Aviation

  Air Peace to airlift returnees to Abuja for quarantine A British Airways’ B747 plane with 253 Nigerians landed at the Murtala Muhammed International as part of emergency evacuation of Nigerians from the United Kingdom.  The airplane landed at exactly 1.44 pm. An Emirates flight had on Wednesday brought back 256 Nigerians from the United Arab Emirates in what was the first batch of Nigerians that are being returned to their country. The passengers were…

  Sector faces liquidity crisis, tasks FG to do more Industry contributed $1.7bn to nation’s GDP   GDP The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has called for aviation-specific financial relief measures from the government of Nigeria to address the severe impact of the COVID-19 crisis on the air transport sector. IATA’s Regional Vice President for Africa and the Middle East, Muhammad Albakri in a statement said given the importance of air transport for Nigeria’s economy and…

The Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika, has said the sector has been the worst hit since the COVID-19 pandemic broke out in the country. Sirika said this on Wednesday during the daily briefing by the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 in Abuja. He said: “We are in very difficult moments like everyone else. “All of this started because someone travelled and unfortunately came back home with it and the consequence is what we’ve been going…

The Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON) has faulted the decision to patronize foreign airlines for the evacuation of Nigerians abroad. The body said that government’s action is disappointing after it had made earlier statements that it would engage three domestic airlines that more than have capacity and airplanes to carry out these evacuation exercises. A Schedule released by the Foreign Affairs Ministry said the first batch of evacuees of 265 from Dubai would arrive Nigeria…

The Federal Government has extended the ban placed on flights in the country as part of efforts to curtail the spread of coronavirus for another four weeks. The Chairman of the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19, Mr Boss Mustapha, disclosed this at the daily briefing of the task force on Wednesday. Mustapha, who is also the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, said the decision to extend the ban was taken after due consultation…

While the world yearns to travel once again, meet and hug loved ones, seek new adventures and close those business deals, Emirates is busy protecting and readying the world’s largest all wide-body fleet to take to the skies.  This could have proved daunting, but Emirates Engineering, a division of the airline and one of the world’s most technologically advanced aircraft maintenance facilities, has it all covered – literally! Ahmed Safa, Emirates’ Divisional Senior Vice President…

The House Committee on Aviation has condemned the decision by the Federal Government to engage the services of foreign airlines to evacuate Nigerians abroad when there are three Nigerian carriers that have the capacity to do that.  This was disclosed by the Chairman of the Committee, Nnolim Nnaji who called on the federal government to revert to capable indigenous operators to carry out the evacuation exercise. Nnaji frowned at the engagement of foreign airlines like…

   Says risk of transmission on board aircraft is low  Backs wearing of face masks  Airlines planning social distancing on-board their airplanes as a measure to bring back passengers’ confidence have been told to jettison the idea as the International Air Transport Association (IATA) said it does not support mandating social distancing measures that would leave ‘middle seats’ empty.  Calls for social distancing measures on aircraft, according to the group would fundamentally shift the economics…

Leaves Gatwick for Heathrow airport, reduces costs  In response to the ravaging COVID-19 pandemic that has put global airlines in serious financial dire straits, Virgin Atlantic has announced strategies to reshape its business and come out of the problem stronger. Consequently, the airline announced the planned reduction of 3,150 jobs across all functions, just as it also disclosed that from today, it would will no longer use all of its seven 747-400s, with four A330-200 aircraft…