The on-going airlift of pilgrims from Saudi Arabia may have run into a hitch occasioned by scarcity of aviation fuel, otherwise known as Jet A1. The situation has left over 200 Nigerian pilgrims stranded in the Holy Land; a situation that has affected airlines on charter operations specifically granted rights to airlift them to Saudi Arabia. There was scarcity of the commodity but the operators said the situation is getting with regular supply. Jet A1…
Read MoreMonth: August 2019
AirAsia, Airbus ink deal for 12 more A330neo, 30 A321XLR aircraft
Air Asia and Airbus have entered a multi-billion dollar deal for an additional 12 A330-900 and 30 A321XLR aircraft. The contract was signed by Tan Sri Rafidah Aziz, Chairman, AirAsia X Berhad and Guillaume Faury, Chief Executive Officer, Airbus in Kuala Lumpur today, in the presence of Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, the Prime Minister of Malaysia. Tan Sri Tony Fernandes, Chief Executive Officer, AirAsia Group, who was present at the signing, said: “This order reaffirms our…
Read MoreUganda relaunches national airline
Twenty years after its collapse, Uganda has launched a national airline, restoring its status as latest African country to revive its national airline. Commercial services resumed on Tuesday with a flight from Entebbe to Nairobi in neighbouring Kenya that the airline hoped will usher in a profitable new era for the formerly debt-ridden brand. Uganda Airline said its fleet of twin-engined Bombardier CRJ-900 regional jet airliners will soon connect to destinations including Dar-es-Salaam in Tanzania,…
Read MoreSirika returns to familiar terrain
The return of Hadi Sirika to Aviation as a Minister has opened a vista of what he did and did not do in his first term. WOLE SHADARE writes that now is the opportunity to set aviation on perfect path Second coming Not a few believe that newly appointed Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika would be given the nod to complete what he started when he served for four years as Minister of State, Aviation. Sirika’s appointment…
Read MoreNigerians brace for BA pilots’ strike
Crisis to cost airline £120m Nigerians are bracing up for planned British Airways strike that is expected to disrupt flights in and out of Nigeria. As a result, travellers and travel agents are working round the clock to see how they can reschedule or cancel their clients’ flights within that period in what may cost the British carrier around £120 million. The airline operates services to Lagos and Abuja with daily flights to the two…
Read MorePlane makes emergency landng ‘after pilot faints in cockpit’
AJet2 flight had to make an emergency landing on its way from Manchester after the pilot fainted. The flight, which was on its way to Maderia, had to divert to Porto in Portugal due to an ‘on-board medical situation’, according to the airline. The pilot is understood to have been taken to hospital on arrival. The alarm is said to have been sounded around 10.20am local time today and a runway was closed for half…
Read MoreFirst EgyptAir A220-300 makes maiden flight
The first A220-300 for EgyptAir has successfully completed its inaugural test flight from the Mirabel assembly line. The first of 12 aircraft EgyptAir has on order is due to be delivered to the Cairo-based airline in the coming weeks. The A220 for EgyptAir will provide passengers with superior comfort, its innovative cabin design featuring the widest economy seats of any single-aisle aircraft and panoramic windows for more natural light. The aircraft which is outfitted with…
Read MoreAirlines’ health worries stakeholders
Except urgent solutions are found, the health of Nigerian airlines has created concern for stakeholders and other aviation watchers. Managing Director, Centurion Aviation Security Limited, Group Captain John Okikutu (Rtd), told Woleshadarenews that many of the operating private airlines of today were not financially healthy and are substantially not compliant with the economic regulations of the Nig. CARs. He hinted that most of them were probably recycling the business plans of defunct airlines, stressing that airlines like…
Read MoreQantas tests 19-hour direct flights from UK, US to Sydney
Qantas plans to test non-stop flights from London and New York to Sydney this year to see whether passengers and crew can tolerate 19 hours in a plane. The Australian airline will carry 40 passengers and crew on three flights in October, November and December, with a decision on whether to introduce the ultra-long routes commercially due by the end of the year. The test passengers will mainly be Qantas employees, as well as scientists,…
Read MoreOmni-Blu Aviation appoints Capt. James Daniel Managing Director
The Board of Directors of Omni-Blu Aviation Limited (OBA) has appointed Captain James Ayodele Daniel as the airline’s Accountable Manager/Managing Director to oversee the affairs of the firm. Capt. Daniel took over from Captain Sunny Adegbuyi from the company with effect from August 15th 2019 Executive Director, Corporate, Legal & Admin Services Omni-Blu Aviation Limited, Joy Duncan in a statement to announce the exit of Agbeluyi said, “While we are happy to welcome Captain…
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