March 2016 - Aviation metric

Ministry wades into Union, Bristows face-off, suspends strike

Posted on March 31, 2016March 31, 2016 by Wole Shadare

The Ministry of Labour and Productivity has intervened in the picketing and warning strike of Bristow Helicopters by the National Association of Aircraft Pilots and Engineers (NAAPE) over wage disparity. The intervention of the ministry however led to the suspension of the warning strike by the union. NAAPE had originally planned to picket the company for three days beginning from Tuesday to Friday. Also, the ministry has called the two parties to a meeting today…

ICAO President charges aviation agencies on capacity building

Posted on March 31, 2016 by Wole Shadare

The President of International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO). Dr. Bernard Aliu has stressed the need for aviation agencies in the country to imbibe the development of human capacity building. Speaking while addressing union members from Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria and National Union of Air Transport Employees NUATE and heads of aviation parastatals in Abuja, Dr Aliu said there was need for constant training as technology was developing. According to Aliu, with…

Medview apologises to passengers over flight delays

Posted on March 31, 2016March 31, 2016 by Wole Shadare

Medview Airline management has tendered apologies to its customers for the inconveniences they experienced as a result of flight delays during the Easter festive period. The Managing Director of the airline, Alhaji Muneer Bankole, in a statement said it regretted all the embarrassment caused passengers during the Easter rush. The airline attributed the delays to the withdrawal of one of its aircraft in the fleet for unscheduled maintenance, noting that it is not in the…

Airlines exposed to unfavourable situations at GAT, says Bi-Courtney

Posted on March 31, 2016 by Wole Shadare

*Firm ready for regional operations Bi-Courtney Aviation Services Limited (BASL), operator of the Murtala Muhammed Airport Two (MMA2) said it obtained and granted authorisation from the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) to commence regional operations at MMA2 as set out in the concession agreement between the later and former. The firm equally faulted the claims in some quarters that insufficient space for parking aircrafts was delaying the commencement of international operations at its terminal….

Nigeria can turn W’A into single aviation market, say experts

Posted on March 31, 2016March 31, 2016 by Wole Shadare

The Federal Government should support domestic carriers and assist them in turning the West African route into a single market as the airlines in the country have the capacity to do so. Nigerian carriers now dominate the West African market, especially with the operation of four carriers-Arik, Aero, Medview and Dana to Accra, Ghana, leading to insinuations that the market is over-saturated. A top official of one of the airlines to Accra who pleaded anonymity…

Expatriate pay disparity: Bristow pilots, engineers downtools

Posted on March 30, 2016 by Wole Shadare

Aircraft pilots under the umbrella of National Association of Aircraft Pilots and Engineers (NAAPE) have protested the pay disparity by Bristow Helicopters for its pilots and expatriate pilots. The pilots and engineers have however suspended their operations leading to the grounding of the airline. NAAPE has been in dispute with the management of Bristow Group over the highly vexed issue of pay disparity by which Nigerian pilots and engineers are discriminated against in favour…

Why Caverton must respect workers’ dignity-Unions

Posted on March 30, 2016 by Wole Shadare

*Set to shut company *Shut us and see who will suffer-Airline chief Except urgent truce is reached, workers of Caverton may be on a collision course with the management of the firm over labour issues. The National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE) and Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (ATSSSAN) stated that having waited most patiently maintaining peace and harmony despite provocation, intimidation and harassment in the past, most especially in…

Union to shut Caverton’s operations over unpaid salaries

Posted on March 30, 2016 by Wole Shadare

Aviation workers under the aegis of National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE) have concluded arrangement to shut down operations of Caverton Helicopters in Lagos, Warri and Port-Harcourt within the next seven days if salaries of workers are not paid. In a letter written by the Acting Secretary General of NUATE, Olayinka Abioye to the Managing Director/CEO of the airline, dated March 30, 2016, titled, “Final Notice of Industrial Action Against Caverton Helicopters”, the NUATE…

Airlines take joy out of air travel

Posted on March 29, 2016 by Wole Shadare

Air travel on its own is a hectic experience; even when everything goes according to plan. So when there is the added challenge of unexpected delays or cancellations, it starts to feel more like ‘living through hell’. In Nigeria, airlines are quick to cancel domestic flights on the grounds of factors such as extreme weather, mechanical malfunctions and workers strike actions, and this continually throws the plans of thousands of travellers in the country into disarray. Arik…

Plane hijack may hurt Egypt’s tourism sector, image

Posted on March 29, 2016 by Wole Shadare

While the reasons for the hijacking were not entirely clear, the incident will deal another blow to Egypt’s tourism industry and hurt efforts to revive an economy hammered by political unrest following the 2011 uprising. The sector, a main source of hard currency for the import-dependent county, was already reeling from the crash of a Russian passenger plane in the Sinai in late October. President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi has said the Russian plane was brought…