FEATURES

Many start-ups are emerging from the COVID-19 crisis. There is an old gag within the industry, that says: “How to become a millionaire in aviation? Start as a billionaire!” If that is the situation, how come, many rich people are still interested in a sector that can quickly pauparise them? What is the attraction with the way airlines are springing up, even in COVID-19 era? WOLE SHADARE examines the development Start-ups in difficult times Many…

While European, American skies are busy, African skies are empty occasioned by poor connectivity among nations in the continent. WOLE SHADARE highlights the consequences of this to a continent that is rich in potentials but oblivious of how to harness Potentials Africa makes up 12% of the world’s population but only 2.5% of the world’s passengers. So why is there such a gap? The continent has 731 airports and 419 airlines with an aviation industry that supports…

Dwindling fortune, high cost of maintenance to blame  ‘Anti-corruption war scares owners   In 2014, Nigerians were said to have spent $6.5 billion on private jets, making the country the largest market in Africa for luxury aircraft and one of the fastest growing in the world at that time. Nigeria was only competing with South Africa on the continent. But since 2015, when President Muhammadu Buhari came to office, the numbers have dwindled, with many…

For aviation, COVID-19 has clearly delivered the largest exogenous shock the sector has ever faced. The financial and performance metrics are startling. The Nigerian aviation is showing recovery, albeit very slow. The Q1’21 shows signs of recovery of a sector badly hit by a scourge. WOLE SHADARE writes   Slow recovery path Domestic air connectivity in Nigeria, which is still decimated by the on-going COVID-19 is slowly recovering, giving more hope of survival for the…

Forget about delivery of new aircraft, purported on-time- performance and other perks. At their core, airlines promise a simple service — timely transportation — yet they make little progress toward improving that basic offering, WOLE SHADARE writes Nasty experience The experience has been excruciating. Passengers travelling across the country have one tale of woe or another to tell about chaotic scenes at airports, occasioned by flight delays. Delays and cancellations affect both passengers and carriers….

No doubt, in many climes, especially Africa, civil aviation authorities face enormous pressure, particularly from powerful airline operators, politicians and within the system itself. Ability to withstand such pressure would readily stand the country’s civil aviation authority out and guarantee air safety. WOLE SHADARE writes that the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) is on the right path to saving the industry from avoidable accidents as Azman and other operators have a penchant for compromising safety…

The world-renowned Economist Magazine once dubbed Africa the “hopeless continent.” In 2019, in a stark contrast, it published a cover that read “The new scramble for Africa.” The Open African skies and AfCFTA, which are African Union (AU) flagship projects would help to harness the continent’s aviation potential and the over $2 trillion region’s GDP, writes WOLE SHADARE Making the leap It has been suggested that greater investment and growth would come if all countries…

The evolution of UK’s BAA aptly illustrates how airports have attracted a range of investors over time, as well as signifying the critical impact of regulatory intervention on airport investors as the concession of Asaba Airport could bring exponential growth and more prosperity to Delta State. WOLE SHADARE writes The Heathrow example In 1987, the United Kingdom Government founded BAA Plc, now known as Heathrow Airport Holdings Ltd, to raise funds as part of a…

How quickly good things can turn to a nightmare overnight. That was the story of Boeing’s best selling aircraft, the B737 MAX, as the beleaguered airplane gets reprieve. Wole Shadare writes From best seller to the grave The Boeing 737 is the best-selling airliner of all time with over 15,000 aircraft ordered. The Max is the most recent model of Boeing’s 737, a type of aircraft with many variants over the decades. More than 10,000…

More airlines are making inroad into Nigeria’s aviation industry at a time passengers’ propensity to fly is abysmally low. WOLE SHADARE writes on what the new entrants are bringing to the table to ensure sustainability and desire to remain in the highly volatile sector New airline debuts, others get set The last few weeks has brought a flurry of activities in Nigeria’s aviation industry. Airlines are springing up as many more are at the verge…