Author: Wole Shadare

  By Alexandre de Juniac Someone once said that history doesn’t repeat, but it rhymes. Today, as all the world’s airlines face a cataclysm caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, memories of the post-9.11 period come to mind. But this crisis is far worse. Within a period of a few weeks, airlines have seen passenger demand completely collapse. For most carriers the market for air travel is actually below zero—the number of people cancelling flights exceeds…

  Domestic airline operations not affected  Essential, emergency operations exempted Airlines to submit manifest to port authorities Scores to be stranded abroad The Federal Government has directed the closure of Nigeria biggest airports, the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos and the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja . A statement from the Director-General of Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Capt Musa Nuhu stated that effective Monday, March 23, 2020 to 23rd of April 2020, the two aerodromes…

  Foreign airlines suspend flights Lufthansa stops flight to Lagos from March 23rd Air France, KLM cut schedules Rwandair suspends flights to Lagos for 30 days BA in tactical flight cancellations The score of passengers inside the expansive the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos is unprecedented. Thousands of travelers besieged the facility as they tried to catch the last flights out of Lagos to 13 destinations listed in the Federal Government’s travel restriction before the…

  Loses over N180 billion in revenue, to downsize operations 100,000 jobs at risk As the travel industry continues to groan over the weight of Coronavirus (Covid – 19), with airlines losing over $200 billion in revenue and still, the National Association of Nigeria Travel Agencies (NANTA), has called on the Federal Government to provide bailout for travel agencies to guard against default and the attendant socio  – economic impact arising for shutting down businesses….

  FG to pay 50% balance Nigeria Airways ex-workers from West Coast are still in pain over failure by the Federal Government to involve them in severance benefits handed to their Nigerian counterparts last year. While Nigeria Airways ex-workers got 50 per cent of their severance package 17 years after the national airline was liquidated, ex-workers in West Coast comprising Gabon, Cameroon and Benin Republic are yet to be paid by the Federal Government. Representative…

  Suspends inspections, exchanfe programmes, others     In a bid to protect its workforce from COVID-19 pandemic, the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has issued guidelines to its workers.   The agency in its detailed guidelines for officers of the authority asked those who recently travelled abroad to self-isolate for 14 days among sundry other measures upon their return to Nigeria.   The aviation regulatory body has compiled details of all NCAA staff already…

  S’ Africa tops region’s list The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has given country specific analysis of the impact of COVID-19 to Africa’s aviation industry. Out of the five major economies in the continent comprising South Africa, Kenya, Ethiopia, Nigeria and Rwanda, the disruptions from COVID-19 could result in 853,000 loss in passenger volumes and $170 million loss in base revenues in Nigeria. IATA, the clearing house for over 280 global airlines stated that the…

  Millions of jobs at risk Current industry crisis worse than SARS, 9/11 to global economy Travel demand down by 60% in Africa, Middle East Wole Shadare In a bid to ensure airlines do not go bankrupt and out of the skies, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) has appealed  to governments in Africa and the Middle East to provide emergency support to airlines as they fight for survival due to the evaporation of air travel…

  Why FG rescinded decision on travel restrictions, flights fully booked Nigerians in Europe struggle to beat three day flight window   The Nigeria’s travel ban has put the nation’s travel business in disarray as many people outside the country who don’t want to be cut in the web of the ban made frantic efforts to return to the country. Many who had gone for conferences, seminars and other activities in the thirteen countries listed…

  Worried by the spread of Coronavirus in Africa, Nigeria’s flag carrier airline, Arik has announced the temporary suspension of flights to all its West Coast destinations effective Monday, March 23, 2020. The management of the airline took the decision after a careful analysis of the novel CoronaVirus Disease (COVID-19) which has been declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization (WHO). The Chief Executive Officer of Arik Air, Captain Roy Ilegbodu elaborated: “The safety and…