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The Helicopter That Tricked Me: A First-Time Passenger Experience Aboard Africa’s First Airbus H160 - By Daisy BARRO

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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 ...
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APG Nigeria Secures Etihad Airways Representation Mandate for Nigerian Market - By Daisy BARRO

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(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...
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Travel Trade Forum: Air Peace Details Commercial Plans for New Routes to Mali, Guinea, Cameroon and Gabon - By Daisy BARRO

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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...
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UNA Chairman Receives INAE Gold Award as Institute Pushes for Indigenous Engineering Growth - By Daisy BARRO

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The Institute of Nigerian Aeronautical Engineers (INAE) has conferred its gold medal award on the Executive Chairman of United Nigeria Airlines (UNA), Prof. Obiora Okonkwo, citing the carrier’s commitment to safety, engineering capacity development, and sustained growth amid macroeconomic headwinds. The honour was presented by INAE National President, Dr. Ebitei Charles, during the Institute’s International Conference and Fellowship Conferment held in Lagos on Wednesday. The award is designated for individuals whose contributions have measurably advanced aeronautical engineering practice in Nigeria. INAE, a professional division of the Nigerian Society of Engineers regulated by COREN, noted that Okonkwo was recognised for steering UNA’s rapid expansion since commencing operations in February 2021, a period that coincided with the COVID-19 pandemic and a global economic downturn. Representing the Chairman at the ceremony were the airline’s Director of Continuing Airworthines...
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FG Unveils Remodeled Dankabo Terminal at Kano Airport, Approves ₦46bn for Second Runway - By Daisy BARRO

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The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, SAN, has commissioned the newly refurbished Muhammadu Adamu Dankabo Domestic Terminal at Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport (MAKIA), describing the project as a critical component of the Federal Government’s infrastructure modernization program under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda. The event, held on Tuesday, July 28, 2026, at MAKIA in Kano, brought together senior government officials and aviation stakeholders. Attendees included the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria's (FAAN) Governing Board Chairman, Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje; FAAN Managing Director, Mrs. Olubunmi Kuku; the Executive Governor of Kano State, Abba Kabir Yusuf, represented by the Kano State Commissioner for Transport, Barr. Haruna Isa Dederi; Minister of State for FCT, Dr. Mariya Mahmoud Bunkure; and the Director of Air Transport Management, Mr. Ahmed Tijani. The domestic terminal has been named after Mallam M...
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Kenya Airways Partners with Yemi Alade to Expand West Africa Market Share - By Daisy BARRO

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Kenya Airways (KQ) has entered a strategic brand partnership with Nigerian artist Yemi Alade as part of a wider push to deepen its footprint in West Africa and engage new customer demographics across the region. The alliance was unveiled by Julius Thairu, Chief Commercial and Customer Officer of Kenya Airways. Thairu emphasized that the initiative aligns with the carrier’s objective to strengthen market penetration in West Africa and adjacent markets through targeted cultural and commercial alliances.  “This partnership underscores our focus on growing the KQ footprint in the region and beyond,” Thairu stated during the announcement. The move coincides with a capacity uplift on the carrier’s Nigeria route. Kenya Airways recently deployed the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner on services to and from Lagos, increasing frequency to six weekly rotations. The wide-body aircraft offers expanded seat capacity and improved operating economics on the high-demand corridor, supporting the a...
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Nine Years After NTEC Debut, Victory Yinka-Banjo Attains Global Distinction at Cornell - By Daisy BARRO

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Ms. Victory Yinka-Banjo, Grand Prize Winner, NTEC 2018 Nine (9) years after debuting on the National Travel Essay Competition (NTEC) platform, Ms. Victory Yinka-Banjo has achieved global academic recognition as the Overall Best Candidate in the World in the Cambridge English Examination. The Princeton High School, Lagos graduate is currently a PhD candidate at Cornell Medicine’s Tri-Institutional Computational Biology & Medicine program in the United States.  The milestone underscores the multiplier effect of structured talent-identification initiatives within Nigeria’s aviation and education value chain. Yinka-Banjo’s recent Cambridge performance generated full-tuition scholarship offers exceeding $5 million from 19 institutions across the United States and Canada, including MIT, Stanford, Yale, Harvard, Princeton, Brown, Johns Hopkins and the University of Virginia. She was earlier nationally distinguished for obtaining nine consecutive A grades in the West Africa...
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