Nigeria secures ICAO Council seat with historic votes

ICAO

For the first time, all 152 International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) member states voted for Nigeria to secure Council seat in the Part II category at the on-going 39th Assembly of the world aviation regulatory body.

FAAN woos cargo operators, others to Enugu Airport

Ethiopian airliner at Enugu airport recently

As Dunoma tasks staff on diligence
Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria has urged airline operators, service providers and the business community to take advantage of the new freight opportunities now available at the Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu.

NCAA defends five per cent ticket sales charge

As stakeholders harp on integrity in sector

The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has defended the mandatory five per cent Ticket Sales Charge (TSC) it collects through the operators, saying it has no connection with the financial distress faced by some domestic airlines.

Airline compensates passengers with free tickets

PHOTO: www.calitown.com

An airline, Air Peace, has approved hundreds of free tickets for passengers who flew two of its Abuja-Lagos aircraft at the weekend.

The free tickets to 196 passengers, the airline said, were to compensate them for the delayed take-off of their flights.

British Airways to scrap free meals

British Airways. PHOTO: ADRIAN DENNIS/AFP/Getty Images

British Airways is scrapping free meals for short-haul economy fares from next year and inviting passengers to instead pay for Marks and Spencer sandwiches, creating a stir on social media.

The pair announced the tie-up on Thursday, which sees BA joining the no-frills airline model of charging passengers for food and drink.

RwandAir finds biggest market in Nigeria

Head of corporate clients, Ronke Ogunbufunmi (left); Robinson Chachana; Station Manager, RwandAir, Jimmy Mitali; Country Manager, Rwand Air, Ibiyemi Odusi; Tayo Babalakin; Partner, Consultants Collaborative Partnership, Prince Dapo Adelagan; President and Chairman, Nigerian Chamber of Commerce, Enyi Omeruah, recently in Lagos

To deploy new Airbus 330 on Lagos-Dubai, Mumbai routes

Rwandan flag carrier, RwandAir, has attested to the strength of the Nigerian air travel market, declaring it as a major traffic zone for airlines in the African region.The airline said economic challenges notwithstanding, the market remains committed to the air travel sector.

Over 50 airlines grounded since independence

At least 50 airlines which operated in Nigeria from independence day on October 1, 1960 have gone into extinction, checks by the Daily Trust have shown.

 While most of the airlines were owned by Nigerians, others were jointly owned with partners from countries in Africa and Europe. Few of the airlines lasted for more than one year in operation. 

Lufthansa signs joint venture with Air China

German airline Lufthansa and Air China said on Tuesday they had signed a deal to jointly operate all the groups’ connections between Europe and China.

“The Chinese aviation market is one of the most important growth markets worldwide. We want to profit from this growth together,” Lufthansa chief executive Carsten Spohr said in a statement.

Stakeholders okay airport concession plan

Former Director-General, Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, Harold Demuren (left); Chairman Airline Operators, Nigeria, Capt. Nogie Meggison and Chairman Senate Committee on Privatisation, Sen. Ben Murray-Bruce, at a stakeholders conference on aviation in Lagos…yesterday
PHOTO: NAN

The Senate yesterday threw its weight behind the Federal Government’s plan to concession the 26 airports nationwide.The Senate, with operators and key stakeholders in the aviation sector, were unanimous that concessioning would ensure efficient running and profitability of the airports especially at a time government has no resources to revamp the critical infrastructure.

Airlines to post record $40 bn profit in 2016 – IATA

 

Tony Tyler

Global airlines are expected to post record profits of almost $40 billion this year, the head of industry body IATA said Thursday, but he warned the sector faced threats from terrorism, a sharp rise in oil prices and protectionism.

Alexandre de Juniac, who took the reins at the International Air Transport Association on September 1, also called on Southeast Asian nations to invest in infrastructure to cope with surging demand for air travel in the fast-growing region.

