Airline Operators Elect New Leadership after 14 Years

The Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON) has elected the Chief Executive Officer of Jed Air, Captain Nogie Meggison, as its chairman for the next two years, while Mr. Yvan Drewinsky, the Chief Operating Officer of Dana Air was elected Vice-President.

The election was conducted by an independent organisation, Banwo and  Ighodalo during the Annual General Meeting ( AGM ) of the body held in Lagos yesterday.
This is the first election conducted by AON in the last 14 years after the last executive was dissolved on June 28,   and a committee was appointed to take charge of affairs until yesterday’s election.

Speaking after the election, the Chairman, Meggison, said the AON would work as a formidable team to move the industry forward and engage all stakeholders on issues that affect the industry.
He said the era when AON members spoke at discordant tones was over, as the new executive would strategise on issues that affect operators before taking a position.

“The AON remains professional and will ensure that the interest of the nation and the industry is paramount to its objectives,” Meggison said.

He promised that the new executive under his leadership would be accessible, transparent and ensure that the interests of all stakeholders would be addressed always.

THISDAY learnt that the election became necessary when some members of the past executive which was dissolved in June started marking injurious statements against the operators, misinforming the public about the activities of the airlines and pushing personal agenda on behalf of the body.

Reacting to the plan to establish national carrier by the federal government, the newly-elected chairman of AON said he would consult with the members before taking a position.

culled fromThisday

FOI: NCAA Refuses To Disclose Procurement Records For Bullet-proof Cars

inShare

 The Media Rights Agenda (MRA) and the Public and Private Development Centre (PPDC) have accused the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) of refusing to release the procurement records for the bullet-proof cars purchased for the minister of aviation, in contravention of the Freedom of Information Act, 2011.
In a statement made available to LEADERSHIP yesterday, signed by MRA Programme Manager, Ayodele Longe, the organisations had asked for copies of the procurement and contract records, evidence of budgetary allocation for the procurement, evidence of advertisements inviting prospective bidders to submit bids for the procurement and a list of all bids tendered for the procurement among other documents.
The statement alleged that in response, “NCAA said it cannot release the procurement records for the purchase of the two controversial bullet-proof cars to two non-governmental organisations seeking access to them, because releasing them would undermine ongoing administrative and criminal investigations into the matter”.
It said the NCAA also argued that its budget was already published as part of the 2013 budget of the Federal Government and as such, the FOI Act does not apply to it.
 The statement revealed that in a four-page reply dated November 11, 2013 and signed on behalf of the Director-General by NCAA’s Legal Adviser, Mr. E.D. Chukwuma, the Authority said it was withholding the information the associations requested for on the grounds that the exemptions in Sections 12 and 26 of the FOI Act are applicable to the request.
It said the NCAA argued that “there was, as at the date of your request, an ongoing, various legislative and administrative enforcement proceedings and criminal investigations into the same matter of purchase of BMW 760 LiHSS vehicles by the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) being conducted by the Aviation Committee of the House of Representatives of the National Assembly, the Committee of the Whole House of the Senate of the National Assembly, the Presidential Panel to Examine Alleged Purchase of Two (2) BMW Armoured Vehicles for the Use of the Honourable Minister of Aviation as well as the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).”
It also claimed that “Not only have the information you seek been handed over to these various bodies for the conduct of the legislative and administrative enforcement proceedings and criminal investigation referred to above, but giving same to you may compromise and/or obstruct the proceedings and investigation.”
 It would be recalled that the NCAA has been in the public eye, since the purchase of several high tech vehicles including two BMW armoured vehicles for the use of the Aviation Minister, Princess Stella Oduah.

culled from Leadership

FAAN Takes Over Management Of Toll Plaza From Concessionaire

In a renewed drive to capture more revenue for the authority, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria ( FAAN), yesterday took over operations at the access toll gate of the Murtala Muhamed International Airport, Lagos .

 The General Manager, Corporate Communications, Mr Yakubu Dati, confirmed the take over.Dati said the  take over of the access tollgate brings to an end, the management of the toll plaza by one of its concessionaires: I - Cube West Africa Limited .The firm was engaged by FAAN a few years ago to manage the toll plaza and remit to the authority about N40 million monthly under a bank guarantee arrangement with a commercial bank.He said : “In the period while the firm managed the toll plaza, it was unable to meet the  agreed monthly obligation  to the authority , in addition to failure to carry out expansion work on the toll  plaza.
 As part of measures for the effective take over of concession, FAAN, earlier in the year embarked  on massive expansion of the toll plaza to accommodate more vehicles as well as ease the flow of traffic along the ever busy airport road.
  Yesterday , personnel of the commercial department of the authority formally commenced management of the six lane toll plaza, which has been automated for efficiency.
 Scores of motorists and airport workers described the take over of the toll plaza as part of the  revolutionary steps by FAAN to offer world class facility to a customer centric industry.Management of the toll plaza at the Lagos Airport by personnel of FAAN is expected to enhance the revenue of the authority as well as improve commercial offering in non aeronautical areas.Meanwhile,  Dati said work has reached advanced stage at the new access toll plaza at the cargo /hajj camp axis of the airport.Scores of motorists that ply the access toll plaza expressed excitement over the orderly take over of the plaza with no increase in toll charges.Tickets were issued to motorists that ply the road, in addition to airport workers and stakeholders that have pre paid  stickers in their cars that give them free acess to the Airport environment.
culled from Leadership

Senate Suspends NAMA’s New Charges On Private Jet Owners

The Senate Committee on Aviation  yesterday  suspended new fees charged by the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) on private jet owners engaged in non-scheduled operations in Nigeria.
The Senator Hope Uzodinma-led committee directed NAMA and private jet owners to convene a “stakeholders’ meeting” to arrive at a “consensus” charge in line with the Civil Aviation Act of 2006.
By the directive, NAMA is to revert to the status quo ante. No date was fixed for the aviation stakeholders’ meeting.

