Travel & Business News

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...