Travel & Business News

  The Federal Government (FG) will soon give Emirates Airline the nod to recommence operations in Nigeria, on the condition that the Airline meets all its requirements. This was revealed on Monday by the Director General (DG) of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Capt. Musa Nuhu during a Presidential Steering Committee (PSC) meeting on COVID-19. Sources reveal that negotiations between the FG and Emirates are ongoing, and that the final decisions taken will soon be made public. According to Capt. Nuhu, “As regards the issue of Emirates Airline resumption of flights to Nigeria, the PSC deliberated extensively and the gap has been significantly closed between the position of Nigeria and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). They have met some of our requirements, and we are just waiting for one confirmation.” Before the ban on Emirates went into force, the Airline insisted that Nigerians do a Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) test seventy-two hours before departing Nigeria and...

  Capt.Fola Akinkuotu, MD, NAMA. The Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) has secured Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) licenses for twenty-four (24) freshly enlisted Air Traffic Controllers (ATCs) who have proven their savoir-faire in Aerodrome and Approach Control. The commendable ATCs will be posted around the country as required.   By the same token, thirty (30) other ATCs in various categories have successfully completed the necessary training and testing, and have been recertified in line with NAMA’s goal of keeping its personnel current with international standards. Commenting on the development, NAMA’s Managing Director (MD) Capt. Fola Akinkuotu called on all ATCs to excel in their duties so as to authenticate the Federal Government’s huge investment in the construction of infrastructure and the mobilization of required personnel for their training. Akinkuotu also noted that this is not the first time NAMA is recertifying ATCs as prior to this batch,...

  Green Africa, one of the new entrants in the Nigerian aviation industry has taken delivery of its very first ATR 72-600 aircraft – the first of three aircraft leased from ACIA Aero Leasing. The jet arrived yesterday April 23, 2021 at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) amidst much pomp and pageantry. According to sources, a number of high ranking personalities from the airline were present to receive the jet, including the Founder/Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Green Africa, Babawande Afolabi; President/Chief Operating Officer (COO), Neil Mills and other members and partners of the Founding gTeam. In a statement expressing his euphoria in relation to the event, Mr. Afolabi (CEO) said, “This is a great day for all of us at Green Africa, and the beginning of what we all hope is a new era in Nigerian aviation. ACIA Aero Leasing has been a very supportive partner and we are proud of this new relationship. The arrival of our first aircraft is a precursor to the com...

  The national carriers of Kenya and the Democratic Republic of Congo – Kenya Airways (KQ) and Congo Airways have signed a codeshare deal with the aim of growing their operations in the sub region and beyond. According to sources, the deal which was closed in Kinshasa on Thursday between the CEO of Kenya Airways Group, Allan Kilavuka and his Congolese counterpart D é sir é Balazire Bantu will enable passengers patronizing KQ to fly directly to Kinshasa from Nairobi. In addition to the aforementioned advantage, the deal will also permit both carriers to sell seats on each other’s flights; share excess passengers and cargo; jointly carry out maintenance and trainings, among other activities. It can be recalled that KQ had shut down operations for a period of six months due to COVID-19 travel restrictions last year. Thanks to this timely partnership with Congo Airways, KQ hopes to steadily pick up steam, assuming that travelers increasingly gain the confidence to fly again.

  Mrs. Susan Akporiaye, NANTA President The President of the National Association of Nigeria Travel Agencies (NANTA), Mrs. Susan Akporiaye has joined the assemblage of people sending condolences to the members of the Federation of Tourism Associations of Nigeria (FTAN) for the loss of their President, Alhaji Rabo Saleh. In a condolence letter to FTAN, Mrs. Akporiaye prayed for the deceased and encouraged FTAN’s Acting President, Mr. Nkerewuem Onung to ask God for strength during this moment of trial faced by the Federation. The Executive Secretary of NANTA, Mr. Sylvester Olobor who was a signatory of the condolence letter remembered the deceased as a man who made sacrifices for the good of the Federation and showed utmost dedication in his work. Olobor prayed that the deceased man’s family and friends be granted the strength they need to bear this great loss. It can be recalled that the departed FTAN President was also previously the Vice President of NANTA, Abuja Zone. His f...