These were fallouts of the tripartite mediation meeting convened by the Senate panel over the contentious $3000 and $2500 respectively charged by NAMA on private jets registered abroad and locally.
The suspended fees were prior paid by private jets for every departure (except round trips without changes in passenger manifest or return ferry) and were paid in advance to NAMA.

A representative of the affected airlines, Bala Ibn Na’Allah, at the Senate’s panel mediation meeting described the now suspended charges as discriminatory and non-consultative, hence, in breach of the Civil Aviation Act of 2006, which clearly provides for consultation with relevant stakeholders before the introduction of fees regime.

He said: “We want to be led by the rule of law. NCAA did not consult us before imposing levies on us. We are urging the senators to impress upon the NCAA to always carry us along through consultations because section 70 (1) C of the Act did not allow them to do whatever will be detrimental to the nation.

“For every take off, we are paying $2, 500, why are we paying in dollars when it is not our local currency in the country and NAMA did not see anything bad in implementing such discriminatory policy.
“It is discriminatory for NCAA to charge different levies for scheduled and non-scheduled aircrafts. The law recommends payments either in local or hard currency but NAMA do not collect Naira.”

The  managing director of NAMA, Mr Nnamdi Udoh ,  refuted the allegation that the agency compelled operators to pay charges in dollars.
Udoh said: “They (operators) are also at liberty to pay in naira. Payment in dollars is at their liberty. The provisions of section 30 was being used in the past to collect levies. The charges would make them to ensure sanity.

“Before the new one-stop-shop payment, we were charging navigation, landing, parking and terminal navigation levies, but services being offered in Nigeria must also conform to international best practices.
“They don’t pay five per cent charges out of  the revenues they make. Safety is not cheap, the new levies are desirable because we have to maintain standards at all times.”

The NAMA MD insinuated at the mediation meeting that many private jet owners have abused their licenses to engage in fraudulent commercial air operations.
culled from Leadership

Russian Crash Pilot Pushed Plane into Nosedive

The pilot of an airliner that crashed near the Russian city of Kazan killing 50 people had pushed the steering column to pitch it into a nosedive, crash investigators have said, citing data recorder analysis.
Reuters reported that the Interstate Aviation Committee, which oversees civil aviation in the former Soviet Union, offered no explanation why the pilot of the Boeing 737 might have performed the manoeuvre, at a height of 700 metres, after aborting a first attempt to land.

Aksan Giniyatullin, chief executive of Tatarstan Airlines, which operated the jet, told a news conference: "The lead pilot had never made a second landing attempt under real flight conditions."
Video of the crash showed the aircraft, approaching Kazan in the region of Tatarstan on a flight from Moscow, plummeting headlong into the tarmac and exploding.

“After a speed decrease from 150 to 125 knots (144 mph) the crew started manoeuvering activities with the steering column to put the plane into a nose-down pitch, which resulted in the end of altitude gain and the start of descent," the committee said in a statement.

Both engines were running and no malfunctions were detected by the flight data recorder. The tape from the voice recorder could not be recovered at the crash site, the committee said.
Sunday's crash raised new concerns about Russia's poor safety record as it prepares to host the Winter Olympics in the southern city of Sochi in February.

Russia and the Soviet republics combined have one of the world's worst air traffic safety records, with a total accident rate almost three times the world average in 2011, according to the International Air Transport Association.
"I know lots of people who don't fly with these small airlines in Russia anymore, they're scared..." said Leila Sibgatullina, who came to place flowers at the site of the crash.  "This kind of thing just shouldn't be happening. What a tragedy."
Mourners paid respects at a makeshift memorial set up at the gate to the runway. Candles burned around a table piled with red and white flowers and teddy bears.

The son of the president of the oil-rich province of Tatarstan and the regional head of the FSB intelligence service were named among those killed. The dead also included two foreigners, a Briton and a Ukrainian.
The committee said investigators were studying the level of crew training and technical condition of the jet among other aspects.
An independent aviation expert who did not want to be named suggested the decline in speed might itself have caused the plane to stall and nosedive.

“The abrupt transition from ascent to descent can signify that the crew, possibly, failed to keep track of the speed decrease, which resulted in the jet losing controllability and falling,” he said.

culled from Thisday

Operators Protest New Airline Charges, Take Govt to Court

Stella Oduah, Aviation Minister

Operators of non-schedule airlines have protested the new charges introduced by the federal government describing the charges as outrageous and out of tune with international practices. The operators have also filed a case in court to stop the charges.

A major operator, who is based in Lagos, told THISDAY Wednesday that those charges would discourage international visitors to the country because it means that anyone coming to the country with his jet would have to carry $3,000 cash, which he would pay before he would be given a start up to take off.

Another operator based in Kaduna said the charges were ill advised, noting that it is not every airline that has aircraft that carry out charter services; and that the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) should identify those who operate such service and charge them such fees.

On Monday the Nigeria Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) began the enforcement of the new charges and foreign-registered aircraft is meant to pay $3000 on round trip, while locally registered aircraft should pay $2,500.

