Travel & Business News

On Friday April 15, 2016, American Airlines treated passengers on its Flight 90 from Chicago to London Heathrow were treated to a surprise farewell celebration with gifts and a commemorative photo album as the airline flagged off activities to commemorate its 90th anniversary. The carrier’s staff around the world also joined in the excitement with festivities at various airports, while broadcasting the main events broadcast on social media with the word #HBDAmerican. American Airline’s history began on April 15, 1926 when Charles Lindbergh, Chief Pilot of Robertson Aircraft Corporation, loaded a bag of mail in his DH-4 biplane and took off from Chicago to St. Louis.  Ninety years after, Robertson is counted as one of the many airlines that would eventually metamorphose into what is now the world’s largest carrier. Since that first flight embarked on by Lindbergh the airline’s history as a pioneer has continued. American was the first airline to introduce non-stop transcontinen

Emirates Airlines has announced that it had placed an order with Airbus for two additional brand new A380s. The aircraft are due for delivery in the fourth quarter of 2017. The carrier currently operates the world’s largest fleet of A380s, with 75 in service and a further 65 on firm order. These two more two orders, which are powered by Rolls-Royce Trent 900 engines, will bring the airline’s total order of A380s to an impressive 142 aircraft. Sir Tim Clark, Emirates’ President, said the airline was retiring 30 older aircraft from the fleet between now and the end of next year. “At the same time, to meet our growth expectations, we will receive delivery of 24 new Boeing 777s and 33 new A380s including these two additional A380s just ordered,” adding that; “This is in line with our strategy to operate a modern and efficient fleet and offer the best possible experience for our customers.” Meanwhile, the carrier plans to introduce Prague, Taipei and Vienna to its A380 destinations.

Ethiopian Airlines B787 - Courtesy: wikipedia.org Ethiopian Airlines has announced that it will commence three weekly flights to New York-Newark from its hub in Addis Ababa effective July 3, 2016 via Lomé, Togo. The airline said it will commission the B787 Dreamliner on this route, which not only offers unparalleled onboard comfort to passengers, but is also the world’s most environmentally friendly aircraft with its lower carbon and noise emissions. The aircraft is configured with 24 Business and 246 Economy Class seats, all of which are equipped with state-of-the-art audio-visual in-flight entertainment consoles. The thrice weekly service will allow passengers connect between New York-Newark and many cities throughout Africa. Passengers out of Lomé will enjoy seamless connections to/from points in West Africa with ASKY, Ethiopian’s partner airline based in the country. Connections will be available to/from Abidjan, Bamako, Bissau, Brazzaville, Conakry, Dakar, Douala, Kinshas

British Airways (BA) has increased its seat capacity on the London – Nairobi route to 784 seats weekly for the summer season. The airline has commissioned a Boeing 747-400 on the route to that effect. BA said the decision was a reflection of growth in sales and the rising demand for services to Kenya from the United Kingdom. The B747 flights will be operated effective July 1 to October 29, 2016, offering a total of 11,200 seats into Nairobi this summer. The airline also disclosed that it will revert to its original B777 service on the route at the end of the season on October 30, 2016. “We have always said we would add capacity if the opportunity arose. It has and we’ve seized it. The additional capacity and the fact we offer an overnight schedule should be good news for business travellers as well as those on leisure trips. Morning arrivals in London mean you don’t waste any time on your business trip or holiday and the schedule also allows for convenient transfer times to onward

Africa World Airlines (AWA) secured the International Operational Safety Audit (IOSA) Certification from the International Air Transport Association (IATA) on March 16, 2016 following an intensive and rigorous process. The certificate was presented by Mr. Raphael Kuuchi, Vice President for Africa, IATA to Mr. Samuel Thompson, Chief Operations Officer of the airline in Accra, Ghana. In the light of this achievement, the airline recently embarked on a courtesy visit to the Ghana Civil Aviation Aut hority (GCAA) to officially present its certificate to the regulatory authority. “By this certification, AWA became listed as an IOSA registered airline with IATA valid from May 1, 2015 to May 1, 2017. With the IOSA certification, customers can have comfort knowing that an IOSA registered airline does comply with the stringent standards and practices governing aviation safety. The IOSA registration also opens doors for alliances and parternership with other IOSA registered airlines. It al

Essex Industries has announced that Isreali carrier, EL AL has selected its Protective Breathing Equipment (PBE) for use on the airline’s new 787 aircraft. The Essex PBE is designed to provide crew members with ocular, head and respiratory protection during emergency conditions in an aircraft cabin. A minimum of 15 minutes of protection is provided to the wearer, as aviator’s grade oxygen is released into the unit.  Its unique design provides 270° of visibility and eliminates the need for an oral/nasal mask so that crew members can communicate while wearing the unit. The PBE holds FAA TSO-C116 and TSO-C99 approvals as well as CAA, EASA, CAAC and ANAC approvals.  Recognized for their safe design, Essex PBE units are installed in the majority of U.S. airlines and a number of carriers throughout the world. Established in 1948 as the national airline of Israel, EL AL has become a prestigious international carrier, ranked by IATA as one of the most efficient airlines in the world. 

