Chinedu Eze

The major challenge facing ground handling companies (GHAs) or agents is that they are being overwhelmed by over bloated workforce, which promotes inefficiency and erodes profitable operation, industry players have alleged.

The solution to the challenge, they stressed, is for the handling companies to trim their workforce, adopt permanent engagement of their personnel and give then professional training to effectively handle airlines data base during passenger facilitation, airside services and cargo handling.

A stakeholder in the sector and the Chief Executive Officer of Mainstream Cargo Limited, Seyi Adewale, raised these concerns during the presentation he made recently at the 21st Akwaaba African Travel Market in Lagos.

In the presentation, he disclosed that different airlines have different tech solutions used by GHAs that negatively impacts on costs, manpower utilisation, and overall efficiency in the air-cargo process.

According to Adewale, there is inadequate tech communication between primary segments in the air-cargo business (airline to customs, gha to airlines, GHA to consignee) and resultant higher charges to consignee (demurrage, pass on running costs, others).

He observed that there are higher running costs on airlines that need to have a retinue of ground staff to operate and manage some aspects of the ground handling process, or the inefficiencies.

“GHAs need to employ a higher number of staff to manage different processes evoked by the airlines because of technological lapses or inadequate or improper communication.

“Customs’ slower process of clearing or managing their tech platforms (what is the effective resumption time of a Customs officer in the CPC Unit). I dare say from 10 a.m.!” he said.

He asserted that there are downtimes due to poor tech infrastructure support (electricity, backups, etc) and last mile user frustration.

The Mainstream Cargo boss also stated that to harness tech developmental processes demands good electricity supply, including the use of alternative and varied energy solutions that assure a 24-hour electricity supply process (Technology abhors energy downtime).