The agency dubbed the charges luxury tax, which it said should be paid by the highbrow, net worth individuals who enjoy the charter services.

An operator who also owns private terminal facility in Lagos told THISDAY, “Such charges are not done anywhere in the world. By introducing these charges they are just killing Nigeria’s economy and this means that foreigners that come to Nigeria should have a cash of $6,000 to pay as charges. Nigeria should join the league of modern world,” he said.

The operator also said with emphasis, “The Ministry of Aviation is killing the nation’s economic system; it is very bad because these charges add no benefit to the economy; rather it makes Nigeria look backward. Government should think because this policy is ill-advised.”

The source also remarked that NCAA knows those who are doing charter, so it would be wrong for the agency to impose the charges on everybody when they know how to identify and specifically charge the charter operators.

“NCAA knows those who are doing charter. It is those ones they should punish; it is not good to spread the charges on everybody. We have filed a case at Abuja court praying that government should stop the charges. People are angry. This is not the way to do things.”

Culled from Thisday

Lufthansa Technik: Complete Support and Training for Nigeria's Arik Air

Lufthansa Technik AG and Nigeria's Arik Air, the largest airline in western Africa, are expanding their partnership in the technical care of the airline's fleet. The cooperation between the two companies, which has existed since the airline began operations in 2006, has now been expanded as part of a Total Operational Management (TOM) contract and extended by six years.
In addition to component support and maintenance for the airline's current medium-haul fleet of 13 Boeing 737 NGs and four Bombardier CRJ900s, Lufthansa Technik will now take on technical management and carry out all planned C-checks during the next six years at one of its sites. This scope of service applies not just to Arik Air's existing Boeing fleet, but also to eight Boeing 737 NGs that have been ordered. As part of the TOM contract, a fleet manager from Lufthansa Technik will coordinate the two companies' technical cooperation from Arik Air's headquarters in Lagos.
Moreover, Lufthansa Technik will support the airline - one of its most important African customers - by providing training and qualification measures for the airline's own mechanics, starting with courses for line maintenance qualification on site in Nigeria. This educational partnership will be extended to other fields over the next few years at the discretion of the partners. Lufthansa Technik will also provide consulting to Arik Air in support of the establishment of a wheel workshop in Lagos.
"By this extended and expanded six year contract, we signal to both our travelling customers and the aviation community at large our resolute determination to continue underpinning our operations with world-leading serviceability protocols available only through a select cadre of maintenance providers. Lufthansa Technik AG enjoys a place of prominence within this distinguished group and, as such, Arik Air is proud to continue building upon our successful partnership", said Dr. Michael Arumemi-Ikhide, Group CEO and President at Arik Air.
"We are proud to have been a partner of Arik Air for as long as the airline has existed, and we're already looking forward to the next chapter in this proven cooperation," said Walter Heerdt, Senior Vice President Marketing & Sales at Lufthansa Technik.
Arik Air was founded in 2004 and is headquartered at Murtala Mohammed International Airport in Lagos, Nigeria. The airline serves 28 destinations in western Africa and operates three long-haul flights to London, Johannesburg and New York.
Lufthansa Technik:
The Lufthansa Technik Group, with more than 30 subsidiaries and associates and over 26,000 employees worldwide, is one of the leading manufacturer-independent providers of technical services for the aviation industry. Its portfolio encompasses the entire spectrum of services for commercial aircraft: maintenance, repair, overhaul, modification and conversion, engines and components.
Source: www.aviationpros.com

 

Govs, others stranded as NAMA grounds flight operations over new charges

The Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) Tuesday grounded private and charter services for their alleged refusal to pay the controversial new aviation charges of $300,000 for Nigerian registered airlines and $4,000 for non-registered charter operators.    The NAMA’s action caused dislocation in air travel for the rich and others who needed air travel services. The Guardian learnt that two governors from South East, one from South South, and three from the North were unable to make their trips across the country as a result.
   An operator who spoke to The Guardian Tuesday under condition of anonymity said the airspace management agency had issued a circular to the operators on the need to pay the stipulated amount before they can be cleared for take-off.
   Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) had penultimate month given the directive for airlines to comply or risk being grounded. The agency has also dragged the Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON) to court over their failure to comply with the directive. In the suit filed at the Federal High Court, Lagos, NCAA said it imposed the fees on the operators in line with its mandate as a regulatory agency in the aviation industry.
   But the operators argued that section 30 (2) (q) and 30 of the Civil Aviation Act 2006 does not talk about the new charges as being bandied by the NCAA. The operators described the new policy as “callous and a ploy to overburden them with taxes”, adding that it is not in tandem with global practice. They alleged that the Ministry of Aviation, through the agencies, was looking for ways to shore up its revenue after they were allegedly plunged into huge debts.
   The agencies were said to be in dire financial straits following allegations of indebtedness to banks and unaccounted internally generated revenue, which they have vehemently denied.
   NAMA and NCAA are reported to be broke as they look to over-tax operators that are already finding it difficult to cope; a situation that has led to many of them going into extinction less than 10 years after coming into service.
   Speaking to The Guardian, the Assistant Secretary General of AON, Mohammed Tukur, stated: “One operator wanted to operate and they said he could not until he has paid”.
   Tukur stated that major operators, including Arik, Aero, Medview and IRS are backing charter operators because of what he described as “over taxation of the sector without commensurate application of the funds to tackle infrastructure and training deficiencies”.
   He called on President Goodluck Jonathan and the National Assembly to intervene in matters concerning aviation and the near comatose state of the industry.

