Managing director Paul Craig talks to Vincent Kielty about how a local Ghanaian company has forged a reputation for excellence in a challenging marketplace.
Established in 1994, Aviance Ghana provides a range of ground handling services at Kotoka International Airport in Ghana. The company provides services to its customer airlines that include an executive lounge for first and business class travellers, passenger check-in and baggage handling, loading and unloading of cargo from freight flights and a cargo warehouse operation for all import and export needs.
Aviation is a tough market; airlines continue to face pressures from spiralling fuel costs and the impact of events such as ash clouds and the ever-present threat of international terrorism. At the same time, the industry structure is being transformedto reflect the continued change in passenger expectations—all factors that have combined to make ground handling an innovative yet competitive and price conscious industry.
Aviance Ghana monitors its progress through its Safety Management System (SMS) that requires quarterly internal audits against pre-set key performance indicators. Although it is based in Ghana, the company is judged by international standards, since it works with flag carriers such as British Airways, United Airlines, SAA and Emirates, as well as cargo airlines such as Cargolux.“It is our responsibility to provide a reliable and punctual service for passenger and cargo airlines alike,” explains managing director Paul Craig. “Our business success rests on providing high quality, time-critical transportation for large numbers of people and their baggage and cargo, professionally, safely and with a high degree of customer service.”
Aviance Ghana forms part of the fabric of KotokaInternational Airport, so its primary duty lies in assisting the airlines to fulfil their commitment to their passengers—whether they are business travellers, families returning from summer holidays, or companies, NGOs or individualsawaiting the urgent delivery of cargo. Effective partnership is a vital ingredient in the success of any business, maintains Craig: “We work closely with our airline customers, the airport operators and other airport-based businesses to keep operations running smoothly.”
With this in mind, it has always been a high priority for the company to minimise the number of delays that can be attributed to its performance, as these have a significant impact on its airline customers, their passengers and the airport in which it operates. To address this, Craig and his team have developed a ‘Service Excellence’ programme—‘Team Aviance’—which aims to provide customers with a dedicated service operating to international standards.
Aviance Ghana is a member of the Aviance Alliance, the first ever alliance of airport service providers. Created in 1999 to provide airlines with a co-operative alternative to the existing global handlers, it presently has 10members operating at more than 100 airport locations, and is represented across four continents. The alliance stands for consistent service delivery and safety to nurture brand confidence, with membership granted only after benchmarking and audits have been approved. Furthermore, the airlines recognise the alliance as being a byword for quality and professionalism.
What Craig terms the ‘Aviance Difference’ is its ability to work with airlines at an international level, identifying innovative services that afford them a value-added experience. By so doing, the company has been able to create a reputation for service excellence, leading the market in Ghana. All Aviance Alliance members sharebest practice among the other members,helping to improve standards and benchmark themselves against industry best practice.
The alliance has gained experience of the African market through the operations of Aviance Ghana, Aviance NAHCOand Bid Air, building an international reputation for providing a consistent, quality-driven service accepted as the ‘best of Africa’. As one of the key alliance partners for Africa, Aviance Ghana is now keen to expand the alliance coverage into more African countries.
Aviance Ghana understands that its reputation relies on its employees; and a range of employee benefits helps it to recruit, retain and motivate staff. The company also strives to develop its staff from within, employing local people and offering them a career with real opportunities for growth and personal development. Within its workforce of over 600 people, Aviance Ghana only employs two expatriates.
Craig also believes that a good employer must also provide a safe working environment. The health and safety of employees is therefore a major priority, not only for the wellbeing of its people but also because this determines Aviance Ghana’s operational efficiency. “We are proud of our record in this area as we aim to establish a safety culture in which individual employees are able to raise issues and concerns. In order to achieve this, we work closely with our unions and audit our performance on a regular basis,” states Craig.
Ultimately, a business is only as good as its staff, hence employee welfare forms a major focus of Aviance Ghana’s ‘Responsibility’ programme.
The company also commits to investing approximately $1 million each year in new equipment to improve its efficiency and help reduce its carbon footprint. This need to keep investing is recognised by the Aviance Ghana shareholders as a key ingredient to long-term success.
The concept of service excellence acknowledges that the customer has a choice. Craig says that Aviance endeavours to co-operate with all partners by focusing on service in order to further improve quality. For example, this means giving every single passenger undivided attention each and every single time they are greeted by an Aviance employee. Even though the average check-in process takes only a few minutes, Craig remains convinced of the fact that the company can still make a lasting and good impression. One of the aims of the company’s continual training programme is to promote natural talent and underscore this with expert knowledge and skill, enabling Craig and his team to provide ‘the Aviance Difference’.