  United Nigeria Airline is set to begin operations into and out of the domestic wing of the Port Harcourt (PH) International Airport. According to a statement released by the Airline’s Head of Corporate Communications, Achilleus Chud Uchegbu, the inaugural flight (Lagos – PH) for this route will take place tomorrow April 22, 2021 at 1330 hours from the Murtala Muhammed Airport Terminal 2 (MMA2), Ikeja – Lagos. In the same vein, inbound flights from PH to Lagos have been scheduled for 1800 hours daily. United has equally divulged that daily flights from PH to the Nnamdi Azikiwe Airport – Abuja will depart at 1500 hours while daily flights from Abuja to PH will be departing at 1630 hours. The creation of the PH route is part of United Airline’s expansion scheme, and it is expected that more routes will be opened in the future.

  Aviation Security personnel (AVSEC) of the Murtala Muhammed Airport Terminal 2 (MMA2) recently recovered a passenger’s lost luggage containing essential documents and the sum of N2.3m. According to sources, the owner of the lost but found luggage, Mr. George Etuk had just flown in from the U.S and had visited MMA2 to board a flight to Uyo, when he misplaced his luggage while standing on a queue in front of the Ibom Airline check-in counter at about 1715hours. As stated by the AVSEC Manager Mr. Olatubosun Okeowo, the mix-up occurred between Mr. Etuk and another passenger when the latter unwittingly took the former’s bag – a faux pas which was revealed thanks to CCTV footage and a delay of the passengers’ flight. “During our CCTV investigation, it was discovered that the bag belonging to Mr. George Etuk was accidentally picked up by another intending passenger with the same airline. They were not aware at all. But after the flight was delayed, and the passengers had to find a...

  From L-R: Mr. Linus Awute (Director of Administration); High Chief Obiora Okonkwo (Chairman); Mazi Okonkwo (COO); Capt. Chimara Imediegwu (DFO). In a recent press conference, United Nigeria Airline, one of the new entrants in the Nigerian aviation industry discussed its operations and plans for the future. The press conference occurred today April 4, 2021 at the League of Airport and Aviation Correspondents (LAAC) Centre, Murtala Muhammed Airport Ikeja – Lagos. United was represented by the crème de la crème of its hierarchy and included amongst others the airline’s Chairman, High Chief Obiorah Okonkwo; the Chief Operating Officer (COO), Engr. Mazi Okonkwo; the Director of Flight Operations (DFO), Capt. Chimara Imediegwu; the Director of Engineering and Maintenance, Engr. Alex Iheuwa; the Training Captain, Capt. Lawali Abubakar. In his address, Chief Okonkwo described United Nigeria Airline as “the newest baby of the airline industry in Nigeria,” with a “strong vision of flying t...

  In line with its growth strategy and vision of offering customers seamless connectivity to various destinations around the world, EgyptAir is currently expanding its network and is at the verge of concluding arrangements to commence services into Dusseldorf, Germany. Effective July 2, 2021, the airline plans to begin three (3) weekly services out of Cairo into Dusseldorf; which is one of Germany’s international business and financial centres that is renowned for its fashion and trade fairs. The flights will be operated on Tuesdays, Fridays and Sundays; utilizing the airline’s brand new A320neo aircraft with a two-piece baggage allowance of 46kgs. This new service will therefore go a long way in offering Nigerian passengers more choices in terms of fares and connectivity, coupled with the excellent Egyptian hospitality which EgyptAir is known for.

  It was with pride that Ethiopian Airlines marked its 75 th anniversary on April 8, 2021 – 75 years since the carrier made its maiden international flight to Cairo on April 8, 1946. Ethiopian Airlines has gained a reputation as the largest pan-African aviation group after bracing the highs and lows of the aviation industry and standing the test of time. The Airline has thus decided to celebrate its 75 th anniversary milestone in grand style – a yearlong celebration under the theme “Celebrating 75 Years of Excellence.” On this auspicious occasion, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Ethiopian Airlines, Mr. Tewolde GebreMariam took the opportunity to chronicle the accomplishments of the Airline over three quarters of a century: “Among the many ‘firsts’ introduced by Ethiopian are: the first Jet aircraft in Africa; the first East Africa to West Africa scheduled flight, the first airline from the western hemisphere to China; the first scheduled service between the capitals of...