Culled from The Guardian

Aero Contractors Passengers Seek N175 Million Compensation for Overnight Delayed Flight

Thirty four passengers of Aero Contractors Flight AJ132, who were stranded overnight at the Nnamdi Azikiwe Airport, Abuja, from Friday, November 8, are seeking a letter of apology and N5 million compensation each from the airline.
According to some of the passengers, the flight, which was scheduled to leave from Abuja to Lagos at 6:30 p.m., was delayed until the following morning; forcing them to spend the night at the airport.
The passengers were left stranded at the tarmac around midnight with no official of the airline on ground to attend to them. The airport currently has no resting area or hotel. The airline also violated aviation laws which state that passengers in such situation must be housed in a decent hotel by the airline, and fed.
"Some of us decided to go to sleep inside a plane as no other provision was made for us by Aero. The plane (on which they were supposed to leave) was locked, but there was another one nearby. About 30 passengers, including foreigners, therefore, went to sleep inside the other plane," narrated Charles Musa, one of the passengers and a lawyer currently representing 33 other passengers.
The passengers were, however, asked to leave the plane by soldiers at about 3:00 a.m. on Saturday. Many of them ended up sleeping on the floor at the arrival lounge of the airport.
Mr. Musa said after the incident, the airline called to offer him one hour free ticket to anywhere in Nigeria as compensation.
"Aero called me to offer me a one hour free ticket to anywhere in Nigeria, which I think is grossly inadequate and low for the damages. I was told by 34 other passengers that Aero also called them to offer them one hour free ticket to anywhere in Nigeria but we all rejected such an offer," he said.
The lawyer added that after speaking to the 34 passengers, he wrote a letter to Aero, on behalf of the passengers, issuing the airline a seven-day ultimatum - starting from November 13 - to write the apology letter and pay the compensation claim.
When PREMIUM TIMES contacted Aero's station manager in Abuja, Teju Bello-Osagie, on efforts being made by the airline to compensate the aggrieved passengers, he said the matter was currently being handled by the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, NCAA.
Some of the passengers had made official complaints of the incident to the NCAA. Aviation spokesperson, Yakubu Datti, had said that the NCAA received formal complaints from 12 passengers and that the matter was being investigated.
Efforts to reach Mr. Datti for the status of the investigation were unsuccessful on Tuesday as calls and text messages to his phone were not answered.

culled from Premium Times

Nigerian elected first African ICAO president

Nigeria made history yesterday in Canada as the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) unanimously elected a Nigerian, Dr Olumuyiwa Benard Aliu, as the President of the organisation, the first African to occupy the position.

The election of Dr Aliu, whose term commences on January 1, 2014 through to December 31, 2016, took place at the ICAO council chambers, the Ministry of Aviation said in a statement.
The proposal of the Nigerian representative was made by his Singaporean counterpart, Ng Teachiou, and seconded by the representative from Saudi Arabia, the statement added.
The statement said that “all the voting members of the council were called country after country to voice their position on the candidature of Aliu and they unanimously declared their support for the Nigerian candidate. This was swiftly followed by a unanimous vote and declaration of Dr Aliu as the new president of the council by then outgoing President Roberto Kobeh Gonzalez . His declaration as the new ICAO helmsman was greeted with a thunderous ovation and congratulations from fellow Council members.”
Gonzalez who presided over the election with the Secretary General, Raymond Benjamin, expressed satisfaction with the  conduct and called on all members to extend the same level of cooperation given him to the new president, it said.
Meanwhile, Aviation Minister Stella  Oduah has congratulated President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, the government and people of Nigeria as well as Dr Aliu on his election as the new President of ICAO. Oduah stated that Aliu’s election, the first African to head the international civil aviation body, is a landmark event.

Culled from Daily Trust

Arik Air reiterates commitment to safety

Arik Air, West and Central Africa’s largest airline has reaffirmed its commitment to adherence to international safety standards as stipulated by global civil aviation bodies such as Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and Department of Transport, the UK CAA, the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) and International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO).

Arik Air is renowned for operating young, state-of-the-art aircraft that are maintained by world-leading maintenance service providers such as Lufthansa Technik/Cityline, Iberia Engineering and Samco Engineering.

According to Ola Banji, Arik Air spokesman, the airline strongly believes in on- time departure of flights as it is also important to clarify that an aircraft returning to base after taxing or takeoff is a safety measure that should be commended not derided.

For instance, Arik Air’s Lagos- Uyo flight on Thursday, 07 November was aborted by the pilot as a safety precautionary measure. The snag was fixed and the aircraft continued its normal operations.

This singular act demonstrates that Arik Air pilots are safety conscious and are trained to always observe all safety procedure.

culled from Businessday Online

Arik Air wins Best Security and Safety Conscious Airline Award 2013

                           

Arik Air has emerged the Best Security and Safety Conscious Airline in West and Central Africa Award while the Airline’s Chief Security Officer, Francis Okafor won the Best Aviation Security Manager in Nigeria Award.

According to a statement issued by Arik Air, it got the two awards at the 10th Security Watch Africa Awards held   last weekend at Indaba Hotel, Conference Centre and Spa, Johannesburg, South Africa.

This is the third consecutive year the Carrier will be winning the prestigious award instituted in 2003 by Africa’s foremost security and safety news magazine, Security Watch Africa.

