SAHCO targets stronger African presence as airports embrace next-generation operations

The Skyway Aviation Handling Company Plc (SAHCO) has leveraged the 35th Airports Council International (ACI) Africa Annual General Assembly, Regional Conference and Exhibition in Abuja to showcase its operations and underline the growing importance of ground handling to the transformation of Africa’s aviation industry.

The event, which has brought together more than 500 delegates and over 40 speakers, sponsors and exhibitors from across Africa and beyond, is providing a platform for stakeholders to examine how airports can become more efficient, resilient, technologically advanced and commercially sustainable.

The conference is being held under the theme, “Next-Gen Airports: Driving Performance and Resilience”, with discussions centred on airport development, operational efficiency, digital transformation, sustainability, passenger experience, safety, security and commercial growth.

For SAHCO, its presence at the continental gathering represents more than an opportunity to promote its services. The company is using the platform to engage with key players in the aviation ecosystem and draw attention to the role Nigerian ground-handling companies can play in the development of the African aviation market.

Speaking on behalf of SAHCO’s Chairman, Dr Taiwo Afolabi, the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Mrs Adenike Aboderin, said the company’s participation had positioned Nigerian ground-handling operators within the wider conversation about the future of African airports.

Afolabi said the emergence of next-generation airports would require not only modern infrastructure and technology but also efficient support services capable of ensuring seamless airport operations.

“Our appearance places Nigeria’s major ground-handling companies directly within a continental conversation about what the airport of the future should look like and the supporting services required to make such airports efficient, competitive and passenger-focused,” he said.

SAHCO operates across several areas of airport services, including passenger handling, baggage handling, ramp handling, cargo handling and warehousing.

Afolabi noted that the breadth of these operations placed the company at an important point in the aviation value chain, where its performance could affect airlines, airports, passengers and other service providers.

He argued that ground handling should increasingly be regarded as an integral part of airport operations rather than as an ancillary activity that operates largely outside public attention.

“The company’s participation therefore provides an opportunity to demonstrate how ground handling is increasingly becoming an integral component of the airport experience rather than a largely invisible support function,” he said.

According to him, the efficiency of services such as baggage movement, aircraft turnaround, cargo processing and passenger facilitation could have wider implications for the performance of airlines and airports.

He said the quality of ground-handling services could influence an airline’s ability to operate efficiently and could ultimately shape passengers’ perceptions of the airport.

“The quality of ground handling, cargo processing, baggage movement, aircraft turnaround and passenger facilitation can significantly influence an airline’s operational efficiency and, ultimately, the passenger’s perception of an airport. This is where companies such as SAHCO become important stakeholders in the broader airport-development conversation,” he said.

Afolabi said the theme of the ACI Africa conference was particularly significant as airports across the continent faced pressure to accommodate increasing passenger traffic while responding to technological developments and demands for improved financial and operational performance.

He noted that automation and digitalisation were changing the way airports and airlines delivered services, while sustainability considerations were becoming increasingly important in airport planning and operations.

Against this background, he said ground-handling companies would have to evolve alongside airports and airlines if the continent was to achieve more efficient and resilient aviation systems.

The SAHCO Chairman said the Abuja conference also provided an opportunity for the company to strengthen relationships with airport operators, airlines, regulators, technology companies and other service providers.

He explained that collaboration among the various components of the aviation ecosystem would be necessary to address operational challenges and deliver better services to passengers and airlines.

He also linked SAHCO’s participation to the company’s broader efforts to strengthen its operational capacity and business position.

“Under my leadership, SAHCO has continued to position itself as an aviation-services company with an emphasis on professionalism, operational development and business growth,” Afolabi said.

“Our presence here presents us with an opportunity to showcase our capabilities, engage with industry peers and partners, and contribute to conversations about the next generation of airport operations. More importantly, it reinforces the company’s evolving identity as an important component of Nigeria’s aviation value chain.”

He said the transformation of African airports would increasingly depend on the quality of services delivered on the ground, regardless of the level of investment in airport infrastructure and technology.

“As Africa’s airports move towards greater automation, improved passenger experience, stronger cargo systems and more resilient operations, the quality and efficiency of ground services will remain central to the success of that transformation,” he said.

The Chairman also highlighted the potential commercial significance of SAHCO’s participation in a continental aviation gathering, particularly in an industry where relationships with airlines, airport operators and international partners are critical to business development.

He said Nigerian aviation companies should increasingly position themselves to participate in opportunities beyond the domestic market.

For him, the growing integration of African aviation presented an opportunity for Nigerian service providers to demonstrate their capabilities and establish relationships with stakeholders across the continent.

He said the participation of companies such as SAHCO at major continental industry events helped reinforce the message that Nigerian aviation businesses could serve as potential partners in Africa’s developing aviation market, rather than being viewed solely as local service providers.

The Abuja conference is therefore providing SAHCO with a platform to project its capabilities while participating in discussions on the operational and commercial requirements of the next generation of African airports.

As airports across the continent seek to improve efficiency, passenger experience, cargo operations and resilience, the company believes that efficient ground handling will remain an important component of the aviation ecosystem and the broader effort to modernise African air transport.