The Nation Newspaper

Category: Aviation

  • Aerospace expo to attract $50b investment

    Nigeria will be hosting its  first  international Aerospace show and Airport Expo aimed at attracting $50b investment into the country’s aviation industry, its promoter and Executive Director of the International Aviation Management and Security (IAMS), John Nwosu, has said.

    The aerospace show is billed for October in Lagos and Abuja.

    Speaking in an interview,  Nwosu  said the event would bring together participants from all over the world, adding that the expo will create avenues for investment opportunities for global players in fields such as aircraft manufacturing; airport concession and management, hotels and hospitality. He said the event would induce investment worth over  $50  billion into Nigeria’s aviation industry.

    Such potential insvestment would be leveraged  through its international business forum, Nwosu, said, adding that the potential in the country’s aviation sector is yet to be harnessed, given Nigeria’s size as the  largest aviation market in Central and the West African sub-region.

    ”The benefit of this programme for Nigeria is that it will attract investment into this country. This has been estimated given the potentials of related programmes in other parts of the world, Nwosu said.

    For example, the Airport Expo that was held in Dubai in 2013 generated over $20billion investment, while this one will be done in five phases and we are expecting $50 billion investment.

    He explained that the programme will enable the participants to collaborate and establish clear legislative frameworks, policy priorities, transparent governance systems and effective funding strategies for regional aviation growth.

    He said while the Dubai event,  only about airports generated $20billion, the  proposed expo in Lagos and Abuja will incorporate a conference,training sessions, aerospace show, international business forum and other events.

     

  • ‘Amadeus to invest in Nigeria’

    Vice-Président, Africa, Amadeus, the world’s leading Global Distribution System (GDS) for travel service providers and sellers, Mr Paul De Villiers, has described Nigeria as the most critical partner of the organisation in Africa.

    This singular attribute he said is  prompting the firm to  continue to invest in the country.

    He said the size of the Nigerian economy is another attraction for it to continue to do business.

    Speaking at the opening of its office, in Ikoyi last week,  Villiers noted that the firm is committed to the development of the aviation and travel industry  in the country.

    De Villiers said: “Nigeria is extremely important to us in Africa and that is for so many reasons. The first is that Nigeria is the biggest economy in Africa.

    “The second is that I am convinced that there is a huge growth coming to Nigeria in coming years, one of the most impressive things about Nigeria is its people. The Nigerians I have met are all ambitous, energetic, dynamic; they want to make progress. And that is what a nation needs.

    “In a lot of other countries, the people’s biggest ambition is to work for the ministries, for the government or their municipality.

    ”But not Nigeria, no matter where the people come from or their class in society, they want to progress, and contribute to the society, they want to be wealthy and that is very important for the nation.

    “So not only do you have the energy, you have the natural resources and on top of it, you have the size. A country projected to be 400 million by 2050, which is even bigger than the whole of Europe, so I think Nigeria has everything  going for it and Amadeus is going to keep investing in Nigeria.”

  • Agents, others groan under Nahco’s new payment system

    Agents and customers of Nahco Aviance are groaning under the new payment system introduced by the firm.

    The new automated system called Galaxy Air Cargo Management System replaces the former application, Hermes, which  agents were  already familiar with.

    Some agents and clients who spoke to The Nation claimed that Nahco introduced the system without  consulting them.

    They said the Galaxy system is  epileptic, inefficient and causes delays.

    A Nahco source confirmed the agents’claim, adding that some of them were thinking of sending their cargoes to alternative ground handlers.

    A former senior management staff member of the ground handling firm said Nahco spent millions of naira on training workers on Hermes upgrade in the Unite Kingdom (UK).

    He said it was a surprise to the company that the Hermes system was replaced with Galaxy.

    He said the investment on the   training of workers on the new app would cost the firm so much even as it will lead to needless time wasting.

    According to the source, no  worker in the information communication technology (ICT) department of the firm was trained on the use of the new software.

    “Would you believe that the admininstration right to this system is being managed from either  India or South Africa? Even to fix just a dot, we have to send mails to them or call them on phone.

    “For an application that we have paid several hundreds of thousands of dollars, it is really unpleasant that we still have to depend on a foreign country to fix the smallest problem,’’ the source added.

    One of the partners of the new app providers, Kale Logistics Solutions Pvt. Ltd. in a  June 2 statement posted on its website, celebrated its achievement, claiming it did a ‘Proof of Concept’ to demonstrate its strengths.

