Aviation

Airlines around the world are in the coronavirus crisis for the long-haul with global passenger traffic not expected return to pre-Covid-19 levels until 2024, a year later than previously projected.   That is according to the International Air Transport Association (IATA), which has forecast that while short-haul travel is still expected to recover faster than long-haul travel, global passenger numbers for 2020 will decline by 55% compared to 2019, worsened from the April forecast of…

*AIB warns airlines over doctoring CVR   The Accident Investigation Bureau (AIB) has attributed inappropriate landing technique used and non-adherence to company procedures by pilots of a chartered Carverton Helicopter by Vice President Osinbajo led to the accident in Okene, Kogi State. This is coming as the Commissioner, AIB, Akin Olateru warned that any airline found wanting in tampering with recordings of Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR) in the event of crash or serious incidents would…

Governments in West Africa have recommended a three-phased approach to the opening of land and air borders beginning with local internal domestic air and land transport within the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).  The second phase which involves the opening of land and air borders between ECOWAS member states, to allow the free movement of goods and persons on the basis of strict application of the proposed guidelines for the harmonization and facilitation…

  A committee made up of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Nigeria Custom Service (NCS), Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS), Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON), Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA), Airport Security Committee, Ground Handlers Association, Directorate of State Security Service (DSS), Freight forwarders association, the Nigeria Civil Aviation Committee and the Quarantine service will today hold a meeting to discuss modalities for re-opening airspace for international flight services….

    The Accident Investigation Bureau (AIB) Nigeria has concluded plans to commence training for aircraft accident investigators in the West African sub-region. Disclosing this on Monday in Abuja was the Commissioner/CEO of AIB Nigeria, Akin Olateru an aircraft engineer when the Senate Committee on ICT and Cybercrime visited the agency to ascertain their level of ICT infrastructure and cyber security architecture. Olateru disclosed that beyond partnerships with local and international institutions, it has also…

Aircraft engineer, Sheri Kyayi has expressed concern over the grounding of all B737 aircraft types that are scheduled to undergo the United States Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) emergency corrosion checks. The situation may not have adverse effects on the airlines using Boeing aircraft types as many of the aircraft are still in storage because of the very low passenger traffic that has made carriers to operate what can best be described as skeletal services. This…

**Cash dries up for lease rentals, operations **Carriers use wrong airplanes-Experts     Size they say matters. But in aviation, size no longer matters as airlines are re-thinking their business model. Some of them are at the verge of jettisoning their big, fuel guzzling B737 which is dominant in Nigeria’s aviation for small size, fuel efficient airplanes. Consequently, aircraft lessors are considering repossessing their airplanes or cause the operators to return them for fear of…

***NCAA lists danger of effects to airplanes   The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has asked all operators of B737 aircraft types to subject their airplanes which have been in storage for a long time to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) emergency corrosion checks. This is contained in a letter dated July 24th, 2020 and addressed to all Boeing 737 aircraft operators and signed by General Manager, AOC & S, Engr. G.G. Balang for the…

  Emirates airline is offering its pilots and crew up to four months of unpaid leave in a bid to keep its workforce primed for when the industry and air travel demand begins to normalise. Dubai’s state-owned carrier has laid off thousands of crew and pilots in recent weeks because of the impact the pandemic has had on the demand for air travel. An internal email sent to pilots and crew said that employees, who…

  Piqued by the refusal of airlines to pay their workers, particularly flight crew, the Director-General of Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Capt. Musa Nuhu has threatened to ground airlines that are in the habit of not paying their pilots and staff. The threat was handed down to the airlines in a meeting held with airline chiefs and their representatives in Abuja last week Thursday by the aviation regulatory body. An airline chief who was…