Author: Wole Shadare

      Lament lack of air connectivity in region     The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) said notwithstanding Africa’s growth drivers, the continent’s huge potential for air transport is under-explored.  He stated that Africa’s failure to integrate and liberalize its intra-regional air transport market has been cited as a significant reason why growth in the air transport market has not reached its huge potential. Special Representative of the President of ECOWAS Commission in…

Aviation experts said for the aviation sector to grow, there is the need to build airlines that would stand the test of time by going into partnership with foreign companies and other willing private investors. To them, airlines need strong financial muscles to make them survive by opening it up to several investors and spread the risk. A former Managing Director of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Mr. Richard Aisuebeogun, stated this in…

Nigeria ‘ s flag carrier airline, Medview today deepened intra African trade relations as the carrier launched services to Freetown, Sierra Leone, Monrovia, Liberia via Accra, Ghana. Medview ‘ s inaugural flights to the two cities brought excitement to travellers who yearned for strong connectivity with nations in West Africa and Africa as a whole following depletion of services by carriers which showed promise at inception but ceased operations shortly after. Flight services by the…

Uncertainty pervaded the air as hundreds of Arik passengers were unsure of their fate as the aviation unions picketed the airline.   At the headquarters of the airline, mobile policemen and many union members were seen at the huge entrance gates preventing people from going in and out of the airline’s head office. They had besieged the area as early as 6am to make good their threat to close down the airline for alleged non…

NIGERIA MEDIA MERIT AWARDS   The Executive Producer of Thru’ The Eyes Of An African (TTEOAA), Yvonne Bassey, who has become a reference point in the media promotion of travel and tourism in Africa through TV documentaries, has once again emerged winner of two Nigeria Media Merit Awards, (NMMA) 2016.   Clinching the award for Television Programme of the Year as well as for Television Reporter of The Year, the number of awards she has…

The National Executive Council of National Association of Aircraft Pilots and Engineers (NAAPE), National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE) and Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (ATSSSAN),  have directed their members and other aviation workers, to  commence a joint strike action at Arik air with effect from 00:00hrs of Tuesday December 20, 2016.   The strike, according to a statement jointly signed by Abba Ocheme, Olayinka Abioye and Frances Akinjole for the…

*Airline opens 11th gateway in the U.S.   Emirates has launched its 11th destination in the United States with the start of a daily nonstop passenger service between Dubai and Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport today.  A VIP delegation and a contingent of international media were aboard the inaugural flight, which carried passengers from North America, the Far East, the Middle East, South Asia, the Asian subcontinent and Africa.   Fort Lauderdale is Emirates’ second destination…

Arik Air, West and Central Africa’s largest carrier has again scored another first by receiving the European Aviation Safety Agency’s (EASA) Third Country Operators (TCO) Authorisation to fly into any European Union (EU) country.   Arik Air is among the 590 global airline operators that successfully completed the stringent certification process before the deadline of 26th of November, 2016 given by EASA. Arik Air is also the only operator in Nigeria to get this Authorisation…