    But investigations revealed that the workers of the firm spend hours on the new system.

    A source accused one of the company’s  top personnel of lacking the capacity to handle the new system.

    The senior official, it was alleged,  was unable to ask the relevant questions on the Galaxy deal.

    Corporate Communications and Services Manager at Nahco, Mr. Tayo Ajakaye, said the company was aware of the agents’ complaints, adding that the Commercial Department of the firm was doing everything  to solve the problem.

    However, he could not confirm if the problems arising from the use of Galaxy was causing revenue loss to the company, adding that the lull in economic activities in the country, rather than the Galaxy system, might be responsible for revenue loss if at all there was any.

  • 162 stranded Nigerians in Libya arrive Lagos Airport

    162 stranded Nigerians in Libya arrive Lagos Airport

    •  They volunteered to return home, says International Organisation for Migration
    One hundred and sixty two stranded Nigerians in the North African country, Libya, on Thursday arrived the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos.
    They were flown home by a chartered Boeing 737 aircraft operated by Ghadames Air, which arrived the Lagos Airport  about 2: 50 pm.
    Their return was facilitated by the assistance of the International Organisation for Migration  and the Swiss government.
    The returnees consists of 132 males, 27 females and three children, who were received on arrival and documented by officials of the Nigerian Immigration Service, the Police, National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), and other security agencies.
    According to Sara Hamo, consultant with International Organisation for Migration, in charge of assisted voluntary return and re- integration in Lagos, the returnees are stranded Nigerian migrants who opted to return home with assistance from the Swiss government.
    The IOM, she said after careful documentation and profiling  on arrival in Lagos will facilitate their re- integration with their families in collaboration with the respective state emergency management agencies.
    The OIM, she said, will make available some stipend to enable  them resettle.
    Also, speaking in an interview, Juma Ben Hassan, an operations assistant with OIM in Libya, said the return of the Nigerians was made possible with request from the Nigerian embassy in Tripoli.
    He said the Nigerian embassy in Tripoli had in the past requested the assistance of OIM to bring home stranded Nigerian migrants in Libya.
    Thursday’s  returnees, he said, will be the second this year after about 180 were returned in March.
    He said in the next two months, another batch numbering about 180 will arrive Nigeria.
    Among the returnees were some with reduced mobility, as well as a fire accident victim, brought of the aircraft into a waiting ambulance in a stretcher .
    Also speaking, the director in charge of relief  and rehabilitation, NEMA, Aliyu Baffale Sambo  said the returnees will be taken to rehabilitation camp, before they are given transport to return home.
    The returnees declined to speak to reporters.

  • “Don’t place embargoes on foreign training”

    The Commissioner of Accident Investigation Bureau (AIB), Dr. Felix Abali has appealed to the Federal Government to exempt its technical personnel from the current embargo placed on foreign training since 2015.
    Abali explained that accident investigation is a specialised area that requires special training hence such training could only mostly be  obtained  overseas.
    Abali stated this yesterday at the bureau’s headquarters at the Murtala Muhammed Airport, MMA, Lagos during the visit of the House Ad-Hoc Committee on Non-Oil Revenue and Remittances.
    The Federal Government  in early 2015 suspended foreign training and international travels by Departments and Agencies, MDAs.
    The government said that the embargo on training and international travels is one of the cost-saving measures introduced following recent developments in the international oil market, which has affected the revenue stream of the government.
    Since the directive, which was announced by the Head of Service, Mr. Danladi kifasi in February 2015, technical personnel in the nation’s aviation industry have  not  embarked  on foreign training to boost their technical knowledge.
    Abali further advocated for the increase of the  three  per cent of the ticket sales charge to 10 percent, stressing that paucity of funds has prevented the agency from carrying out its duties as a responsible accident investigator.
    He added that AIB as parts of its succession plan requires  special funding to operate and hoping  that the committee would use its good office to push for the upward review of the ticket sales charge for the agency.
    He added:  “For emergency and high profile accidents, AIB requires an emergency or special account to meet this need. Malaysia MH 370 and TWA 800 accidents, among others, are apt examples. Stakeholders and public awareness campaign requires adequate funding. We request for support in this area.
    “Accident investigation bodies are not expected to charge for their services and so the opportunity to generate independent revenue is almost nil. Based on Annex 13 of the International Civil Aviation Organisation, ICAO, Manual, there should be special fund dedicated to catre for any major accidents. It has been very difficult to provide and keep this fund since every unspent money goes back to the Federal Treasury by 31st December of every financial year.”
    He declared that AIB needs  to urgently meet the need for qualified personnel to takeover from the crop of ageing technical personnel who he said are  currently on contract, stressing that huge fund was required for manpower development, majority of which is done overseas.
    He mentioned the upgrade of flight safety, laboratory and flight data monitoring device, equipping of wreckage hangar and establishment of two regional offices in Kano and Enugu as some of the ongoing projects of AIB.
    In his response, the Chairman of the committee, Hon. Chike Okafor promised to assist the bureau in resolving some of its challenges.
    Okafor noted that the essence of the committee is to look at other avenues by which the Federal Government could make more revenues apart from oil, which he noted has been dwindling in recent time.
    He posited that part of its assignment is to see how the committee could help the government to shore up its revenues apart from oil.
    “Nigeria is about 80 percent dependent on oil, which has crashed in recent time in the international market. Nigeria is in comatose and we all have to save the country from total collapse.
    He, however commended AIB for its total cooperation with its advance team, which crosschecked its books for over a week.