In the citation read before the award was presented to Arik Air’s Senior Vice President, Standards and Special Projects, Rodger Whittle, the organizers acknowledged the airline's exemplary commitment to security and safety standards. It commended Arik Air for operating safely without any crash or incident since 2006.

In his response, Rodger re-stated the airline’s commitment to safety, security and quality service. He noted that it was heartwarming that Arik Air’s huge investment in security and safety has not gone unnoticed.

Arik Air’s Aviation Security (AVSEC) Department is one of the most sophisticated in the industry and the airline’s commitment to safety is second to none in West and Central Africa. Arik Air conducts an independent secondary screening of passengers prior to departures.

In terms of safety, Arik Air adheres strictly to international safety standards as stipulated by global civil aviation bodies such as Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and Department of Transport, the UK CAA, the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) and International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).

culled from WorldStage Newsonline

Elegbeleye hails Arik Air for airlifting Eaglets

Gbenga Elegbeleye

Director General of the National Sports Commission (NSC) Honourable Gbenga Elegbeleye has praised Arik Airlines for assisting the Commission through the airlifting of the FIFA U- 17 World Champions the Golden Eaglets of Nigeria from Lagos to Abuja on arrival from the United Arab Emirates on Saturday night.

Elegbeleye said that the good gesture of the Arik Air under the leadership of its Chairman Sir Johnson Arumemi Ikhide has further boosted the enthusiasm of the young lads who now realize that there is always great rewards for hard work and good performance while representing their fatherland, Nigeria.

The NSC top officer however urged the Airline not to relent in their efforts at boosting sports generally in the country and also the promotion of good values for Nigerian youths in general. He commended  Arik Air for associating with the National Sports Commission in the development of sports in the country.
culled from Vanguard

NCAA Threatens to Sanction Aero over Maltreatment of Passengers

 Director General of NCAA, Capt. Fola Akinkuotu

• Arik says air return for safety precaution

The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has commenced proceedings to sanction Aero Contractors over its shoddy treatment of passengers last Saturday.

The airline was reported to have delayed passengers who were to travel by its 5pm flight from Abuja to Lagos until midnight after  which it peremptorily cancelled the flight.
The pilot was alleged to have tactfully switched off the aircraft's engine and sneaked out of the aeroplane with the cabin crew, leaving the passengers behind.

The Director General of NCAA, Capt. Fola Akinkuotu, has instructed the Director of Consumer Protection (DCP), Adamu Abdullahi, to immediately commence proceedings towards imposing appropriate sanctions on Aero Contractors.

He was said to have given the directive after studying a report from the Directorate of Consumer Protection, which detailed how Aero Contractors Abuja to Lagos service flight No. AJ 128 was delayed repeatedly and eventually cancelled without any explanation.

The General Manager, Public Affairs, NCAA, Fan Ndubuoka, explained that the delay caused the passengers to spend the night at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, after being left on board the aircraft for about three hours.

“Therefore, the DG has moved to sanction the erring airline for failure to duly inform the passengers about the cancellation within the provision of the regulation which attracts minimum to moderate penalty.
"In addition, the failure of the airline to render assistance expected in case of cancellation would attract moderate to minimum penalty, plus prescribed compensation to the affected passengers,"  he said.

Meanwhile, Nigeria’s major carrier, Arik Air, has reacted to the criticisms trailing the air return by its Lagos to Uyo flight last Thursday after taxing to take off.
  The pilot had aborted the take-off after he noticed a red light, which indicated a snag with the aircraft.

Head of Communications of the airline, Adebanji Ola, said such return to base was precautionary safety measure to ensure safe operation of flights and remarked that such actions taken by airlines should be commended instead of being derided by travellers.

“Arik Air strongly believes in on-time departure of flights but however maintains that safety will not be sacrificed at the altar of on-time departure. Safety remains the airline’s topmost priority.
“It is also important to clarify that an aircraft returning to base after taxing or take-off is a safety measure that should be commended not derided.  Though not convenient for both passengers and the airline, achieving safety comes with a price sometimes,” Ola said.

Culled from Thisday

Airlines Contribute N58 Billion to Economy

Domestic and foreign airlines that operate in Nigeria contribute about N58 billion to the nation’s economy and support 61,000 jobs.
This was disclosed by the Ministry of Aviation in a new report titled: “Evolving Towards a Risk-based Aviation Safety Strategy”, which   outlined plans for the reformation of the sector.

According to the report, airlines registered in Nigeria directly employ 7,000 people locally and support through their supply chain a further 33,000 jobs with further 21,000 jobs supported through the household spending by those employed by airlines and their supply chain.

Also, airlines registered in Nigeria carry about six million passengers and 119,000 tonnes of freight a year to, from and within Nigeria and directly contribute about N29 billion to the GDP.

“The sector contributes indirectly another N17 billion through the output it supports through its supply chain and further N11 billion comes from the spending of the airlines and their supply chains,” the report stated.
The report noted that the plan of the Ministry of Aviation is to further develop the sector to boost revenues accruing from it to the GDP, create more jobs and make airline operation more profitable.

The first step to actualise this, it pointed out,  is the modernisation of the airports and other infrastructure that will enhance safe air transport in Nigeria, attract international travellers and enhance local carriers to operate more international destinations.
“Our reform programme therefore will place Nigeria as a hub for the airfreight and passenger flows in the West Africa sub-region in the immediate future and Africa in the long term,” the report said.

The ministry said the reform plan started with the Aviation Master Plan which has  the strategic thrust for institutional changes, infrastructure development, dynamic hubs and cargo terminals, free economic zones and perishable cargo villages and improved human capacity development.

