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Monday, March 13, 2017

Airlines at Kaduna airport insist on cash payment

The new look of Kaduna International Airport on Tuesday (7/2/17) in preparation for smooth take-off of flight operations as Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja closes temporary for repairs.

Passengers stranded, lack access to ATM, PoS, BDC

Air passengers plying the Kaduna International Airport (KIA) are facing fresh hurdles as airlines operating at the aerodrome are insisting on only cash transactions.

The newly refurbished airport, which also serves as an alternative to the closed Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport (NAIA), Abuja, is currentlyoperat without Automated Teller Machines (ATM), Point of Sale (PoS) and Bureau de Change (BDC) outlets to serve international passengers especially.

Why aviation sector remains at infancy 91 years on

As the air travel sector closes in on its centenary, WOLE OYEBADE, in this report, examines its growth rate and why it is sleepwalking.

Bimpe Adesanya has lived in England all her life. A nurse by profession, but her over three decades in the UK has not offered much in terms of satisfaction. Her family, had, half of the period, contemplated a return home to contribute their quota to nation building.

Turkish Airlines on Tuesday night airlifted 266 Lagos passengers who had their flight cancelled on Monday after faulty onboard cooling system and attendant face-off between travellers and crew.

The development forced the flight to be cancelled, with subsequent claims that some passengers fainted onboard. The airline, however, confirmed on Wednesday that the passengers had landed safely in Turkey.

NAMA installs navigational aids

After much hues and cries, all appears set for traffic diversion to Kaduna airport beginning from Wednesday, when the runway at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport (NAIA), Abuja, closes for the much-awaited reconstruction.

The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), says it has inaugurated its Anti-Corruption and Transparency Unit (ACTU) to ensure transparency, accountability and good ethical practices.

Mrs Henrietta Yakubu, FAAN’s Acting General Manager, Corporate Affairs said this in a statement in Abuja on Sunday.

Ethiopian Airlines graduates 184 aviation professionals

PHOTO: Aiga Forum

Ethiopian Airlines Aviation Academy (EAA) has graduated 184 aviation professionals to raise capacity and improve services of African airlines.

In this round, 90 graduates are from Cabin Crew and Catering, 84 from Commercial and Ground Operations Training School and the rest are trained on Equipment and Facility Maintenance.

Emirates Airlines

Emirates Airlines has appointed Afzal Parambil, as its new Regional Manager for West Africa.
Prior to taking up his new appointment, Parambil served in a number of commercial roles within Emirates, the most recent being the Country Manager for Ethiopia.

Congratulating Parambil on his new position, Emirates Senior Vice President Commercial Operations for Africa, Orhan Abbas, said Nigeria is a very important market for Emirates and delighted that Parambil will serve as the new Regional Manager for West Africa.

Abbas said: “It is part of our human resources strategy to continuously develop and enhance our employees’ capabilities across the Group through providing them with new challenges and opportunities.”

Parambil will be responsible for the overall Emirates’ operation in Nigeria and West Africa as a whole, and will oversee sales and customer service, cargo and airport operations.

Accepting the appointment, he said: “I’m excited to have been given the opportunity to lead the Emirates team in Nigeria. This is a great honour and I look forward to taking the business forward with my team. My focus in the market will be to continue providing our customers with the best possible service and value for money, as we connect them to more than 150 destinations across the world,” Parambil said.

NAMA reviews aeronautical information procedure

Capt. Fola Akinkuotu

Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) has set up a committee to commence the immediate review of the nation’s Aeronautical Information Procedure (AIP).

The Nigerian AIP is a state document that contains all aeronautical information that relates to the services, procedures, facilities and personnel at all Nigerian airports or within the Nigerian airspace.

Bilateral economic relations between Nigeria and Ghana recently received a boost with the launch of Lagos-Accra flight operations by Air Peace Airlines.

The operations aim to fast-track the movement of passengers and cargo across the neighbouring West African countries, promoting trade relations.

‘Kaduna Airport 92 per cent ready for traffic’

Kaduna Airport

Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has affirmed the readiness of the Kaduna Airport to receive Abuja-bound flights when the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport (NAIA) is closed in March.

FAAN said this to allay fears of air travellers that are worried about the level of infrastructure upgrade and facilities required for smooth diversion during the six-week repair work of the NAIA runway.

