Travel & Business News

Etihad Airways and Ibom Air have concluded an interline agreement that will provide single-ticket connectivity between the United Arab Emirates carrier's West African gateways and five domestic points in Nigeria, effective from the launch of Etihad's operations to the region in March 2027. Under the arrangement, passengers arriving on Etihad services into Lagos and Accra will be able to connect onward via Ibom Air to Abuja, Uyo, Port Harcourt, Calabar and Enugu. The agreement also provides for connections between Accra and Abuja and Accra and Uyo. Through-checked baggage and unified booking will apply across both networks for the entire itinerary. The development extends Etihad's commercial reach beyond its two gateway cities into Nigeria's South-South, South-East and Federal Capital Territory markets, with Uyo and Calabar adding new single-ticket access points alongside Abuja, Port Harcourt and Enugu for business, visiting friends and relatives (VFR), and l...

(L - R) Mr. Ikechi Uko, Founder, Akwaaba Travel Market; Mr. Ohis Ehimiaghe, Regional Manager, Africa, Middle East and Indian Ocean, South African Airways; Mrs. Kemi Leke-Bamtefa, Country Manager, South African Airways; Mrs. Ida Jeng Njie, DG, Gambia Tourism Board; and Mr. Yinka Folami, NANTA President. South African Airways (SAA) has been conferred the Top African Airline Award at the 22nd Akwaaba African Travel Market, which held at Eko Hotels & Suites, Victoria Island, Lagos, from September 13 - 15, 2026. The distinction, determined through a keenly contested ballot involving travel trade practitioners and the general public, positioned the carrier prominently among the Top 100 Travel Icons in Nigeria recognized for excellence in travel. The announcement was made by Mr. Ikechi Uko, Publisher of African Travel Quarterly and Founder of Akwaaba Travel Market. The award presentation was done by Mrs. Ida Jeng Njie, Director-General of the Gambia Tourism Board and Mr. Yinka...

Prof. Obiora Okonkwo, CEO, United Nigeria Airlines. United Nigeria Airlines has entered a 10-year sponsorship agreement with the Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA) to fund the annual Chinua Achebe Prize for Fiction. The carrier will disburse N2 million annually, totaling N20 million over the duration of the commitment. The agreement was disclosed by the airline’s Executive Chairman, Prof. Obiora Okonkwo, following consultations with the President, Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA), Dr. Usman Akanbi. The partnership is designed to provide financial stability to the award, which was launched in 2021 by the Anambra State Government in collaboration with ANA.  According to the association, the long-term funding framework will ensure continuity of the prize irrespective of fluctuations in government subventions. The award encountered budgetary constraints in the past three (3) years after the current Anambra administration discontinued its financial support. According...

Daisy Barro, Associate Editor, Travel & Business News “Airborne already? Wow.”   That was the exact thought that flashed through my mind as I looked out the panoramic window. I hadn't felt the violent jolt or stomach-drop I always associated with helicopters in movies. In fact, I hadn't even realized our wheels had left the tarmac until the ground began to shrink beneath us. This was my very first time flying in a helicopter, and it was happening aboard the maiden flight of Africa’s first Airbus H160. On Thursday, July 2, 2026, I had the incredible privilege of being among the first to fly on the first-ever Airbus H160 deployed in Africa. Bristow Helicopters, the launch customer of the aircraft type on the continent, procured five of these helicopters. By the time of this flight, the airline had taken delivery of four of the vessels, and I flew aboard the one bearing the registration number 5N-CFN. To be quite honest, I did not know what to expect on this flight. I ...

(L-R): Mr. Javier Alija, Vice President, Global Sales & Distribution, Ethiad Airways; Mr. Christopher Isaiah, Group General Manager, Commercial, APG Nigeria; Mrs. Gloria Atumu, General Manager, APG Nigeria; Mr. Olufemi Adefope, APG Nigeria Group Chairman; Mr. Khaleefa Mohamed Al Hammadi, Regional General Manager, Sales, Digital and Distribution, Ethiad Airways. APG Global Associates Network Limited has been appointed General Sales Agent for Etihad Airways in Nigeria, marking a key development in the UAE carrier’s expansion strategy in West Africa. The appointment was formalized with the signing of a Letter of Intent at the Legend Hotel, Lagos on Friday, July 25, 2026. The agreement positions APG Nigeria, the Nigerian affiliate of APG Inc., as the commercial representative for Etihad in Africa’s largest aviation and business travel market. Executives from both organizations attended the ceremony. Representing Etihad Airways were Mr. Javier Alija, Vice President, Global S...

Air Peace has convened a Travel Agency Forum in Lagos to align with trade partners ahead of the August 1, 2026 inauguration of new regional services to Bamako, Conakry, Douala and Libreville.  As West and Central Africa’s largest carrier, the airline used the engagement to outline network expansion plans, commercial strategies, and operational support for agencies ahead of the route rollout. In his opening remarks, Chief Commercial Officer (CCO) Mr. Nowel Ngala, highlighted the strategic rationale for the new destinations, stating that the routes are designed to enhance intra-regional connectivity, stimulate trade and tourism, and generate additional yield for both passengers and distribution partners. He affirmed the carrier’s intent to maintain close collaboration with the agency community to ensure commercial uptake of the expanded network. Speaking on behalf of the President of the National Association of Nigerian Travel Agencies (NANTA), Mr. Yinka Folami, Vice Pres...