The plan also includes technical capacity building for air traffic control personnel and the establishment of the national carrier, Nigeria One.

“The strategy we adopted for implementing the aviation reforms was hinged on three platforms: safety and security, infrastructure development and horizontal growth, including institutional changes, the development of our domestic airlines and the national carrier,” the publication also stated.

The plan, the ministry noted, would encourage private sector participation and foreign direct investment to build and manage airports and other offerings at the airports and these include the already planned project with the Chinese investors that are building four airports terminal at the four major airports in Nigeria, including Lagos, Abuja, Kano and Port Harcourt.
“The projects have kicked off and it is expected that transparent policy and concession arrangements would attract more investors to the sector to engage in public, private partnership to develop the industry.”

Culled from Thisday

Arik Air, Ethiopian bag best airline at Akwaaba

Arik Air, the largest airline in Nigeria and Ethiopian Airline have won the best airline in West and East Africa respectively at the just concluded Akwaaba Africa Travel Market in Lagos.
  The Trade and Sales Manager, Arik Air, Ibiyemi Odusi, who received the award on behalf of the airline, commended the customers for believing and standing behind them despite all the challenges. She promised that the airline would keep improving on their services to better serve their customers well.
  “Our customers this award is for you because you made it possible because if you are not there for us, there will be no Arik,” she added.
  Ethiopian Airline also carted away the prize of the best cabin crew in Africa, plus the best airport in East Africa, which went to Bole International Airport, Ethiopia.
  The airline noted that the awards were a living testimony of the service we have been given in the continent in the last 70 years.
 Speaking while receiving the awards, the Managing Director of Ethiopian Airline, Ato Esayas Woldamariam Hailu, stated: “I am proud of the award and is a living testimony of the service we have be given in the continent in the last 70 and we have about 47destinations in the continent of Africa which is by far the largest Africa neighbour in the history of aviation in Africa by any airline standard, so am very happy to be receiving these three awards which we earned which was an outcome of our service to African continent.
  Hailu explained, “the magic of our success so far is keeping our customers in our heart, we are Africans and we know what an African traveler require, so we serve them, we take Africa to the world and we bring the world to Africa. Africa is our home base and we have the civic duty to serve the continent, if people are serving their home continent definitely the success will come out because of the quality of service as people will keep coming and patronising the airline and the company will keep growing. So our secret is customer service.”
culled from The Guardian

Aero Contractors airline keeps passengers stranded all night in Abuja

The airline could not apologise to the passengers.

Dozens of passengers were on Friday night till Saturday morning stranded at the Abuja airport as the airline they paid to transport them failed to do so.
The passengers had each paid several thousands of naira to be flown by Aero Contractors to Lagos from the Nigerian capital.
The flight, AJ132, was scheduled to leave Abuja at 6:30p.m. on Friday
In what has become a norm among domestic airlines operating in Nigeria, the flight was announced to have been delayed. Early on Friday, the passengers got a message from the airline announcing a delay in the flight by about 3 hours.
“This is to inform you that our flight AJ132 from Abuja to Lagos Today the 8th of November 2013, has been rescheduled to 21:40hrs due to operational reasons. Check in starts two (2) hours before and ends forty(40) minutes before departure. We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience this may cause you. For rescheduling, please call: 01-6284140 or mail tickethelpdesk@acn.aero,” the airline said in the message sent to the passengers.
Many of the passengers arrived earlier than two hours before 9:40 p.m. for the trip.
“Based on their message, I got to the airport around 7:30 p.m.,” one of the affected passengers, Charles Musa, said.
Before 9:30 p.m., the airport announcer announced that the flight had been further delayed with many of the passengers lamenting the situation.
“They still announced and assured us that we were going to fly to Lagos. And so when they announced that a plane had landed from Lagos, we were asked to queue up for boarding,” Mr. Musa, a Lagos-based lawyer said.
PREMIUM TIMES learnt that the plane from Lagos, which was also a delayed flight, arrived Abuja some minutes before 12 midnight.
After the passengers in the plane disembarked, the Lagos-bound passengers queued and were ready to board.
“Surprisingly, the pilot just came out with his crew and said he was not told to fly back to Lagos. He said he would not fly,” Mr. Musa said.
The passengers were thus left stranded at the tarmac around midnight with no official announcement about their flight from Aero. Some junior staff of the airline, however, told them they would be flown to Lagos at 7:00 a.m. on Saturday but kept mum on where the passengers would stay for the next seven hours before the flight.
The Abuja airport is one of many being remodelled by the aviation ministry, with only makeshift facilities available for both arriving and departing passengers. The airport currently has no facility for a resting area or a hotel.
“Some of us decided to go sleep inside the plane as no other provision was made for us by Aero.
“The plane was locked, but there was another Aero plane nearby. About 30 passengers including foreigners therefore went to sleep inside the other plane,” Mr. Musa said.
The passengers were, however, asked to leave the plane by soldiers at about 3:00 a.m. on Saturday with many of them sleeping on the floor at arrival lounge of the airport.
Aero, which says its mission is to “provide a safe, reliable, efficient and competitive service to our customers”. again delayed its flight on Saturday morning, with the almost 60 passengers finally travelling to Lagos at about 8:00 a.m.
“ We left Abuja at 8:00 a.m. No apologies, no compensation from Aero. It was sad, one of the passengers was at the airport since 1:00 p.m. on Friday,” Mr. Musa said.
Aero Contractors, which won the ‘Best West African Airline of the Year 2012 Award’ at the West African Tourism and Hospitality Awards, refused to respond to PREMIUM TIMES’ enquiry on the treatment of the passengers, and any possible compensation.
Its spokesperson, Simon Tumba, did not pick his calls, return calls or reply to a text message sent to his phone.
Culled

Arik Air to fly Golden Eaglets to Abuja

 Nigeria’s largest airline, Arik Air, said on Friday it 

will fly victorious Golden Eaglets, to Abuja, as soon 

as the FIFA under-17 junior champions arrive 

Murtala Muhammed International Airport from 

Dubai on Saturday.

