FEATURES

Africa’s aviation safety and security recently came under the searchlight of the global aviation regulatory body, the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO). The continent, despite doing so much, still has a lot of gaps to close, just as the liberalisation of air transport in Africa, otherwise known as the Single Africa Air Transport Market (SAATM), came under focus at the summit, writes WOLE SHADARE Centre stage Africa’s aviation industry took the centre stage in Abuja,…

The aviation industry is at a crossroads. Jet A1 is steadily climbing to the chagrin of airlines. There is no known solution in sight to stem the tide. Both oil marketers and airlines are passing the buck, while air travellers groan, writes WOLE SHADARE Industry on edge The high cost of aviation fuel and the threat last week by airline operators to go on strike set the aviation industry on edge, prompting panic about what…

Airlines saw the most growth since January this year. The bullish outlook is informed by the easing of travel restrictions in key markets, writes WOLE SHADARE  Return from the dead African airlines seem to be returning to profitability. The last three years had been excruciating for airlines and the travel industry. It was a crisis that ‘crumbled’ literally the entire global travel industry. But since the relaxation of COVID-19 rules, airlines and the travel trade…

Nigerian workers joined their counterparts all over the world to mark Workers’ Day. In truth, May 1 appears to just be a mere ceremony in Nigeria as conditions of workers are yet to improve amid so many labour challenges in the aviation sector, writes WOLE SHADARE   May Day significance Labour Day or International Workers’ Day is observed each year on May 1 to celebrate the achievements of the working class. The day, also called…

Amid the hues and cries of granting more frequencies to foreign airlines’ operations in Nigeria, it does not appear that stopping these carriers would happen any time soon. From what is playing out, the carriers have been more emboldened to request more flight rights, writes WOLE SHADARE High-yield While Nigerian registered airlines are overwhelmed with challenges with so many complaints and justifiably so, many international airlines are seeing opportunities in a market that has great…

First-quarter 2022 shows the tremendous pace the Federal Government is putting into some projects it wants to bring to fruition and one that it has inexplicably struggled to seal. Overall, the sector had its fair share of challenges that it is bound to surmount, writes WOLE SHADARE Concession, national carrier project gather pace The Nigerian aviation industry in the first quarter of 2022 is one that came with its ups and downs and one that…

The effect of multiple designations is almost discordant, but also riveting in the face of at-risk domestic airlines, writes WOLE SHADARE Sustainable aviation industry An active and sustainable local aviation industry has strategic importance that goes beyond mere commercial and business objectives. It is a matter of national interest and security. So far, the administering of Nigeria’s Bilateral Air Service Agreement (BASA) has been a matter of serious concern considering it is supposedly based on…

  Common criminals and terrorists breaching security layers at many of the airports, particularly the Kaduna airport, raises a red flag that should bother everyone, writes WOLE SHADARE   Public consciousness While flying has always been one of the safest ways to travel, thanks to its wide-ranging international regulatory frameworks, aviation incidents have an outsize impact on the public consciousness. From airport attacks in Brussels and Istanbul to the shooting down of MH17 over Ukraine,…

Nigeria has tried unsuccessfully to set up a national airline. At a point, it looked like another exercise in futility, but the project is presently sounding realistic with Capt. Dapo Olumide as interim Managing Director of the much-awaited national carrier writes WOLE SHADARE   The promise During electioneering in 2014, President Muhammadu Buhari as the candidate of the newly formed All Progressives Congress (APC) promised to bequeath to Nigeria a national airline. In fact, the…

The flurry of price increases may further stress the balance sheets of airlines that are making desperate efforts to stay afloat, writes WOLE SHADARE Tough time The past two weeks had been hectic for Nigerian airlines and travelers. The scarcity and high cost of aviation fuel, otherwise known as Jet A1, had put the domestic aviation industry in total disarray. Not only in Nigeria are airlines and passengers groaning over the spike in Jet A1,…