Business

Africa’s largest carrier, Ethiopian Airlines, was one of the few operators that remained cash positive during the peak of the pandemic, which was due in part to its successful cargo operations. Ethiopian operated its first cargo-only service on a passenger aircraft in March 2020, just as the world went into lock-down. The Addis Ababa-based carrier, like many of its peers, made the crucial decision to temporarily convert part of its fleet to carry cargo rather…

African airlines’ traffic dropped 68.0% in February versus February two years ago, which has been described as a setback compared to a 66.1% decline recorded in January compared to January 2019. Consequently, February capacity contracted 54.6% versus February 2019, and load factor fell 20.5 percentage points to 49.1%. This is coming as the International Air Transport Association (IATA) announced that passenger traffic fell in February 2021, both compared to pre-COVID levels (February 2019) and compared to the…

The vision of Governor Udom Emmanuel, to make the Akwa Ibom State  owned Airline, Ibom Air,  become the West African Aviation power house, is nearing reality, following indications that Ibom Air could soon commence regional operations between Nigeria and The Gambia. This was part of discussions Monday, when the Gambian High Commissioner to Nigeria, Mohamadou Musa Njie met with the Akwa Ibom State Governor, Mr Udom Emmanuel at Government House, Uyo. The Governor thanked the Gambian…

  Airline owe NCAA N1.5b on ticket sales charges  Chief pilot unaware pilots overdue for trainings Top officials lack understanding of duties     The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has concluded its audit on Azman Airlines. The report is  damning and one that shows that the carrier serially violated safety procedure leading to its grounding more than two months ago. A report of the audit, dated April 2, 2021, signed by the Director-General of…

Delta customers can now look forward to industry-first loyalty rewards, digital tools that make it simple and seamless to satisfy travel requirements, more seats to more destinations, and new and classic onboard refreshment options. Consumer confidence and demand for travel are growing as COVID-19 vaccinations accelerate, and Delta is welcoming customers back with new travel experiences – all while enhancing the Delta CareStandard health and safety commitment the airline has become known for during the pandemic….

Linus Benjamin Bauer, managing director of Bauer Aviation Advisory, describes how airlines must work together in order to achieve a strong recovery. According to him, various carriers across the globe are looking ahead and seeking new and more effective approaches to rebuilding their airline networks in the future. Low-cost carriers and full-service network carriers with hub-and-spoke networks alike, he reiterated are establishing tactical partnerships to shore up their connectivity to key destinations and broaden their…

Global accidents decreased from 52 in 2019 to 38 in 2020   Airlines based in sub-Saharan Africa experienced six accidents last year, two of which were fatal, both involving turboprop aircraft. This is the same number of fatal accidents that occurred in 2019, nevertheless the fatality risk increased owing to the fact that there were fewer flights last year. There were no hull loss accidents involving jet aircraft in 2020. The International Air Transport Association…

Catering services, hitherto suspended at the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic are to resume on domestic flights immediately. Aviation Minister, Hadi Sirika disclosed this at the weekly media briefing of the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 on Monday. According to the Minister, the decision was taken in consideration of the businesses involved in the provision of in-flight refreshments which have been adversely affected by the suspension. He however said that modalities and protocols for the…

Recurring trend, indication of an accident waiting to happen Debunks N15 million graft against DG   The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority of Nigeria (NCAA) has given graphic and serious violation of safety regulations by Azman Air. The NCAA in a statement made available to journalists said over a period of about six weeks, Azman Air Boeing 737 aircraft operating scheduled passenger flights were involved in three separate incidents, resulting in damage to the aircraft in…

Concern over airlines’ frequent landing gear problem   The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has suspended the operations of all the Boeing 737 aircraft in the Fleet of Azman Air Services Limited, with effect from March 15, 2021. The aviation regulatory body took the measure following series of incidents involving Azman Air Boeing 737 Aircraft, just as the agency disclosed that it acted pursuant to Section 35 (2) of the Civil Aviation Act, 2006 and…