Author: Wole Shadare

  Seeks bail out for continent’s carriers Distressed carriers cut jobs The International Air Transport Association (IATA) lamented the suffering of African airlines occasioned by the devastating effects of COVID-19. Speaking at a media roundtable, IATA’s Vice President, Africa and Middle East, Muhammad Ali said the continent’s carriers are currently battling for survival, stressing thatalready, Air Mauritius has entered voluntary administration, South African Airways and SA Express are in business rescue. He noted that other distressed carriers…

  Aero seeks merger, Air Peace scraps inflight meal service Airlines risk extinction Nigerian airlines were before now struggling to survive as the carriers had cut their operations by over 30 per cent but the advent of COVID-19 could see airlines cut their capacity by over 6o per cent. Investigations by Woleshadarenews show that many carriers may not return to operations while others are planning a hike in air fares and cutting down on inflight…

  The Federal Government has evacuated 292 Nigerians who were stranded in Saudi Arabia due to the lockdown necessitated by the COVID-19 pandemic. The flight conveying the evacuees arrived late on Tuesday night at the Nnamdi Azikwe International Airport, Abuja. Their arrival was announced on Wednesday morning by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama via his official Twitter handle. He said a large number of the evacuees are nursing mothers and children. “We received…

Hit by the dwindling revenue generation amid COVID-19 pandemic, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) said it may not be able to pay full salary of staff as from May 2020 until the situation. The agency stated as soon as revenue situation improves, the balance will be paid. In an internal memo sighted by Woleshadarenew with reference number FAAN/HQ/ADMIN/2020O5 dated May 19, 2020 and signed by General Manager, Administration, FAAN, M.D. Musa. Titled, “Notice on payment…

  The International Air Transport Association (IATA) revealed details of its proposed temporary layered approach to bio-security for re-starting passenger flights amid the COVID-19 crisis. The clearing house for global airlines IATA has published Biosecurity for Air Transport: A Roadmap for Restarting Aviation”, which outlines IATA’s proposal for a layering of temporary bio-security measures. The Roadmap aims to provide the confidence that governments will need to enable the re-opening of borders to passenger travel; and…

  Aviation industry experts outlined that COVID-19 could provide a unique opportunity for the industry to reset to a more sustainable model that meets the demands of the climate emergency,  WOLE Shadare writes Rescue option The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has predicted that airlines will lose over $400 billion in revenue this year. COVID-19 impact on aviation sector has been huge and recovery time is likely to be lengthy. Without financial aid from their governments, half of…

  Holds talks with unions European plane maker, Airbus enters has entered into talks with unions as it begins the process of reducing its workforce. The company could reduce its workforce by 10 per cent as it slashes production and grapples with the fallout from Covid-19’s impact on the aviation industry, according to media reports. Sources have told Bloomberg that Airbus is in talks with unions about job cuts although the number of employees to be laid…