  • Arik Air gets royal endorsement

    • Says supporting Nigerian brands is good for business
    Arik Air  has received a royal endorsement from the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi Ojaja II.
    Last Wednesday, the  foremost traditional ruler and a large entourage including some traditional rulers from the South West States demonstrated his support for Nigerian brands by flying  Arik Air from Lagos to New York on a tour of America.
    The First Class Monarch who travelled from Lagos to New York aboard Arik Air’s A330-200 aircraft that departed the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos for JF Kennedy Airport, New York said his patronage by flying the airline is to prove the point that you cannot be wrong  your own .
    He said:  “I am an apostle of made-in-Nigeria and that is why everything you see on me except my wrist watch are hundred  per cent made in Nigeria.”
    Speaking with a team from Arik Air led by the Chief Pilot, Captain Adetokunbo Adekunbi, who were on hand to usher him to the departure lounge of Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ooni Ogunwusi in company with his wife, Olori Wuraola Ogunwusi, said his decision to fly Arik Air to New York was a deliberate one aimed at reinforcing the need to patronize Nigerian brands. 
    He commended the management of Arik Air for flying the flag of Nigeria high and pledged to use his position to get Nigerians to patronize the airline.
    Reiterating his foremost position in Yoruba land, Ooni Ogunwusi stated that his flying Arik Air with other traditional rulers will bring good fortune to the airline.
    The Ooni’s entourage numbering over 50 had not less than 10 other Yoruba traditional rulers from Oyo, Osun and Ekiti States.

  • Aerospace expo to attract $ 50b investment

    Nigeria will be hosting its  first  international Aerospace show and  Airport Expo aimed at attracting $50b investment into the country’s aviation industry, its promoter and Executive Director of the International Aviation Management and Security (IAMS), John Nwosu, has said.

    The aerospace show is billed for October in Lagos and Abuja.

    Speaking in an interview,  Nwosu  said the event would bring together participants from all over the world, adding that the expo will create avenues for investment opportunities for global players in fields such as aircraft manufacturing; airport concession and management, hotels and hospitality. He said the event would induce investment worth over  $50-billion into Nigeria’s aviation industry.

    Such potential insvestment would be leveraged  through its international business forum, Nwosu, said, adding that the potential in the country’s aviation sector is yet to be harnessed, given Nigeria’s size as the  largest aviation market in Central and the West African sub-region.

    ”The benefit of this programme for Nigeria is that it will attract investment into this country. This has been estimated given the potentials of related programmes in other parts of the world, Nwosu said.

     

  • ‘Amadeus to invest in Nigeria’

    Vice-Président, Africa, Amadeus, the world’s leading Global Distribution System (GDS) for travel service providers and sellers, Mr Paul De Villiers, has described Nigeria as the most critical partner of the organisation in Africa.

    This singular attribute he said is  prompting the firm to  continue to invest in the country .

    He said the size of the Nigerian economy is another  attraction for it to continue to do business .

    Speaking at the official opening of its office, in Ikoyi last week,  Villiers noted  that the firm  is committed to the development of the aviation and travel industry  in the country.

    De Villiers said: “Nigeria is extremely important to us in Africa and that is for so many reasons. The first is that Nigeria is the biggest economy in Africa.