OAS Helicopters

The Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON) has taken over Odengene Air-Shuttle Services, known more as OAS Helicopters in Lagos following a court order. It was the third aviation firm to be taken over by the bad bank in four months.

Incoming Director General (DG) of the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NIMET), Prof Sani Abubakar Mashi

• Partners BATNF on weather information
Incoming Director General (DG) of the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NIMET), Prof Sani Abubakar Mashi, has pledge to turn the agency around through focus on workers’ welfare and facility upgrade.
Mashi, during the tour of NIMET facility at the Lagos airport, said the agency would work better with motivated staff and better equipment at their disposal.

PHOTO: Arik Air

Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON) has denied plans to nationalise Arik Air after its takeover by the Federal Government.

The denial is contrary to claims making the rounds that the distressed airline and Aero Contractors are set to be merged, to become Nigeria’s new national carrier after the defunct Nigeria Airways.

Domestic airlines woo passengers to salvage operations

Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos

• Arik launches buy one, get one free ticket, Air Peace slashes fares at Valentine
If domestic airlines keep their words, then air travellers in the country are in for special offers ahead of February 14 Valentine’s Day.

Emirates

• Sets new standards for on-board healthcare
A single flight diversion, often due to inflight medical emergencies, costs Emirates Airline an excess of N2.5 to N300 million ($50,000 – $600,000), airline source has said.

The heavy cost depends on the nature of the diversion, which includes fuel, flight catering, landing and ground handling fees, air navigation cost, passenger rebooking costs and onward connection, as well as other associated costs to care for crew and passengers.

Arik, which was set up in 2006, has a 60 percent share of domestic flights in Nigeria.

The Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria on Thursday said it had taken over Arik Air to prevent it from going bust.

“AMCON has taken over the management of Arik because the whole place is in a mess,” said AMCON spokesman Jude Nwauzor.

Nigeria’s aviation ministry has said the planned six weeks of resurfacing work were needed because the runway.

International airlines are refusing to fly to an alternative hub when the only airport serving Nigeria’s capital shuts down, forcing travellers to make lengthy detours at extra cost.

People wave Chinese flags as an ARJ21-700, China’s first domestically produced regional jet, arrives at Shanghai Hongqiao Airport after making its first flight from Chengdu to Shanghai on June 28, 2016. PHOTO: AFP

China’s first homegrown big passenger plane will make its maiden voyage in the first half of this year, state media said Monday, as the country seeks to challenge foreign giants Airbus and Boeing.

The maiden flight into Kotoka International Airport (KIA), Accra, Ghana takes off from the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos at 7 a.m. local time and makes a return to Lagos at 8 a.m. (GMT). Subsequently, the Abuja-Accra-Abuja sector will come on stream.

Delta Airlines

Delta Airlines has been named Business Airline of the Year 2017 at the United Kingdom’s Business Travel Awards, beating the likes of EasyJet, Etihad Airways, Norwegian and Qatar Airways.

Omni Helicopters Nigeria

The plight of unemployed pilots in the country is set for an upswing as Omni Helicopters Nigeria launches into the offshore market with local content development plan.

Omni Helicopters Nigeria, which emerged from a strategic joint venture between Omni Helicopters International (OHI) and Omni Blu Aviation Limited, brings to the aviation sector technical expertise, access to aircraft and improved safety, leveraging on the available manpower.

Turkish Airlines, hotel deny maltreating stranded passengers

Stranded passengers at a Lagos airport

Turkish airlines and the management of Golden Tulip Hotel, Apapa, Lagos, has denied reports of maltreating some stranded passengers and subsequently ejected them from the hotel.

The airline said while it regretted the development caused by cancelled flights early January, the affected passengers were catered for as mandated by the rule.

Dana Air to launch Imo Air. Above Dana Air Passengers

The Imo State Government is set to launch Imo Air to be operated by Dana Airline, in a partnership deal.

Dana Airline Communications Manager, Mr Kingsley Ezenwa, made this known in a statement in Lagos on Tuesday.

Emirates Airline. PHOTO: TWITTER

Emirates has introduced new sustainable blankets made from 100 per cent recycled plastic bottles. The soft and warm blankets are made using ecoTHREAD™ patented technology and is now available in Economy Class on all long-haul Emirates flights.

Ethiopian airlines

Ethiopian Airlines is set to introduce a platinum tier level in its frequent flyer loyalty programme, ShebaMiles.

