Upgrading the Asaba International Airport is one major task before Delta State Governor, Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa, writes Omon-Julius Onabu
On April 27, 2015, the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) announced the downgrade of Asaba Airport initiated by the Uduaghan administration. It climaxed the directive by the authority for the rehabilitation of the existing runway, taxiways and improvement in security, including perimeter fencing and lighting as well as training of relevant technical airport personnel. The NCAA made it clear that it would not allow any consideration, be it political or commercial, to compromise safety and international civil aviation best practices.
The implications of the downgrade were promptly spelt out: Only Dash 8–Q 400 airplanes or their equivalent (that is, D8 and Jets of maximum take-off weight of 25 metric tons) were authorised by the NCAA to continue to operate through the airport while all Boeing 737s and jets of similar category will be barred until the concerns raised were resolved. The blunt directive jolted the state government into quick response with then governor, Dr Emmanuel Uduaghan, giving approval for the rehabilitation of the runway and taxiways in the airport.
Demoralising as the pronouncement of the NCAA must have been for the new government of Okowa, who inherited the burden of restoring the glory of the airport, it has since gone ahead to rejig the Asaba airport by mobilising and deploying vast technical, material and financial resources to effect appropriate remedy of the identified defects and shortcomings about the airport. The construction firm, ULO Consultants Limited, was subsequently pre-qualified by the Nigerian aviation authority to undertake the airport rehabilitation work. And, sequel to a request by the governor on September 8, 2015, the Delta State House of Assembly approved a loan facility of N5.021 billion for the upgrading of the Asaba Airport. Two other construction firms, Levant and CCC companies are also subcontractors in the project.
Some of the safety issues being addressed in the ongoing restructuring and rehabilitation activities at the airport include clearing, grubbing, excavation, “sub-grading and embarkment”, that is, everything that has to do with gradient reduction or downgrading of surrounding hills that had towered above the runway at height of 23 metres. Others are the perimeter security fencing, runway reconstruction, new taxiways, general lighting of the airport with installation of about a hundred step-down transformers, a new observatory.
Security concerns
One of the glaring security concerns alluded to in the aforementioned NCAA pronouncement was the lack of perimeter fence and proper lighting of entire airport premises, which made nonsense of whatever security measures were in place. Indeed, the porosity of the area was evident in the relative ease with which transpassers and criminals traversed the airport. The result was highlighted by the disappearance of at least 70 sets of step-down transformers installed when Asaba Airport commenced operations in 2011.
THISDAY also learnt that wandering Fulani herdsmen had persistently crisscrossed the airport with reckless abandon. There were even reports of some construction workers having to chase some herdsmen with their animals from the runway!
Presently, bulldozers have begun cutting impressive routes through the thick bushes in the marshy grounds to create a pathway for the perimeter fence that would stretch beyond the two signal posts at both ends of the runway. Until now, the very thick vegetation had tended to accentuate the problem created by the hills, by shielding the main airport terminal building from the surrounding area, including the southwest portion of the original runway.
Runways and taxiways
The problem of undulating portions of the airport runway was one of the safety concerns raised in the April 27, NCAA directive on the Asaba Airport. A technical expert confided in THISDAY that “the fire-brigade approach”, apparently prompted by political pressures to get the airport functioning, clearly caused that problem. The standard time required for completion of the different stages of runway construction were significantly altered due to the haste to launch the facility.
Speaking on the ongoing projects in the upgrading process recently, the Project Manager, ULO, Mr Ali Bou Ghawi, explained in some detail the technical inputs in the process. He said that his company was reinforcing the 3.4 kilometer runway tarmac with an overlay of an additional 90mm “wearing layer” (up from 33mm) while new and elongated taxi-ways were also being constructed on both shoulders of the reinforced runway.
Thus, the new 3.4 kilometer runway would have a width of 300 metres with significantly improved thickness level made of “solid 100mm binder course built upon a stone and laterite base and two layers of asphalt”; that is, double layer of 90mm tarmac overlay called “wearing course”. In addition, three new 60-metre taxiways are being added to the one existing, the engineer, Ghawi stated. He said work had reached very advanced stage, noting that subsiding of the rains was being awaited to commence the final stages.
The problem of undulating portions of the airport runway was one of the safety concerns raised by April 27th NCAA directive on the Asaba Airport. A technical expert confided to THISDAY that “the fire-brigade approach”, apparently prompted by political pressures to get the airport functioning, clearly caused that problem. The standard time required for completion of the different phases of the runway construction were significantly altered rather than being strictly adhered to by the airport owners, apparently due to the haste to launch the facility.
Second watchtower
Local weather observatory and runway/taxiway control as well runway surface monitor or control are important features of any international airports. This, apart from massive excavation to lower the hills, which many believed prompted the safety concerns that forced the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) in April, ULO has also embarked on the construction of a second watch tower. Ghawi said that the tower, whose construction near the main Control Tower had already reached the second floor (three floors up) when THISDAY visited last week, would complement the existing Control Tower for more efficiency, in line with International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) regulations.
Adequate lighting
Moreover, the entire airport is being floodlit round about, from both sides of the terminal building stretching up to the two signal posts where the runway begins and terminates. The three new taxiways, the roads leading to the car lot and terminal building as well as the airport signage are being lighted up or the lighting being improved at the moment. At least 100 step-down transformers would be installed to sustain the enhanced lighting system.
Tank-farm and Water supply
Standing majestically somewhere to the southern end of the airport are four giant tanks and an engine room to serve as the airport’s tank-farm for aircraft or aviation fuel. A water reservoir with an overhead distribution tank stands nearby also, since water supply is also of paramount importance.
Moreover, provision of training facilities for personnel of the fire service station and other emergency services are also presently receiving attention under the upgrading process. Several contracting firms are taking care of various aspects of this concern.
With over 85 percent of some of the restructuring work already done on the hills reduction and grubbing and with over 45 percent of the whole work done, THISDAY checks showed that planes can now approach the airport or touchdown from both ends of the runway. A massive excavation, which has dropped the gradient by a hefty 300 meters, has made this possible by significantly improving visibility especially for incoming flights, right from the signal beacons or posts. Now, from the embarkment the reduced hill assumes a gentle down slope towards the runway at approximately 2.5 meter gradient.
International status restoration
It is crystal-clear, from the foregoing, that earlier commissioning exercises on various aspects of the Asaba Airport were rather hasty and apparently more for effect than sustainable functionality. The planning, construction or execution and quality control of a truly functional and enduring infrastructure of this magnitude require patience and due diligence. Building an airport of international standards on a virgin piece of land in tropical Africa certainly has its challenges, considering the sheer technical expertise required vis-a-vis the huge financial outlay of such a gargantuan project.
However, it would appear that Okowa, who has not minced words about how dear the Asaba International Airport is to his administration, had read clearly between the lines and summoned the courage to do the needful in upgrading the airport. He has obviously accepted the fact that there is no room for compromise and quick-fixes in the matter of building an international repute.
Technical details of requirements of international aviation authorities as mirrored by the NCAA are not optional. Airport design and layout, drainage and runway design/runway surface control are as important as other aspects of airport design and engineering standards like lighting, radio and weather control or water supply. Nevertheless, with empirical evidence of the ongoing aggressive upgrading exercise, it could be safely posited that it is only a matter of months before the Nigerian Aviation industry showcases to the world a brand-new international airport in Asaba that is worthy to be so designated.
