Aviation

Nigeria will reopen for international air travel in a matter of weeks, the aviation minister said on Thursday, without giving a specific date for the resumption after months of closure due to the global coronavirus pandemic.  “It will be in weeks rather than in months,” Minister of Aviation Hadi Sirika told a regular briefing in the capital Abuja on coronavirus.  Nigeria began to close its airports in March, a month after Africa’s most populous country confirmed its…

*Want NCAA to stop unilateral sacks       Aircraft pilots have concluded plans to down tools in two weeks if Air Peace and Bristow Helicopters fails to recall their colleagues sacked on Monday and Tuesday by the airlines. The threat to carry out their strike action could worsen the fragile aviation industry and ground skeletal operations of carriers that has been impacted by COVID-19. Pilots umbrella body, the National Association of Aircraft Pilots and…

    A day after Air Peace sacked over 75 pilots, embattled Bristow Helicopters yesterday announced the sack of over 100 pilots and engineers made up of Nigerians and expatriates. This is coming amid industrial action embarked by labour unions that has crippled the airline’s operations. The airline however based its decision on the severe impact of the CCOVID-19 stating that its business has been affected adversely and would use the period to now restructure…

**New salaries reflect 0-40% cut, more jobs to go   Two weeks after chairman of Air Peace, Mr. Allen Onyema expressed frustration with the demands of his pilots and threat to shut down the airline, the management of the airline yesterday sacked over 75 of the airline’s pilots. The airline was however, silent on the number of pilots it disengaged in its statement to the media. But pilots who spoke to Woleshadarenews disclosed that over…

  A light aircraft overloaded with cocaine crashed on take-off on its way to Australia, police said on Saturday, exposing a Melbourne-based crime syndicate and leading to the arrest of five men with alleged links to the Italian mafia. The Cessna aircraft, which was stuffed with more than 500 kilograms (1,100 pounds) of cocaine, went down while attempting to leave a remote airstrip in Papua New Guinea on July 26. Australian Federal Police said in…

***Kenya’s tourism loses $752 million in revenue to COVID-19   Kenya Airways resumed international passenger services following the easing of movement restrictions as directed by President Uhuru Kenyatta. The first international flights departed today August 1st to London, Dubai, Addis Ababa, Kigali,and Lusaka. The airline in a statement made available to Woleshadarenews said during the month there will be a gradual increase in the network with flights to Paris, Mumbai and Amsterdam. In Africa, the…

**Unions kick, mobilize for showdown next week **Agency’s staff strength rises to 8000, 4000 pensioners        The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed the financial underbelly of many of the aviation agencies, particularly, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) as the airports authority can no longer meet its monthly N3 billion spent on salaries and wages occasioned by COVID-19 pandemic. The huge monthly wage bill of the agency said to run into more than…

  Kenya Airways (KQ) will be resuming its international passenger services on August 1, 2020 following the easing of movement restrictions as directed by President Uhuru Kenyatta. The first international flights on August 1st 2020 will depart to the following international destinations; London, Dubai, Addis Ababa, Kigali, Dares Salaam and Lusaka. During the month there will be a gradual increase in the network with flights to Paris, Mumbai and Amsterdam. In Africa, the airline will…

  The Accident Investigation Bureau (AIB) said it has commenced investigation into a serious incident involving an Airbus A330-243 with the Nationality registration Marks OD-MEA operated by Middle East Airline and a Boeing 777 with nationality and registration Marks TC-LJC operated by Turkish Airline , which occurred on July 29th, 2020 at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos. Spokesman for the agency, Tunji Oketunbi  in a statement said the Turkish cargo aircraft was parked at the…

**Aircraft grounded   There was a mild incident today as an aircraft belonging to Middle Airlines had a collision on ground with Turkish Airlines. The incident was said to have occurred when Middle East airplane was coming to park on the apron while that of Turkish Airlines was planning to depart from the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos. The two airplanes are currently parked at the Lagos airport waiting for assessment to determine the extent…