FEATURES

The stepping down of Capt. Ado Sanusi from Aero Contractors last week has kept tongues wagging that government is indeed moving closer to setting up a national carrier with the aircraft pilot waiting in the wings to oversee the start-up company as events in the next few weeks would show the direction for a new airline that has taken too long to birth. WOLE SHADARE writes   Capt. Ado Sanusi leaves Aero The ‘unexpected’ resignation…

Aviation faces grim future amid COVID-19 that ravaged the sector in 2020. The year 2021 promises to see a small lift, but not yet Uhuru as the sector picks the pieces to return to profitability, writes WOLE SHADARE A year like no other The aviation industry in Nigeria like others suffered so much in 2020. It was a year COVID-19 wreaked havoc on a sector that was before now on life support and one that…

Disruptive passenger behaviour remains rare, but when it does occur the impact can be significant, writes WOLE SHADARE Global concern Loud mouthed and potentially dangerous disruptive passengers have become a major concern all over the world. The events of last week where a man, Dr. Chike Okogwu, went berserk and destroyed everything in sight that belongs to Dana Air and the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) calls for retrospection into how destructive air passengers…

Aviation is the foundation of many established and emerging economies and SAATM could help stimulate Africa’s air transport market. WOLE SHADARE writes Adoption n 2015, 23 African countries, including Nigeria, adopted a declaration on the establishment of a Single African Air Transport Market (SAATM) to fully implement the Yamoussoukro Decision (YD). The fear The air transport policy had come under scathing criticisms from Nigerian airline operators. They were of the view that with SAATM, the…

While it is ultimate ignominy for Airbus A380 that promised to revolutionise air travel, the B747, the final flying days of the planet’s most recognizable jetliner are approaching sooner than expected, writes WOLE SHADARE   B747, A380, aircraft to remember There’s something about the super-jumbo airplane; the size makes a difference. The pure number of passengers, even with those stairs inside the cabin leading up to the second deck that make travel on a B747…

Airlines’ protectionism hurts travellers and aviation. WOLE SHADARE writes that removing protectionist restrictions should substantially improve air travel Growth slowed by COVID-19 Africa was on the cusp of an aviation boom before COVID-19 slowed the acceleration of the continent’s projected aviation success. The continent was set to become one of the fastest growing aviation regions in the next 20 years with an annual expansion of nearly five per cent. These are still achievable depending on…

How easy is it reviewing policies that have hindered the growth of Nigerian carriers? Time will tell if plans by the National Assembly to review multiple designations to foreign airlines won’t go the way of others, writes, WOLE SHADARE Strong battle ahead Aviation is not a stand-alone in any country. Aviation is a reflection of the policies and the financial health of any country. So, when aviation is taken and the country is not doing…

N4 billion stimulus package for Nigerian airlines amidst existential crises confronting them remains insignificant as the carriers need more urgent financial assistance. WOLE SHADARE writes Better late than never It took too long to arrive at whether or not Nigerian airlines need bailout. The general consensus among airlines and stakeholders is that the airlines need help. That help came two weeks ago when the Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika, announced that the Federal Government had…

No doubt, the aviation industry in Nigeria needs urgent reforms. Most of the laws operated by Nigerian aviation agencies are obsolete and do not meet the challenges of a fast-paced, dynamic aviation industry. WOLE SHADARE, who was at the public hearing, writes that passage of the six bills will engender best practices for the entire system The public hearing last week in Abuja may have come and gone. The three-day event, which sought inputs from…