Interviews

Willie Walsh is the Director-General of the International Air Transport Association (IATA), the clearing house for more than 200 global airlines. The aircraft pilot, administrator, and a former CEO of British Airways speaks to WOLE SHADARE at the end of IATA’s 78th AGM which ended in Doha, Qatar on the slow recovery of African carriers after the COVID-19 pandemic, myriads of problems confronting the aviation sector in the continent and how they can get out of the…

  Mr. Femi Adefope is the Chairman of APG IET. In this interview with WOLE SHADARE at the just concluded APG Day held in Lagos speaks on the essence of APG Day, the general state of the travel industry in Nigeria, corporation between airlines, and other issues. What is the essence of this event? Does this look like the first time we are having something like the APG Day in Nigeria? No. APG, being a…

Muharram Abdel Rahman is Egypt Air’s Country Manager in Nigeria. In this interview with WOLE SHADARE, he speaks on how Egypt Air has grown to be one of the preferred airlines in Nigeria, the carrier’s request for more frequencies and flight operations in Nigeria Egypt Air has requested more frequencies in Nigeria. Has the Ministry of Aviation approved your request? We have submitted our request to the Ministry of Aviation that we need to increase…

Qatar Airways is one of the biggest Gulf airlines that has shown massive investment in route expansion, not only in Nigeria but in Africa. In this interview with WOLE SHADARE, Qatar Airways Vice President for Africa, Hendrik du Preez, speaks on how Africa can be the biggest aviation market in the very near future, challenges facing aviation in the continent, and the incredible story of Qatar Airways in Nigeria, among others How has it been…

Richard Aisuebeogun is a former Managing Director of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN). In this interview with WOLE SHADARE, the air transport specialist speaks on how aviation can leverage on Africa Continental Free Trade Agreement and other benefits for the African continent.   Is the aviation sector ripe enough to take advantage of the Africa Continental Free Trade Area agreement? In my opinion on the potentials of the Africa Continental Trade Area agreement,…

Willie Walsh, Director General, International Air Transport Association (IATA), in this interview with WOLE SHADARE at the just concluded annual IATA AGM in Boston, Massachusetts, speaks on Africa’s great aviation potential, high taxation, PCR, and how ‘Open Skies’ could benefit Nigeria and the African continent What do you make of South African Airways that does not have modern aircraft? South African Airways has been in a financial crisis for many years. You cannot survive today…

Since October 2019 when he was appointed as the Director-General of NCAA, Capt. Musa Nuhu has piloted the affairs of the aviation regulatory body with courage and zeal. Coming with a wealth of experience as Nigeria’s representative at the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) for many years, Nuhu has shown an unwavering determination to reposition the agency with highly skilled personnel, recertification of the country’s major airports, and correct anomalies of the past. He speaks…

The recent issuance of an Aircraft Maintenance Organisation (AMO) certificate to 7Star Global Hangar Ltd, to operate an all-inclusive Maintenance Repair and Overhaul (MRO) facility has elicited joy amongst airline operators and the entire aviation stakeholders as that could stem over $1billion capital flight usually expended for aircraft maintenance repairs overseas. The Chief Executive Officer of 7-Star Global Hangar, Isaac Balami is an aircraft engineer and a consummate entrepreneur. In interview with WOLE SHADARE, he speaks on the overall…

Professor Mansur Bako Matazu is a Professor of Applied Meteorology/Climatology and Director-General/CEO of Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet). He is the designated Permanent Representative (PR) of Nigeria with the World Meteorological Organisation. In this interview with WOLE SHADARE in Lagos, Matazu who was four months ago appointed as DG of the agency speaks on the effort to transform the agency, the assistance from the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) and African Development Bank (AfDB) to make Nigeria Africa’s…

Dr. Wale Babalakin (SAN) is a Nigerian businessman, lawyer and philanthropist. He is Chairman of Bi-Courtney Group of companies, amongst them Murtala Muhammed Airport 2 (MMA2) which is the biggest privately built airport terminal in Nigeria. In this interview, Babalakin speaks on he build the MMA2 from scratch and secured concessioning of Lagos-Ibadan Expressway among others. Excerpts   The MMA2 terminal regarded as the best run terminal in Nigeria has generated so much controversy with back…