Ed Bastian, Delta’s incoming Chief Executive Officer Delta Air Line has announced a $1.56 billion profit for the first quarter 2016. The financial result is an increase of $966 million compared to the same period in 2015. The airline posted an adjusted net income of $1.0 billion or $1.32 per diluted share. Ed Bastian, Delta’s incoming Chief Executive Officer, said; “We have started 2016 with tremendous momentum, generating over $1.5 billion in adjusted pre-tax income, delivering industry-leading operations including 49 days of perfect mainline completion factor for our customers, and reaching our goal of becoming an investment grade company.  With these results, the Delta people have proven again that they are the very best in the industry.” He assured further that: “We will continue to be disciplined with our business in the face of volatile fuel prices, strengthen our foundation, and prove our position as the airline that consistently delivers top results for our employees,

(R - L) Mr. Ikechi Uko, Director of Administration, Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN); Mrs. Victoria Adegbe,   Licensed Aircraft Dispatcher and Ground Instructor with the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) and the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA); and Capt. Data Tarfa, Presidential Air Fleet/Former Fleet Captain, Nigeria Airways Limited. A Licensed Aircraft Dispatcher and Ground Instructor with the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) and the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), Mrs. Victoria Adegbe, has called on the Federal Government and industry stakeholders to accord more respect and awareness for the job of aircraft dispatch as a key profession in the sector that plays a crucial role in the safety and efficiency of any flight. Speaking at the official launch of the book titled; “Dispatch Made Easy: An Aircraft Dispatch Handbook,” which she authored, Mrs. Adegbe noted that unknown to so many, the Dispatcher is the one who essentially plans

The MD/CEO of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Engr Saleh Dunoma welcomes the Egyptian Minister of Civil Aviation, Sherif Fathy to the podium of Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria at the opening ceremony of ACI Africa Regional Conference and Exhibition holding in Cairo, Egypt from April 10 - 12, 2016. The Authority put up a great show at the event as guests thronged its exhibition stand during the colourful opening ceremony.

Etihad A380 - Courtesy; Airbus Coming on the wings of receiving the Airbus Operational Reliability Performance Award recently, Etihad Airways has announced that it recorded a 99.8% reliability in its first year of operating the Airbus A380, the best performance level yet of any airline to have introduced the aircraft type. The carrier noted that the remaining 0.2% of reliability challenges it experienced in the January-December 2015 period did not include any cancellations. This remarkable feat achieved by the airline came down to “the sheer hard work and commitment … of our engineering teams,” said Jeff Wilkinson, Etihad’s Senior Vice President – Technical. He also disclosed that the carrier had one of the highest rates of daily utilization of the A380, with a typical turnaround time of only two hours, thereby underlining its achievement. The Abu Dhabi based airline which currently has six A380s in its fleet, with four more scheduled for delivery operated its first A380 servic

Air Peace Limited has been named Airline Partner for the Oganiru Enugu State Investment Summit holding from April 12 – 14, 2016 at the Michael Okpara Square, Independence Layout, Enugu. The Summit which has as its theme: “Beyond Oil: Fostering Inclusive Economic Growth and Sustainable Development,” is the first investor forum of its scale in Nigeria’s South East, and it will bring together stakeholders critical to advancing business interests across a variety of industries, not only in Enugu State but also the entire South East region. Air Peace B737 - Courtesy: wikimedia.org As Airline Partner for Oganiru, Air Peace is offering all delegates to the Summit a special discount on air tickets upon presentation of their Summit invite at any Air Peace office or point of sale nationwide. In addition, the airline is providing complimentary air tickets to facilitate the transportation of Oganiru officials and special guests during the period of the Summit.  While announcing the pa

