Business

Demand raises fares       The removal of 11 African countries from the United Kingdom’s (UK) infamous travel list is witnessing a sharp return to air travel by Nigerians as airlines record a huge surge in travel bookings to Nigeria and to the UK. The British Government yesterday removed all the countries, including Nigeria, from the UK’s travel Red List. The removal took effect from 4 am. It was learnt that the decision to…

The Nigerian Meteorological Agency has cautioned Nigerians on the possibility of poor visibility in the coming days. According to a  release by the Agency’s Central Forecast Office on Tuesday, the development is a result of fresh dust plumes raised at the dust source region (Faya Largeau in the Chad Republic). This, according to the statement is expected to advect into the country and reduce horizontal visibility. “Dust haze conditions are expected to intensify before the…

  Ministry, airline keep mum Emirates may still retain 21 frequencies     The United Arab Emirates (UAE) may have succumbed to pressure from Nigeria by granting Nigeria’s flag carrier airline, Air Peace six flight rights to Dubai. The diplomatic face-off may be coming to an end soon as both nations may eventually settle for six flights for Air Peace, but still unknown whether Emirates would still keep the 21 frequencies it had before the…

  Nigeria and South Africa on Sunday deepened their relations when South Africa Airways made a return to the Johannesburg-Lagos route 18 months after temporarily withdrawing from the lucrative route. Activities had been on for months into Lagos flight restart. Not even the outbreak of the Omicron variant of COVID-19 could derail preparations as the South African Airways (SAA) flight touched down at 8.04 pm on Sunday at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos amid…

The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has clarified why it withdrew the ministerial approval granted Emirates Airlines by the Ministry of Aviation. With the withdrawal, which takes effect from December 12, 2021, Emirates Airlines can now fly into Abuja (Nigeria) just once weekly on Thursdays, while its Lagos flight is suspended. Speaking with journalists on Friday, Capt. Musa Nuhu, the Director-General of NCAA, said that it withdrew the approval following the refusal of the General…

As part of ongoing efforts to improve on the quality of service delivery at the nation’s airports, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), in collaboration with the Enabling Business Environment Secretariat of the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC) has organised a training program for leaders and frontline officers of major stakeholders at the airports. The training program is aimed at continuous sensitization of the stakeholders and building capacity for airport personnel on the…

… deliberately undervalue aircraft to escape import duties     The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) recently conducted a 60-day corporate and business jet aircraft verification exercise to determine and separate the private fleet from commercial aircraft operated by Nigerian domestic airlines. In the course of the verification exercise, the agency said it uncovered gross and flagrant abuses of the Temporary Importation Permit (TIP) concession by most private aircraft owners in the country. The abuse of…

The highly anticipated return of Emirates to Nigeria has happened as Emirates touched down in both Abuja and Lagos on Sunday. The spectacular water cannon welcome at Murtala Mohammed Airport, Lagos marked the restart of daily services to Nigeria from Dubai. Both flights from Dubai, EK 785 to Abuja and EK 783 to Lagos, were welcomed to Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport and Murtala Muhammed International Airport with water cannon salutes. Upon arrival, a cake cutting ceremony was also held between Emirates officials…

Confusion, passengers in frantic effort to beat Monday deadline Seek alternative routes out of Nigeria Canada rejects COVID-18 certificates from Nigeria, nine other nations       The situation at the country’s major airports of Lagos and Abuja turned chaotic today as a horde of travellers sought alternative arrangements to get out of the country to beat the UK Monday deadline for non-extension of flights to Nigerians over the outbreak of the new COVID-19 variant,…

Nigerians have been told to be wary of deteriorating visibility in the northern region as dust is expected to be transported from the Chad and Niger Republics from December 1. “Currently dust in suspension over the Chad Republic and the Niger Republic. This fresh dust is expected to be transported into the northern parts of Nigeria. Therefore a further reduction in horizontal visibility is anticipated”. The forecast by the Nigeria Meteorological Agency, NiMET also indicates…