The Platinum tier level offers extra benefits to frequent flyers that accrue 75, 000 status miles or 60 qualifying segments within one calendar year, January 1 to December 31, within the validity period of two years, in addition to the remaining months in the qualification year.

Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja

The dust raised by the Federal Government’s plan to close the Abuja Airport for runway repairs may just not settle yet, as more stakeholders blamed the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) and Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) for negligence.

The think-tank of the industry, Aviation Round Table (ART), carpeted the NCAA for its failure at ensuring that FAAN religiously complied with the Runway Maintenance Programme for the Nnamdi Azikwe International Airport, Abuja, which is an operational safety requirement.

Country Manager of RwandAir, Ibiyemi Odusi

RwandAir, one of the fastest growing airlines in Africa, said it has concluded arrangements to expand flight operations into Harare, Zimbabwe, and Mumbai, India, in April 2017.

Med-View Airline

Medview Airline, one of Nigeria’s fastest growing flag carriers, will be listed by introduction on the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) on Jan. 31, a senior official said on Sunday in Lagos.

Medview’s Executive Director, Business Development, Mr Isiaq Na-Allah,said the listing would enable the airline to expand its route network and acquire more aircraft to boost its operations.

Ethiopian Airlines expands operations to China

Tewolde GebreMariam

Africa’s largest airline group, Ethiopian Airlines, has concluded plans to connect Chengdu, China, with three times weekly flights.

Chengdu is the capital of China’s Sichuan Province and is the seventh-largest city in China. Chengdu is the country’s western centre of logistics, commerce, science and technology, as well as a hub of transportation, manufacturing and communication. Chengdu is also a major hub for Air China, Ethiopian Airlines’ Star Alliance partner.

Operations of domestic airlines in the country have again dropped in figures as at least two in every three flights are now delayed nationwide.

A new report on flight operations and complaints released by the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), showed that the total number of flights operated last November dropped to 3,903 flights, of which 2,911 were delayed and 63 cancelled.

Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority

The Federal Government has extended the deadline given to airlines operating in the country to automate their remittance/payment systems to aviation agencies to Feb. 28

Mr Sam Adurogboye, General Manager, Public Relations, Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Friday in Lagos that the extension was at the instance of the operators.

Newly appointed Managing Director of the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA), Capt. Fola Akinkuotu (left); receives handover note from outgoing Acting MD, Emma Anasi, at the agency’s headquarters in Lagos.

Newly appointed Managing Director of the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA), Capt. Fola Akinkuotu, has solicited the support of staff as he aims at making the nation’s airspace safer than he met it.

Turkish Airlines has disowned the cargo plane that crashed on Monday, killing at least 37 persons when it plunged into a village in Kyrgyzstan.

Contrary to reports, the airlines denied any involvement in the accident, as neither the aircraft nor the crew are members of Turkish Airlines.

Recall that a cargo flight with TC-MCL registration number, operated by ACT Airlines, departed from Hong Kong International Airport (HKG) to Bishkek Manas International Airport (FRU) when it had an accident near Bishkek.

Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority

The Federal Government has extended the deadline given to airlines operating in the country to automate their remittance/payment systems to aviation agencies to Feb. 28

Airlines in Nigeria, South Africa, others record demand growth amid challenges

International Air Transport Association

Airlines in African countries have recorded an 8.2 per cent growth in passenger demand compared to the figures in November 2015.The International Air Transport Association (IATA) announced global passenger traffic results for November 2016, showing the strongest demand growth in nine months.

The demand surge, underscores enormous the potential that abound in the air travel business and its ability to drive economies when optimised.

Minister of State for Budget and National Planning, Mrs Zainab Ahmed

Minister of State, Budget and National Planning, Zainab Ahmed, has expressed satisfaction with the state of the arrival hall of the Murtala Mohammed International Airport, (MMIA), Lagos, commending Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) for a job well done.

‘Why Abuja runway should be closed during repairs’

•NANTA, others insist on second runway project

Hues and cries by airline operators notwithstanding, experts have thrown their weight behind the Federal Government’s decision to completely close the runway of Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, during the six-week repair exercise.

Murtala Muhammed International Airport

An aviation expert, retired Capt. John Ojikutu, has suggested that the Federal Government should divert intercontinental flights to the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos , when the Abuja International Airport runway is closed for repairs.

