Travel & Business News

The Nigerian Aviation Handling Company Plc (nacho aviance) recently received dual recognitions from the International Air Transport Association (IATA) and the European Union (EU) for excellent safety and service delivery. The pioneer ground handling company acquired a new IATA Safety Audit for Ground Operations (ISAGO) Registration recertification expiring three years from now on June 12, 2021. Simultaneously, nacho secured further endorsement as the company announced it has received the Third Country EU Regulated Agent (RA3) revalidation of its operations by the European Union in the country’s major airports including Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt and Kano. Commenting on both achievements, the company’s Managing Director/CEO, Mr. Idris Yakubu, said the certifications were a reward for hard work and noted that they showed that NAHCO’s thorough, diligent and consistent processes are among the best anyone could find in the world. “NAHCO’s excellent and time–tested

A rendering of the new hangar due to open in mid-2019. Courtesy: Flying Colours Corp. Flying Colours Corp., a global aviation services company, a privately owned and operated aviation services company that has been operating since 1989, has kicked off construction work at its Head Office in Canada on December 13, 2018. The North American Maintenance, Repair, Overhaul and Completions business recently flagged off building its largest hanger till date being executed by Industrial Construction Limited which braved the cool Ontario weather to officially commence with the fourth phase of the Company’s expansion plans at the Canada-headquartered business company. Speaking on the expansion, Mr. John Gillespie, President & CEO of Flying Colours, said: “ “Our business has grown significantly over the last twelve months and we were running out of space to accommodate all our clients’ requests. Once the building is complete we will be using it to provide additional capacity fo

Philippe Mhun, Airbus Chief Programmes & Services Officer Didier Evrad EVP Head of Programmes for Airbus SE (stock exchange symbol: AIR) retires at 65 years after 41 years associated with AIRBUS. He is succeeded by Philippe Mhun senior vice president and Head of Customer Services since 2016. “It is largely thanks to his meticulous programmes management skills and dogged determination that the A350XWB, affectionately known as mission impossible in its early stages of development, has today become the wide body of choice for 45 of the world’s leading airlines, entering service in 2015 at an unmatched level of maturity in our industry”, said Tom Enders, Airbus Chief Executive Officer. It is noteworthy that Evrad has been responsible for all of Airbus’ commercial aircraft programmes since 2015. Prior to this led the A350XWB programmes from 2007. Philippe Mhun, the newly appointed Chief Programmes and Services Officer for Airbus commercial aircraft, will report to Guilla

Anne Rigail, Air France CEO The Air France Board of Directors has appointed Anne Rigail as CEO of Air France, following their meeting on December 12, 2018 and the departure of Franck Terner . Her appointment came on the heels of a recommendation by the Acting CEO of the Air France KLM group, Benjamin Smith. According to IATA, her appointment has added Air France to a unique list of barely 3% of airlines globally with female CEOs at the helm of affairs. Rigial’s appointment takes effect from December 17, 2018 and she comes to the new position with a well textured industry experience under her belt having previously been Executive Vice President of Customer at the company. She began her career in 1991 when she joined Air Inter and later became Head of Customer Services for Air France at Paris-Orly in 1996. She then rose to the position of Director of Passenger and Baggage Connections at Paris-Charles de Gaulle (CDG) in 1999 and subsequently became Head of Customer an

All Nippon Airways (ANA) first A380 today rolled out of the Airbus paint shop in Hamburg, Germany, wearing the carrier’s unique Hawaiian Green Sea Turtle livery. The carrier has firm orders for three A380s, becoming the first customer for the superjumbo in Japan. Delivery of the first A380 is set for the end of the first quarter of 2019 and will be commissioned on the popular leisure Narita-Honolulu route. The three ANA A380s will be painted in a special livery depicting sea turtles which are native to Hawaii. The first aircraft is blue, the second will be green and the third orange. The ANA A380 livery is one of the most elaborate ever painted by Airbus. It took 21 days for the Airbus team to paint a surface of 3,600m 2  using 16 different shades of color. As one of the world’s most prestigious airlines, ANA will be able to benefit from the A380’s proven operating economics and unrivalled passenger appeal. Offering more personal space than any other aircraft, the A380 is the

In a bid to expand its network in Europe, Ethiopian Airlines (ET) recently commenced flights to Manchester effective December 11, 2018. The destination, the airline’s second in the UK, was flagged off at a colourful ceremony graced by the presence of Her Excellency, Mrs Susanna Moorehead, UK Ambassador to Ethiopia, Group CEO of Ethiopian Airlines, Mr. Tewolde GebreMariam as well as other high profile guests.     “I would think of Ethiopian Airlines as a symbol of Ethiopia. It’s global; it’s growing; connecting people; it’s supremely professional, modern; it’s forward looking, it’s young and it’s dynamic. I am fortunate enough to be the British Ambassador to Ethiopia. The inaugural flight to Manchester is a strong symbol of the depth and breadth of the relations between Ethiopia and the UK,” Mrs Susanna Moorehead remarked, Responding, ET’s Group CEO, Mr. Tewolde GebreMariam said, “It’s a pleasure to be here this evening with you to celebrate an important milestone in our histo

The Chief Executive Officer of Royal Air Maroc (RAM), Mr. Abdelhamid Addou, has urged African Airlines and leaders in Africa to work together to promote wealth for African countries. He made the call while delivering his opening address at the 50 th Annual General Assembly (AGA) of the African Airlines Association (AFRAA) hosted by RAM. Mr. Addou noted that non African airlines continue to carry the bulk of passenger traffic out of the African continent while African airlines are constrained by Bilateral Agreements and other restrictions. He therefore called for an urgent removal of all protectionist barriers which, if done, has the potential of leading to growth in Africa with increased passenger numbers carried by African airlines. “African leaders should work together to promote wealth for African countries. We as African companies do not have to be ashamed of our performance. Rather the future must be ‘Africa First’ and devel

Entries are now open for the 9th National Travel Essay Competition (NTEC 2018).  The topic chosen for the Secondary Schools Category is: “The Role of Economic Insecurity In Illegal Migration.” While that chosen for the Tertiary Institutions Category is: “Illegal Immigration And Modern Day Slavery: Which Way To Go?” Entries open on February 5, 2018 to May 4, 2018.  See flyers for details.