Wole Shadare, Author at Aviation metric

United moves to stop United Nigeria’s US launch, over trademark concerns, others

Posted on February 26, 2026February 26, 2026 by Wole Shadare

Chicago-based carrier filed objection notice Feb 25 In a significant move that highlights the competitive tensions of the Lagos–New York route, United Airlines has formally petitioned the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) to block United Nigeria Airlines from launching flights to the United States. The Chicago-based carrier filed its objection on February 25, 2026, shortly after United Nigeria Airlines (UNA) announced ambitious plans to begin direct services from Lagos to New York by the end of the second quarter…

20 Years. One Mission: Make Nigeria’s Travel Trade Unstoppable

Posted on February 25, 2026February 25, 2026 by Wole Shadare

Nigeria’s travel sector moves millions of passengers annually, but the infrastructure holding it together is often invisible, underfunded, and misunderstood. The gap between demand and capacity has a cost. For twenty years, Finchglow Travels has been absorbing it, pricing the fares that travel agents quote, shouldering the foreign exchange volatility that would otherwise ground small agencies, and negotiating with airlines on behalf of an industry too fragmented to negotiate for itself. Bernard This year, Finchglow…

How back-up system solved air-to-ground communication damage-NAMA MD

Posted on February 25, 2026February 25, 2026 by Wole Shadare

The Managing Director of the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA), Farouk Ahmed Umar, has disclosed that the fire that engulfedTerminal I of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, completely destroyed the agency’s air-to-ground communication system. NAMA’s damaged communication system Speaking at the on-the-spot assessment, of the fire that gutted the Lagos airport terminal, he said NAMA engineers successfully transitioned to backup communication systems sourced from other locations, adding that this allowed controllers to resume aerodrome and approach…

Why Africa’s ‘Open Skies’ Remain Locked in the Hangar

Posted on February 24, 2026February 24, 2026 by Wole Shadare

The message from the industry is clear: Africa no longer needs more signatures; it needs schedules. Without enforcement mechanisms to hold non-compliant signatories accountable, SAATM risks becoming another paper tiger in a continent desperate for connectivity, writes WOLE SHADARE For nearly a decade, the Single African Air Transport Market (SAATM) has been hailed as the holy grail of African aviation—a flagship project of the AU’s Agenda 2063 designed to dismantle the restrictive bilateral walls that…

Lagos airport fire caused significant damage to critical infrastructure-Minister

Posted on February 24, 2026February 24, 2026 by Wole Shadare

· NIMET equipment in ruins, offices wiped out, mobile tower deployed The fire incident at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) Terminal 1 in Lagos on Monday caused significant damage to critical infrastructure. Following an on-the-spot inspection of the burnt terminal by the Aviation Minister, Festus Keyamo, accompanied by the Managing Director of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Mrs Olubunmi Kuku, the Aviation Minister confirmed that, while the building was already slated for demolition,…

Airspace shut, reopens, aircraft diverted over Lagos airport inferno

Posted on February 23, 2026February 23, 2026 by Wole Shadare

· BA, Lufthansa, Emirates diverted to Abuja, Malabo · FAAN MD, Kuku, assures travellers of safety A significant fire outbreak at Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) Terminal 1 on Monday led to a temporary shutdown of the Lagos airspace and widespread flight disruptions. The airspace, however, was opened at about 7.30 pm, with Ethiopian Airlines being the first to take off at 7.40 pm after the aerodrome was opened. The Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) was working…

Balkan: Our network provides Nigerian travellers with unparalleled connectivity to 356 destinations in 132 countries

Posted on February 23, 2026February 23, 2026 by Wole Shadare

Lokman Balkan is the General Manager of Turkish Airlines in Nigeria. His leadership has been characterised by a strategic focus on expanding the airline’s footprint in Africa and improving the passenger experience for Nigerian travellers. In this interview with WOLE SHADARE in his Lagos office, he speaks on aggressive expansion of the carrier with the airline hitting record global passenger numbers—surpassing 92 million in 2025—with integrated Nigerian culture into the skies Many travellers now prioritise comfort, flexibility, and…

‘Many African airports operate 50% less capacity’

Posted on February 23, 2026February 23, 2026 by Wole Shadare

Attributes poor performance to high charges Senior Lecturer at Digital Marketing and Tourism at the University of Bedfordshire, Dr Augusta Evans, has stated that many of Africa’s airports are operating less than 50% of their total capacity. This, she said, is contained in the 2022 report of the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO). This significant underutilisation, she said, is driven by several interconnected factors that hinder the growth of the continent’s aviation sector. ICAO, she…

South African Airways Deepens Travel Trade Collaboration through Strategic Engagement

Posted on February 20, 2026February 20, 2026 by Wole Shadare

In an effort to boost the knowledge of its trade partners and equip them with the requisite skills to take advantage of the many offers available to their customers, South African Airways (SAA) held an Agents Networking Forum for its top-performing agents at the Radisson Blu Hotel, GRA, Ikeja. The Airline set the tone for the day by holding a raffle draw and presenting Shopping Gift Vouchers to lucky winners in appreciation of their support…

ValueJet Expands Lagos–Owerri Route with Daily Flights from March 23, 2026

Posted on February 20, 2026February 20, 2026 by Wole Shadare

ValueJet has announced the commencement of daily flights between Lagos and Owerri, effective March 23, 2026, strengthening connectivity between Nigeria’s commercial hub and the South-East region. The airline, which currently operates three weekly flights on the Lagos–Owerri route, is increasing frequency to seven flights a week in response to growing passenger demand and the need for more flexible travel options for business and leisure travellers. With this expansion, customers travelling between Lagos and Owerri will…

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