The Eaglets will arrive Lagos by 8pm and 

immediately depart for Abuja onboard one of Arik Air’s state-of-the-art aircraft.

“This gesture further demonstrates Arik Air’s commitment to giving back to society as a responsible 

corporate citizen of Nigeria,” said Arik Air.

Arik Air in February 2013 flew victorious Super Eagles from South Africa to Abuja.

The airline was also the lead sponsor at the recently concluded IBB Golf Club 2013 Independent Cup.

“Arik Air understands that Nigerians not only love sports but are always united in the game of soccer and 

would therefore support any Endeavour that promotes the unity of Nigeria and Nigerians,” the airline said.

Culled from PM News

Nigeria, Singapore Seal Talks On Direct Air Links, Medical Tourism

Nigeria and Singapore have sealed talks on opening up direct air links between both countries and leveraging on each other’s competitive and comparative advantage for a mutually beneficial trade and investment relationship.
The two countries, according to a statement made available to LEADERSHIP yesterday have agreed to collaborate in the areas of medical tourism, capacity development, skills acquisition and enterprise development, among others, while putting machineries in motion for investment guarantee and a fair taxation regime.
“The agreements were reached at a meeting between the Nigerian Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Mr. Olusegun Aganga, and the Singaporean Minister for Trade and Industry, Mr S. Iswaran, on the sidelines of the Nigeria-Singapore Business and Investment Forum in Singapore,” the statement said, adding, “Aganga said direct air services (links) between Nigeria and Singapore would provide a good foundation for unrestricted business movement and growth, in addition to a mutually favourable trade and investment relationship between both countries.”
On his part, the Singaporean minister said, “Once we open up the links, the people will follow and businesses too. Nigeria is a large country in its region and there are a lot of opportunities. Singapore is also an important gateway in this region. If we explore these advantages, the two countries will be better for it.” 
The Singaporean government, however, revealed that already, arrangements had been concluded to have direct flights to Singapore from Nigeria, noting that the Ethiopian Airlines would commence direct flights from Nigeria to Singapore in December, this year.
The Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Enterprise International Singapore Board in five key areas - collaboration in the growth sectors of the economy, sharing information and best practice, mutual support in business missions and capacity development facilitation.
The Singaporean trade minister, however, noted that the Double Taxation Agreement talks between both countries had reached an advanced stage, adding that further improving the business climate and providing investment guarantee would create a good level of comfort for businesses on both sides.
Aganga, who noted that an agreement had been reached to develop a smart city in Abuja (a mini-Singapore), also urged Singapore to take advantage of opportunities in Nigeria’s Free Trade Zones, to create good avenues for investment while also creating jobs and generating wealth for Nigerians.
Earlier during his presentation, the Managing Director of the Nigerian Export Processing Zones Authority, Mr. Gbenga Kuye, had pointed out that the Free Zone Scheme was presently undergoing strategic reforms to adequately reposition it to meet the nation’s quest for industrialisation.
Nigeria and Singapore have, however, agreed to start off the process of establishing the Nigeria-Singapore Trade and Investment Council, starting first with the setting up of the chamber of commerce (private sector-to-private sector) in both countries this year.
According to Iswaran, the Singapore Business Federation, which works with all the businesses in Singapore, will facilitate the Council on the side of Singapore. The Council is an institutional framework for working on increasing the level of trade and investment between both countries under a win-win situation.
“The business environment in Nigeria is getting better and better, in line with the Transformation Agenda of Mr. President. And the story of Nigeria is being told the right way in major countries of the world. The result is that Nigeria is better viewed and investments are coming. This is the reason, for the second year running, Nigeria is the preferred destination for investment in Africa, according to UNCTAD’s figures,” Aganga noted.
Culled from Leadership

NDLEA links MMIA with 10 international airports

The Murtala Muhammed International Airport was on Monday linked with 10 international airports around the world, through the inauguration  of an intelligence project by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency.

The project, dubbed Airport Communication, is said to be supported by the Nigerian Government, United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, Canadian Government, European Union, United States, INTERPOL and the World Customs Organisation.

A statement by the NDLEA spokesman, Michelle Ofoyeju, said the project was aimed at real time transmission and exchange of intelligence concerning drug trafficking among members, thereby facilitating the interception of illicit shipment of drugs.

The Joint Airport Interdiction Task Force, a 36 member group, headed by NDLEA Commander at the Lagos Airport, Mr. Hamza Umar, is expected to be involved in the project.

Ofoyeju said the JAITF, inaugurated by the Chairman of the NDLEA, Mr. Ahmadu Giade, would have its membership drawn from NDLEA, Nigerian Customs Service, Police, Nigerian Immigration Service and State Security Service.

Giade said, “The Federal Government entered into an agreement with the UNODC Regional Office for West and Central Africa on 13th October 2010.