Nigeria’s domestic airlines are likely to post operating losses in the year ended December 31, 2016 as they struggle to source funds to remain in business. Daily Sun learnt that exorbitant cost of foreign exchange and aviation fuel took a heavy toll on their overhead during the year, severely eroding their profits and leaving them prostrate and in need of government bailout.

Arik Air passengers stranded in Kaduna Airport for 4 days

Several passengers, including children, have been stranded at Kaduna Airport since Tuesday, following the failure of Arik Airlines to airlift them as scheduled.

Some of the disappointed passengers made the complaint to the Minister of State for Aviation, Hadi Sirika, at the airport during the on-the-spot assessment of the facilities on ground at the airport.

Nigeria's domestic airlines are likely to post operating losses in the year ended December 31, 2016 as they struggle to source funds to remain in business.

It was learnt that exorbitant cost of foreign exchange and aviation fuel took a heavy toll on their overhead during the year, severely eroding their profits and leaving them prostrate and in need of government bailout.

Government sources however hinted that some airline operators have already approached the Federal Government with facts showing that the industry is on the brink of a collapse amid low revenue owing to a reduction in passenger patronage on most routes outside the Lagos, Abuja, and Port Harcourt airports.

Motorists at risk over scarcity of tyres, spare-parts, others

PHOTO: Google

• Naira-dollar disparity spikes prices by 200%
• Govt urged to intervene to avert increase in road crashes

The high exchange rate and the plummeting economy are taking toll on motorists across Nigeria, as prices of vehicle spare parts, particularly tyres are soaring beyond control.

Indeed, indications have emerged that vehicle owners can no longer find replacement for necessary parts, while importers decry their inability to stock products.

PHOTO: Arik Air

Arik Air has increased flight frequencies to key domestic destinations ahead of the Christmas and New Year festivities.

The airline, which is though struggling with the current aviation fuel shortage to carry out scheduled flights as at when due, said the frequencies were imperative to cope with passenger demand traffic that are characteristic of the yuletide season.

Manager Business Development at Bristow Helicopters (Nigeria) Limited, Mayowa Babatunde (left); Managing Director, Captain Akin Oni; Human Resource Manager, Tolu Olufunwa; and Senior Legal Director, Tolu Olubajo at the media engagement on Bristow’s operations in Nigeria

• Diversifies services, acquires new helicopters

Leading helicopter service provider in the oil and gas sector, Bristow Helicopters Nigeria Limited, has hinted on over 50 per cent drop in operations due to the current economic downturn.

The development, though not unique to Bristow, has, however, warranted some drastic measures including the release of some workers and withdrawal of some aircraft from the Nigerian market.

South African Airway

Economic downturn in the country notwithstanding, South African Airways (SAA) has pledged its commitment to the Nigerian market, with a promise of improved services to customers.

In partial fulfillment of the pledge, the airline on Monday introduced its brand new A330-300 aircraft to the Lagos-Johannesburg route.

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Tuesday, December 13, 2016

NCAA notifies passengers on flight hitches during harmattan

Murtala Muhammed International Airport

Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has alerted air travellers to brace up for some delays that may be experienced due to harmattan haze expected in most parts of the country.

The apex regulatory body pleaded for understanding of the travelling public, urging them not to be lawless should the situation arise and flights had to be delayed or cancelled.

Following complaints of alleged ill-treatment by passengers of recent London-Lagos Arik Air flights, the Consumer Protection Council (CPC), has summoned the management of the airline to appear before it to provide facts relating to the allegations.

The summon, which was issued by the Council on Wednesday, called on the airline’s Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Michael Arumemi-Ikhide, the Chief Operating Officer, Conor Prendergast, and the Managing Director, Chris Ndulue, to appear before the Council on Monday, December 19, 2016.

Senate to award zero allocation to aviation in 2017 budget

The Minister of State for Aviation, Mr. Hadi Sirika

Summons minister over failed MMA2 concession agreement
Senate House Committee on Privatisation has disclosed that the aviation sector will get zero allocation in the 2017 budget proposal that the president will present soon.

The committee, led by its chairman, Senator Ben Murray-Bruce, said that the plan to concession the airports and readiness of private investors to assume responsibility means that the Federal Government would no longer need to commit revenue to run the facilities.

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