Namibian Prime Minister, Saara Kuugongelwa-Amadhila, has declared that: “Africa urgently needs to embrace the International Civil Aviation Organisation’s (ICAO’s) Comprehensive Aviation Security Strategy. This includes developments in risk assessment, innovation and cyber security.” She said this at the Ministerial Conference on Aviation Security and Facilitation in Africa held recently in Windhoek, Namibia. “Security is without a doubt the backbone of social and economic development in any country and Africa needs to embrace the ICAO Comprehensive Aviation Security Strategy without delay,” Kuugongelwa-Amadhila told aviation experts and policy makers from across the continent, who have been gathering in Windhoek since Monday for the conference. “The current global acts of terrorism are in most instances carried out through the civil aviation mode of transport. Africa is, of course not immune to such developments,” Kuugongelwa-Amadhila said, adding that she was pleased to note rece

According to the Minister of the Egyptian Civil Aviation Ministry,   Sherif Fathy, Egypt plans to boost capacity of the country’s key airports from 47 million to upwards of 75.5 million passengers by 2020. He made that announcement while delivering his speech at the Airports Council International (ACI) Africa Regional Conference and Exhibition being held in the country. Fathy noted that the Ministry's strategy aims at expanding in the field of air cargo through establishing a new Cairo Cargo City (CCC) at Cairo International Airport. He added that the new Cargo City is set to be built on a 150,000 square meters space in a bid to increase accommodation capacity by 350,000 tonnes annually by 2020 to reach 800,000 in 2025. The ACI Africa Regional Conference and Exhibition takes place in Cairo from 8 to 15 April 2016 and is hosted by the Egyptian Holding Company for Airports and Air Navigation (EHCAAN). The theme of the conference is "Economic sustainability of African airpo

RwandAir B737 - Courtesy: wikimedia.org A head of the staging of the 5th Aviation Stakeholders Convention (ASC) from 7-9 May 2016 at the Serena Hotel in Kigali, RwandAir CEO, Mr. John Mirenge hosted AFRAA Secretary General, Dr. Elijah Chingosho in Kigali recently for deliberations about the event as well as other industry developments. RwandAir is the proud co-host of the 5th ASC and also the official carrier of the event. This year’s Convention is being convened under the patronage of the Minister of Infrastructure of the Republic of Rwanda, Hon. James Musoni under the theme, “Winning Together through Innovation and Collaboration.” During the 2-day working visit to Kigali Dr. Elijah Chingosho also met with other stakeholders including the Director General of Rwanda Civil Aviation Authority, Col Silas Udahemuka, the Director General in Charge of Policy and Planning at the Ministry of Infrastructure of the Republic of Rwanda, Mr. Stevenson Nzaramba accompanied by the Advis

(L - R) Dr. Olumuyiwa Bernard Aliu, ICAO President; Mr. Sam Adurogboye, GM, Public Affairs, NCAA and Mrs. Adebisi Awoniyi, Chief Operating Officer, Bi-Courtney Aviation Services operators of MMA2, during the visit of the ICAO President to the facility on Tuesday April 5, 2016.  The President of the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), Dr. Olumuyiwa Bernard Aliu, on Tuesday April 5, 2016 paid a courtesy call and facility tour to the Murtala Muhammed Airport Terminal Two (MMA2). He was received and accompanied on the tour of the airport facility by the Chief Operating Officer of Bi-Courtney Aviation Services (operators of MMA2), Mrs. Adebisi Awoniyi and the General Manager, Public Affairs of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Mr. Sam Adurogboye.

Rizwan Kadri, MD, SAHCOL The Board of the Skyway Aviation Handling Company Limited (SAHCOL) has confirmed the appointment of Rizwan Kadri as Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer (COO) with effect from 1st April, 2016. Rizwan Kadri joined SAHCOL in December, 2015 as Chief Operating Officer (COO) but was later appointed as Acting Managing Director in January 2016 following the appointment of the former Managing Director, Oluropo Owolabi, to the Board. The performance of Rizwan Kadri since his stepping into the pilot seat of SAHCOL has impacted positively on the image of the company, which has therefore given the Board further confidence of confirming his appointment, as Managing Director/CEO. Kadri is a Senior Aviation Ground and Airport Operations Executive, highly experienced in Aviation Management with over 25 years of extensive international experience gained in managing airports and airside operations, especially when it concerns Passenger and Cargo terminals, Ramp, Da

Following the introduction of the Emirates - Malaysia Air code share last February on the heels of Malaysian reaching a decision to discontinue most of its long haul flights to Europe on the back of its financial restructuring, Emirates and Malaysia Airlines are adding several new Malaysian routes to both carriers' codeshare agreement. Emirates Airlines will add its flight code on all its connecting flights via Kuala Lumpur to 15 Malaysian destinations. These include Langkawi, Penang, Johor Bahru, Kuching, Miri, Bintulu, Sibu, and Kota Kinabalu, Others are Sandakan, Tawau, Labuan, Alor Setar, Kota Bharu, Kuantan and Kuala Terengganu. The airlines equally signed a reciprocal deal to allow passengers accumulate and redeem frequent flyer miles on both airlines.  Emirates currently operate a trice daily B777 service on the Kuala Lumpur - Dubai route as well as a daily flight on the Airbus A380. Thierry Antinori, Chief Commercial Officer, Emirates Airlines said, "Th

