Aviation

After a five-month hiatus, Virgin Atlantic will be welcoming customers back on-board as it makes a return back to Lagos on September 10, 2020. A statement from the carrier said to ensure the health and safety of customers and crew, Virgin Atlantic is implementing additional measures to offer peace of mind in the airport and when taking to the skies. These include enhanced and thorough cleaning practices at check in, boarding gates and on-board including…

Two hundred and eight Nigerian citizens departed New Jersey for home on Thursday night in the ninth evacuation flight from the U.S. Barring any future change in plan, this is the final repatriation flight organised by the Federal Government for citizens stranded in the U.S. due to the coronavirus pandemic. It came barely 24 hours after the eighth flight in which 94 Nigerians were evacuated from Houston, Texas, to join friends and families back home….

***Trains 10 investigators   The Accident Investigation Bureau (AIB) is moving a step further in its enhancement of aviation safety as it has begun the training of ten accident investigators Accident Investigation Bureau Nigeria (AIB) has trained 10 investigators on the use of Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) popularly referred to as drone in a bid to ensure data accuracy and enhancement of accident investigation by the agency. Speaking on Thursday at the closing ceremony of…

In a bid to enhance air safety in the country’s aviation industry, Accident Investigation Bureau (AIB) and the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) have entered into partnership. Consequently, the two agencies on Wednesday inaugurated an 11-man committee that would review the NCAA’s response to safety recommendations issued by AIB on accidents, serious incidents and continuous operation of the State Safety Programmes (SSP) and ensured that the agency’s recommendations are implemented. Spokesman for AIB, Mr. Tunji…

**Nations in race to complete planned evacuation *IATA releases health assessment guidelines for air travel All evacuation flights introduced in the wake of coronavirus that led to closure of international airspace will come to an end on August 25th, 2020 as the Federal Government announced the resumption of international flights from August 29, 2020. As a result, many countries are racing against time to conclude scheduled evacuation flights while allowing citizens to plan their scheduled…

**62.7% final reports in four years represent total since agency’s creation The desire to keep the aviation industry safe by the Federal Government may have led to zero accident in the last four years according to the Accident Investigation Bureau (AIB). The successes were as a result of reforms in the accident investigative body and other relevant aviation agencies. Speaking with Woleshadarenews in Lagos at the weekend, spokesman for AIB, Mr. Tunji Oketunbi while elaborating…

The Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Aviation, Nnolim Nnaji has described as unfortunate alleged destruction of the Akanu Ibiam International Airport, (AIIA) perimeter fence by an indigene, Mr.  J J Emejulu, an architect. Nnaji noted that all over the world properties are relinquished by citizens for overriding public interest, adding that several other people including communities have lost their landed properties both for the airport use and for the relocation of the market that…

**Job losses up by 3.5 million, traffic down by 54%     Regional Vice President for Africa and the Middle East of the International Air Transport Association (IATA),  Muhammad Al Bakri  has urged African governments and the development institutions who have committed funding to provide it urgently in a structure that does not weaken already stressed airline balance sheets, before it is too late. This is coming as the group released new data indicating that…

**ICRC may terminate all concessions for new owners  ***Resolve all disputes before airport terminal take-over-Stakeholders   Aviation Minister, Hadi Sirika has defended the plans by the Federal Government to concession some major airports across the country, saying government has no money to invest in aviation infrastructure. This is coming as the representative of the Director-General of Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission (ICRC), Haruna Yusuf  said the agency would review all concessions before the process that would…

    Aviation unions have called for total overhauling of the aviation industry in Nigeria, warning that if the Federal Government fails to carry out the restructuring exercise now, the sector may eventually collapse. This is as the unions threatened to ground activities at the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMET) from Monday, August 18, 2020, over what it called fake “Condition of Service” by the management of the agency. Speaking on Wednesday at a joint media…