African cargo company, adding that arrangements had been put in place to grow the business further.
The investment in equipment is matched in equal measure with investment in the company’s human resource.
With the present acquisition, the company has further boosted its global rating as the foremost ground handling company in West Africa.
Meanwhile, the company’s IATA Safety Audit for Ground Operations (ISAGO) certification has been renewed till 2016.
Source : Independent