‘How aviation sector can bail Nigeria out of recession’

Chairman of the Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON), Captain Nogie Meggison

Chairman of the Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON), Captain Nogie Meggison, in this interview with WOLE OYEBADE, calls for a review of policies and operating environment to revive the industry and the economy at large. Excerpts:

There is general apprehension about the aviation sector at this time. What are your fears as an operator?
First of all, I’m a pilot, an aviator, CEO of an airline, chairman of Nigerian Airlines Association and patron of the unemployed pilots’ union. When you see Nigerians out of jobs like today and standing on the roadside, it gives you cause for concern. Or when you sit in front of a television set or read in a newspaper to see any part of the economy going through hardship and at the brink of collapse, it will raise your antenna, as a Nigerian that wants things to work. Unfortunately, aviation is part of the country and Nigeria, as declared by the Minister of Finance; we are now officially in recession.

Retirees warn minister over concession plan

Hadi Sirika, Minister of State, Aviation

In solidarity with unions in the aviation sector, former workers of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) have warned the Minister of State for Aviation, Hadi Sirika, to be wary of concessioning that will not address germane issues relevant to the growth of the sector.

FAAN Pensioners, as the group is called, are worried that such exercises in the past “have not served the interest of the country as expected.”

New app to comfort nervous fliers by explaining happenings in real time

Some travellers really don’t like being tens of thousands of feet up in the air in a fast-moving metal cylinder. But there’s now hope for nervous fliers thanks to a new app which aims at calming uneasy travelers by making them feel like they are sitting next to the pilot.

Sky Guru, released this week, will explain to passengers what is happening during their flight in real time and what they can expect by using professional aviation data.

Virgin Atlantic slashes London fares ahead of Independence

 

Virgin Atlantic is making it even attractive to book a flight to London – by launching a special promotional fare for customers that want to visit family and friends to celebrate Nigerian 56 Independence anniversary.

This week, the British airline launched fares to London from $300, which is available for purchase from now till 26 October, 2016, for travel between 8 September and 10 December 2016.

ICAO, IATA, others revisit global airport security strategy

Scene of the recent terrorists’ attack at Ataturk international airport, Turkey.

• FAAN graduates 211 AVSEC, firefighting officers

Apparently worried by the growing security threat in airports across the world, international aviation bodies are closing ranks to re-examine and strengthen current security rules and procedure.

Bodies like the International Air Transport Association (IATA), the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) and Airports Council International (ACI) aim to address evolving aviation security risks with integrated solutions.

Workers seek government’s intervention to reposition sector

A cross section of aviation workers during a protest in Lagos

Petition FG over ‘illegal’ appointments

Workers in the aviation sector have urged the Federal Government to intervene in the crisis facing the sector.

Rising from a general meeting in Ilorin, Kwara State, the workers under the aegis of National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE) said though the hard times were not peculiar to aviation sector, but the government must be proactive in repositioning the sector as a potential mainstay of the economy.

Group opposes bailout for domestic airlines

Mr Gbenga Olowo

A group, the Aviation Round Table (ART), has called on the Federal Government to resist any pressure to offer bailout to ailing domestic airlines. 

 

President of the group, Mr Gbenga Olowo, made the call while speaking with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Friday in Lagos.

Olowo, who admitted that some of Nigeria’s airlines were currently facing challenging times, however, urged the government to pay serious attention to the aviation sector.

Sirika moves to pilot Nigerian aviation to new heights

Hadi Sirika

Last Tuesday, September 13, 2016, the Minister of State, Aviation, Sen Hadi Sirika, landed in Lagos from a trip and immediately moved to settle a trade dispute between Aero Contractors and its workers. When he got to the airline’s headquarters, the situation had even become worse as the workers were on a protest, over the shutdown of operations amidst unpaid salaries by its management.

FAA Stops Just Short of Banning Samsung Galaxy Note7

 

The FAA last week decided it could not ignore the potential safety risks for owners of Samsung’s recently released Galaxy Note7 smartphones. Samsung has urged owners to return all of the 2.5 million Note7s in service because nearly three dozen of the devices have spontaneously burst into flame due to a problem with the phone’s lithium battery.

Arik Air Passenger Planning to Travel Internationally Travel Documents

Each Arik Air passenger planning to travel internationally is responsible for obtaining all necessary travel documents and for complying with the laws of each country flown from, through or into which he or she desires to travel to.

International travel document requirements

Passport should be valid for at least 6 months from the date of intended travel. Please make sure that you are in possession of all required travel documents with the appropriate entry visas, including any vaccination certificates that may be required. Additionally, many countries require proof of return/onward travel and proof of sufficient funds to support you during your overseas stay.