Aviation

Emirates has enough cash to sit out for the next six to eight months but is not ruling out the need for extra funding if the recovery from the pandemic will take longer. This could be through the UAE government providing more equity or by adding more debt to the balance sheet. “We will discuss this with the government”, Emirates CEO Sir Tim Clark said during an online session of the World Aviation Festival talking…

Director-General of the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Captain Musa Nuhu, has maintained that the decision to ground Azman Airlines after thorough audit that indicted the carrier over safety issues was not personal, but done in the overall interest of the industry. Nuhu, who spoke at the weekend in Lagos, however, disclosed that what happened to the airline was not a punitive measure, but the regulatory body’s responsibility and duty to guide and work with…

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has warned that the Single European Sky (SES) project to reform Europe’s air traffic management system faces collapse if European states do not support the European Commission’s proposals to reboot the stalled initiative. “The European Commission has been trying to deliver the benefits of SES since the early 2000s. But state inaction has meant that none of its targets have been met. New legislation, as proposed by the Commission,…

Tinker with merger, interline to cut costs, United inks MoU with carriers Why air tickets are on the rise   In a market hugely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic on top of rising ticket prices and increased competition, airlines have been urged to synergise their operations in a bid to cut cost without compromising on passenger experience. The chairman of start-up United Nigeria Airlines, Chief Obiora Okonkwo made the call while asking airlines to merge…

The Ministry of Aviation has issued a warning about expected attacks on airports across the country. This was stated in a memo addressed to airport security chiefs and signed by S.M. Mamman, FAAN Deputy General Manager of Administration and Logistics. Airports in Kaduna, Maiduguri, Sokoto, Kano, Abuja, and Lagos are on the list, according to a document dated April 9, 2021. The memo reads: “I am directed to convey a warning from the Ministry of…

Tasks workers on professionalism, hard work   Commissioner/ Chief Executive Officer of the Accident Investigation Bureau Nigeria (AIB-N), Akin Olateru, an aircraft engineer listed professionalism, cooperation, diligence as some of the criteria or essential tools needed to achieve the agency’s mandate of investigating aircraft accidents and serious incidents. Olateru stated this while seeking more support from workers to continue to deliver on their mandate disclosed that the Federal agency was established to investigate aircraft accident…

The European Union has approved a plan by the French government to inject more than $4 billion into Air France, which was hit by a collapse in passenger traffic during the pandemic. Ministers in Paris welcomed the news, but the Netherlands government said there was no “urgent need” for an injection of capital for KLM, Air France’s Dutch partner. The measures were approved under temporary COVID-19 state aid rules and come after weeks of negotiations…

Ground handling firms seek waiver, others from FG   High level insecurity on many of the country’s roads occasioned by banditry and other forms of criminality is helping to see a rise in air travel. Amid the rise in passengers choice of air travel, virtually all the airlines lack capacity to cater for teeming number of passengers turning at airports because of acute shortage of aircraft as many of the operators lack the necessary foreign…

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has announced that Willie Walsh has officially taken on the role of Director General of the organization. He succeeds Alexandre de Juniac. “I am passionate about our industry and about the critical work that IATA does on behalf of its members, never more so than during the COVID-19 crisis. IATA has been at the forefront of efforts to restart global connectivity, including developing the IATA Travel Pass”. Less visible…

85% Emirates crew fully vaccinated as UAE administers 8 million shots   Emirates next month will operate a special flight with one of its brand new A380 aircraft to showcase the UAE’s vaccination programme and offer a glimpse at ‘the new normal’ for air travel while boosting confidence among the flying public. Flight EK2021 on April 10 will carry only fully vaccinated crew and passengers on-board. It will depart Dubai International Airport at 12:00hrs local…