  Thanks to an amendment of Emirates Airline’s ticket policy, passengers holding tickets issued by the airline can now enjoy an extension on their tickets. According to the amendment, customers in possession of tickets issued prior to September 30, 2020 for travel before December 31, 2021 can now rebook to make their trip anytime within 36 months. This amounts to an extension of 12 months from the former ticket policy. Customers holding tickets issued after October 1, 2020 for travel before the same date (December 31, 2021) are free to utilize their tickets whenever they want within 24 months. In addition to the above amendment, fees that are normally paid for the reissuance of tickets will be waived; meanwhile unused portions of Emirates’ tickets and vouchers may be refunded without penalties. Also, all tickets bought either on the company’s website or through the airline’s retail and contact centres will be automatically extended. On the other hand, if customers bought ...

  An Air Peace Passenger Displaying an Air Peace' gift pack In a bid to show its appreciation to its customers, Air Peace has launched a 14-days Easter campaign called Random Acts of Love in the form of in-flight gifts, to the delight of its passengers. The Random Acts of Love campaign was officially launched on Sunday, April 4, 2021 and involves the placement of gift items in random seat pockets of the aircraft. Passengers are then asked to check their seat pockets during a flight to see if they won any gift items – items which include thermo water-flasks, diaries, food flasks, umbrellas etc. On one of the flights, Allen Onyema, the Chairman of Air Peace guaranteed passengers of the airline’s dedication to providing them the best customer experience, and thanked them for their continuous patronage. The flying public has mostly responded positively to the Random Acts of Love campaign – feedback which will no doubt encourage Air Peace to do more for its customers in the future...

  Engr. Akin Olateru, Commissioner/CEO, AIB The newly reappointed Commissioner/Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Accident Investigation Bureau (AIB) – Nigeria, Engr. Akin Olateru has divulged that he is looking forward to the next four years of his tenure, during which he plans to elevate AIB to higher heights. He said this during a virtual meeting with AIB staff from the Bureau’s corporate headquarters in Abuja recently. During the meeting, the AIB boss thanked President Muhammadu Buhari and the Minister of Aviation for the trust they have put in him in reappointing him to lead the Bureau. After appreciating the AIB staff for its continuous hard work, Olateru went further to enjoin staff members to cooperate to the maximum while being meticulous, diligent and professional in carrying out their duties because to him, these are the qualities needed to deliver on the Bureau’s mandate, which is the investigation of aircraft accidents and serious incidents. Speaking on his pla...

  Engr. Roland Ahmed Maikudi, CEO, Leadstream Leadstream Aviation Training Organization has been authorized by the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) to carry out training on certain types of aircraft. The authorization was given in the form of a certification, which permits Leadstream to carry out initial and refresher trainings on type rating systems for a number of jet types including the B737, Hawker 125 and CRJ series; ATR, Donier, DHCB; Challenger and Embraer aircraft. The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Leadstream, Roland Ahmed Maikudi expressed his joy with some reserve, as he says there is still tremendous work to be done. In his own words, “I feel great and very grateful to God for the strength to pursue this dream thus far. We are not yet there. Even though we are happy, we are not celebrating, because the journey ahead of us is still long.” Though he is cautious about the future, Maikudi acknowledges that NCAA’s certification is a clear indication that Lead...

  Willie Walsh, DG, IATA The International Air Transport Association (IATA) recently announced that Willie Walsh has taken over from Alexandre de Juniac as the Director General (DG) of the Association. “I am passionate about our industry and about the critical work that IATA does on behalf of its members, never more so than during the COVID-19 crisis. IATA has been at the forefront of efforts to restart global connectivity, including developing the IATA Travel Pass”, Walsh said. The new IATA boss expressed his gratitude to his predecessor for “leaving behind a strong organization and a motivated team.” He went further to say that his goal as the new DG of IATA is to ensure that the Association is a “forceful voice supporting the success of global air transport.” According to sources, Walsh is a seasoned aviation professional with a career in the airline industry spanning forty years. He began his career in aviation as a cadet pilot at Aer Lingus in 1979 and was once the CE...

  The Federal Government (FG) has inaugurated the Nigeria Immigration Service Passport Express Center for the purpose of facilitating and expediting the delivery of passports within 72 hours of a successful application. This was divulged by the Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola on social media following the inauguration of the service in Abuja recently. According to Aragbesola, “Every Nigerian has the right to a Nigerian passport and it is our responsibility to put it in the hands of anyone desirous of it within the shortest possible time, without stress. The passport should be available within a maximum of 72 hours of a successful application.” The Minister went on to say that while the delivery of passports within 72 hours will attract no extra cost, Nigerians will also have the opportunity to obtain their passports within 24 hours of a successful application, at extra cost. “By creating this Center, the FG aims to reduce the stress associated with acquiring Nigerian ...