“This was done to secure our airports against drug traffickers. Direct connections with vetted units in Africa, Asia, the Caribbean, Europe and Latin America from the MMIA, would be available as a result of this project.”

Giade, who was represented by his Special Assistant, Mr. Suleiman Ningi, said that the project would increase drug interdiction capacity at the airport.

UNODC representative, Mr. Marc Vanhulle, also the JAITF Project coordinator, said AIRCOP was targeted at covering the entire trans-Atlantic route for trafficking drugs from Latin America to Europe through Africa.

He said, “West Africa is recognised as a transit area for cocaine trafficking between Latin America and Europe. More recently, the area has also become a centre for methamphetamine production and has been increasing drug use locally.

“An integrated regional approach like project AIRCOP is critical in addressing the borderless threats of drugs and crime.”

Culled from Punch

National Carrier: FG Has Not Approached Us — Arik Air

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As industry stakeholders continue to speculate on the choice of an indigenous airline to be designated as national carrier by the government, Arik Air said it has not been approached in that capacity by the federal government.
Arik Air managing director, Chris Ndulue, who spoke to journalists in Lagos during the seventh anniversary of the airline also said governments no longer run airlines in the 21st century. Answering reporters’ question at the airline’s corporate head office in Lagos, he said: “I don’t think government runs airlines in the 21 century. We at Arik Air have shareholders and the federal government has not approached us.
“We should deal with realities on ground.  It is left to the federal government whether they want to go into the airline business.”
He however described Arik Air as a success story following its landmark achievements in the industry within its short period of operation. He also disclosed plan by the airline to establish a Maintenance Repair Overhaul (MRO) facility in Nigeria in partnership with Lufthansa Technik and Bombardier Aircraft Manufacturer.
He also disclosed that Arik Air would  launch its Bombadier’s CRJ1000NG aircraft  in December this year. He also said Arik Air has invested about $2 million in the training of 16 cadet pilots, while 1.5 million pounds was spent in the training of 60 ab-initio pilots. He also said the airline has trained 18 female pilots “the highest by any Nigerian airline.”
Culled from Leadership

Arik urges FG to overhaul aviation industry

Mr Joseph Arumemi-Ikhide, Chairman of Arik Airlines, on Wednesday called on the Federal Government to overhaul the nation’s aviation sector.

Arumemi-Ikhide made the call at the 7th anniversary and unveiling of the firm’s new aircraft, an A330-200 Airbus, at the Murtala Muhammed Airport in Lagos.

He commended the remodelling of some airports in the country, but urged the government to expand more of the terminals.

“Talking about infrastructure in the industry, some airports have changed. We have seen improvement in some areas.

“We expect the airports will be fenced to stem cases of stowaways.

“We hope more infrastructure will be put into the terminals, particularly the conveyor belt at the international wing,” he said.

He said that the Federal Government had not approached the airline for the purpose of setting up a national carrier.

“I do not think that any government runs an airline in this 21st century.

“We have not been told that government wants to take over Arik.

“If government wants to take over our airline, they (government) should talk to our shareholders and it is left to the government whether they want a national carrier or not.

“We expect competition will better the business. We expect some stronger airlines to come up and strengthen the sector,” he said.

Arumemi-Ikhide urged Nigerians to invest in the aviation business, adding that Arik should be seen as a role model in the industry.

He denied the allegation that the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) had carried out an audit exercise of the airline.

According to him, Arik has trained 16 cadet pilots at the cost of 2 million U.S. dollars (more than N310 million) within its seven years of existence.

“We have also trained over 18 female pilots and 60 ab-initio pilots at a cost of 1.5 million pounds (about N330 million).

“We have created over 2,500 direct jobs for Nigerians and carried 13 million passengers in seven years,” he added.(NAN)

Culled from Daily Post

Arik Air Unveils New Airbus A330-200, Starts New Routes

Arik Air yesterday marked its 7th year in service even as it unveiled its second Airbus A330-200 which will be used to boost international operations.
Arik Air managing director, Mr Chris Ndulue, said the airline plans to start services to Jeddeh, Saudi Arabia; Dubai, United Arab Emirates and Sao Poula, Brazil.
He said, “Our motivation for planning to operate these routes is that Nigerians want to go there. There are enough passengers to warrant our operations to these cities. We need to tap into opportunities flying into these cities will bring. We have added two wide bodied aircraft to make the operations viable.”
He said the airline has come a long way during its seven years of service including the creation of more than 2500 jobs, connecting several cities in Nigeria and the training of pilots on wide body aircraft among others.
Ndulue said “The airline has an extremely strong market position in terms of the scale of operations, number of destinations served, fleet age size and choice of schedules and frequencies and has earned its position of a true Nigerian carrier”.
He listed some of the airline’s many achievements within the last one year to also include inauguration of service to Kinshasha, winning the Leadership Newspapers’ Award, taking delivery of two Airbus A330-200 aircraft and launch of user friendly website among others.
He also said Arik Air has carried about 13 million passengers in seven years. He lamented the state of infrastructure in the industry and urged government to invest in airport perimeter fencing even as he asked aviation authorities to accord Arik Air some respect especially in the area of giving it space to operate.      
Ndulue disclosed that the new aircraft in its fleet is about five years old and was leased to strengthen “our international operations until we begin to take delivery of the aircraft we have placed orders for”.  Sir Johnson Arumemi-Ikhide, chairman of the airline tasked the government over multiple taxation on airlines even as he said Nigerians should learn to patronise indigenous airline because it will enable their growth.

Culled from Leadership