Aviation

Aviation pressure group, Aviation Safety Round Table Initiative (ART) has backed the decision by the Federal Government to four of the airports in Lagos, Abuja, Port-Harcourt and Kano under the concession programme of the government. Spokesman for ART, Olumide Ohunayo in a statement said the group welcomes the recent decision of the Federal Government to concession some of the airports. According to Ohunayo, “We do not need to remind industry stakeholders of the  challenges  facing…

  * Maintenance, second biggest cost for airlines-Balami *Country has highest airplanes flown abroad for maintenance Nigeria spends a whooping $1 billion annually for aircraft maintenance overseas according to the Accountable Manager of 7 Star Global Hangar Limited, Isaac Balami. Balami made the disclosure in Lagos while unveiling a new aviation group- Association of Aircraft Maintenance Organisation of Nigeria (AAMON). The aircraft maintenance engineer who is also the chairman of the newly formed group comprising…

   ●Loans may end up as bad debts   Hope seems to be dimming very fast on how the aviation industry could recover over N45 billion from airlines indebted to virtually all the agencies, especially at a time COVID-19 has wreaked havoc on airlines across the globe.   Meanwhile, there are fears that greater part of that amount could end up as bad debts as many carriers could join the ones that are already extinct…

***No total compliance, no resumption, NCAA tells airlines Aviation Minister, Hadi Sirika has again assured that the palliative for the aviation industry was almost ready. The Minister said this while looking at the preparation for the resumption of flight operations scheduled for July 8, 2020.  Sirika reiterated that the provision by the government is being worked upon. He said on the palliative that, “It is already yes, we are working on it.” This is coming…

  Nigeria’s flag carrier airline, Arik Air said it has concluded plans to resume of domestic flights from July 8, 2020 following the Federal Government’s decision to re-open Lagos and Abuja airports for flight operations. The carrier disclosed that the airline will be operating three daily flights from Lagos to Abuja in the first phase of the restart while Port Harcourt will be added to the schedule from Saturday, July 11, 2020 when the Port…

The Accident Investigation Bureau Nigeria (AIB-N), in line with its inter-agency collaboration agenda has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Nigerian Air Force (NAF). The MoU was signed on July 1, 2020. In a statement, Commissioner/CEO AIB-N, Engr Akin Olateru stated that, “Our duty, as Accident Investigators of Civil Aviation, is one thing but understanding one’s needs is very critical to the success of an institution.” Outlining the many benefits to the respective…

Following the approval that flight operations recommence gradually at the nation’s airports effective July 8, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria has released new procedural guidelines for air travelers and other airport users. The new Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) is aimed at protecting all stakeholders and preventing further spread of theCovid-19 virus. In the “New Normal”, departing passengers must comply with the following guidelines; All passengers must arrive the airport properly kitted with their face…

  ***Lagos, Abuja airports to resume July 8, others July 15   Aviation Minister, Hadi Sirika has announced that Abuja and Lagos airports will resume domestic operations on July 8, 2020. The Minister made the disclosure on Thursday on his verified Twitter @hadisirika, just as he disclosed that the Mallam Aminu International Airport, Kano, Port-Harcourt, Owerri and Maiduguri will resume on July 11, 2020, while other airports across the country will resume on July 15,…

  Air France aims to present a plan to trade unions to cut just over 7,500 jobs over the next two years, sources familiar with the matter said on Tuesday, as the French carrier grapples with the coronavirus crisis. France’s flagship airline, part of the Air France-KLM group, is cutting capacity and exiting loss-making domestic routes as the pandemic hits international travel, reports Reuters. The cuts would include 6,500 jobs at Air France – representing just under 15 percent of employees –…

  *Faults Minister’s handling of process   Unions in the aviation industry said they would resist attempt by the Federal Government to concession four of the aerodromes in Nigeria, describing the procedure for concession as not transparent. Rather than concession, the unions recommended green field concession which empowers new investors to deal on fresh ventures which includes construction of new runways, terminal buildings. They also suggested that the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) can…