Alexandre de Juniac At the end of its meeting on April 5, 2016, the Board of Governors of the International Air Transport Association (IATA) announced a unanimously approved decision to recommend Alexandre de Juniac, Chairman and CEO of Air France-KLM, to succeed Tony Tyler who is retiring as Director General and CEO. With confirmation by the IATA Annual General Meeting to be held 1-3 June 2016 in Dublin, Ireland, de Juniac will take up duties as the head of the association after a short handover period.     "The IATA Board of Governors is very pleased to recommend Alexandre de Juniac to lead IATA. Under Tony Tyler’s leadership IATA has grown stronger. This has been achieved by building partnerships across the industry and with governments, and by increasing the diversity of business models within IATA’s membership that has grown to 264 airlines. Alexandre’s broad experience in aviation and government makes him the ideal candidate to take our association to even greate

Engr. Saleh Dunoma - Courtesy: Corenews.ng The Managing Director of Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) Engr Saleh Dunoma, has reiterated the Authority's commitment to sustain the standards achieved following the recent ICAO audit. He made the pledge during an inspection of the new terminal at Nnamdi Azikiwe Airport, Abuja by the ICAO President, Dr Olumuyiwa Bernard Aliu as part of activities heralding his visit to Nigeria. “The new international terminals being constructed simultaneously in Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt, Kano and Enugu will increase capacity and improve passenger facilitation,” Engr. Dunoma said. He added that; "In the past twelve years, passenger traffic at the airports increased from 4.4milion to 15million per annum and FAAN is expanding its capacity to accommodate envisaged growth.” Expressing delight on the visit of the ICAO President, Dunoma described Dr Aliu as an icon who has positively impacted aviation globally, emphasizing that

Courtesy: Boeing Boeing and Ryanair have marked a milestone with the delivery of the airline's 400 th  Next-Generation 737-800. Ryan Air, one of Europe’s leading low-cost carriers, operates the largest fleet of Next-Generation 737-800s in the world. Ryanair's Chief Operations Officer, Michael Hickey, said; "The Boeing 737-800 aircraft, with its industry leading technical reliability and seating capacity, has been the foundation upon which our successful and safe growth has been built upon, since we took our first delivery in March 1999." Speaking further, Hickey noted: "We are delighted to be now taking delivery of our 400th 737-800, which includes the new Boeing Sky Interior and slimline seats, offering extra leg room and an enhanced customer experience, as part of our 'Always Getting Programme'." Ryanair pioneered the low-cost model in Europe more than 30 years ago, with the Next-Generation 737-800 providing the optimal platform for

Nigerian Aviation Handling Company PLC, (NAHCo aviance), has announced the appointment of Mrs. Folashade Ode as Executive Director, Corporate, Legal Services and Company Secretary. The appointment was announced just as the retirement of Mr. Bolaji Balogun and Arc Usman Arabi Bello from the board of the Company took effect. Ode, whose appointment takes immediate effect, would execute her new office with the former role of Company Secretary. The new ED is a graduate of Lagos State University, Ojo, Lagos, where she obtained her LL.B (HONS) and an MBA in international business. She is a member of many professional bodies, including the Nigeria Bar Association, International Bar Association and Nigeria Institute of Management. Ode is a highly motivated and hardworking solicitor with over twenty-five years cognate experience in corporate and commercial law and has exhibited unparalleled professionalism in the course of her career. She has a diploma in Insurance, a Law degree fro

Courtesy: ICAO The President of International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) Dr Olumuyiwa Bernard Aliu says the organisation has been engaging ministers of aviation globally in discussions in view of recent airport attacks to strengthen security across the globe. Speaking in an interview with aviation reporters in Abuja after a dinner organised in his honour by the ministry of aviation, Dr Aliu said aviation security being a sensitive one, will not disclose the strategies to be implemented but he assured of collaborations with Nigeria in order to nip any threat in the bud as security was one of the critical issues in aviation. According to the ICAO President, "Few months ago, I did send a team to do assessment in Nigeria and also in some neighbouring countries including Chad and Cameroon" Dr Aliu said ICAO was working very closely with the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology (NCAT) Zaria to transform the college to a regional training college of excellen