    “The second is that I am convinced that there is a huge growth coming to Nigeria in coming years, One of the most impressive things about Nigeria is its people. The Nigerians I have met are all ambitous, energetic, dynamic, they want to progress. And that is what a nation needs.

    “In a lot of other countries, the people’s biggest ambition is to work for the ministries, for the government or their municipality.

    ”But not Nigeria, no matter where the people come from or their class in society, they want to progress, and contribute to the society, they want to be wealthy and that is very important for the nation.

    “So not only do you have the energy, you have the natural resources and on top of it, you have the size. A country projected to be 400 million  by 2050, which is even bigger than the whole of Europe, so I think Nigeria has everything  going for it and Amadeus is going to keep investing in  Nigeria.”

    He explained that this is the reason the company moved its office to Ikoyi and that it will continue to improve its technology to reward the loyalty of customers and  ensure their convenience.

  • Paucity of funds stalls Africa’s first $1m solo flight

    Plans by a Nigerian  pilot, Captain  Ademilola Odujinrin, to embark on a solo flight around the world has been stalled for two months due to paucity of funds, The Nation has learnt.

    The historical  African solo flight round the world, tagged,               ‘One Man, One Plane,’       was billed for April 2016,  it is yet to take off due to what sources linked to financial and logistic challenges.

    The project, put together by Transcend , a firm of reputation managers, was supposed to change the African, cum-Nigerian narrative about dreams and possibilities .

    Investigations revealed that the organisers of the trip could not secure the requisite financial support from corporate organisations  to get the project on track.

    A source close the organisers hinted that it has been an up hill task getting corporate organisations to put their finances behind the project.

    An aviation consultant, who asked not to be identified, attributed the delay in the take-off of the project to an admixture of factors.

    According to him, the flight was supposed to be  a noble gesture, but he said there are certain logistic challenges  affecting its realisation.

    He said: “In truth, I don’t know what their arrangement is, but from what we have gathered , the only reason they have not commenced is that of finance. Finance is needed to maintain that aircraft and to fuel it around the world. Finance is needed to insure that aircraft and the pilot embarking on the journey.

    “The challenge here is how do they come out and explain what they are going through to Nigerians before people start reading the wrong meaning into what the true picture is. Let me give you some small data; do you know that if that aircraft is taking-off in Nigeria, the insurance for it will go up?

    “Do you also know that it’s cheaper to start from say, the United Kingdom, the United States or even the United Arab Emirates as the cost of Jet A1 is far cheaper in those areas than what you get in Nigeria? Even the potential backers of this project may start asking ‘what is in it for me, and that will not help the cause of the project.

    An electronic message from the organiser reads: “Please note that the team is working very hard to make this historic event a success.   Around the world flight involves overcoming many challenges and we have been delayed. We will be making a press release shortly explaining the situation. I thank you for your continued support and appreciate your interest in our project.”

    “The first solo flight by an African would, if successfully executed, be the 114th successful flight around the world.

    ”The aircraft  to be  used :  SR22  with registration number N313CD, is nine years old, and has been refitted and upgraded to fly seventeen and half hours with special configuration before refuelling from its original  four-hour flight time.

    “The journey will last for six weeks, and is supposed to start from and end in Nigeria if all goes according to plan, but there is a possibility, according to our consultant, that due to the harsh economic environment in Nigeria it may be cheaper for the flight to take off from elsewhere.

     

  • Suspects hide narcotics in vegetable, shoe at Enugu airport

    Suspects hide narcotics in vegetable, shoe at Enugu airport

    The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) at the Akanu Ibiam International Airport (AIIA) Enugu has discovered compressed cannabis in vegetables and cocaine inside the shoe sole.
    Two of the suspects were found in possession of substances that tested positive for cocaine while four others were caught with dried weeds of cannabis sativa.
    Three of the suspects going to China, where drug trafficking is punishable by death were also saved from execution. A total of 62.663kg of drugs comprising 60.55kg of cannabis and 2.113kg of cocaine were ceased.

    NDLEA commander at the Enugu airport, Mr. Adeofe Adeyemi said that the airport command is working very hard to prevent all cases of illicit drug trafficking.
    “The command has arrested six suspected drug traffickers with 62.663kg of narcotic drugs. One of the suspects, Ibeh Kevin Nonso, 46 years old going to China swallowed 67 wraps of cocaine weighing 1.131kg while Izukanne Ikenna, 33 years old going to Hong Kong hid 982 grammes of cocaine inside the sole of his shoes.
    The only female, 27 year old Kenechukwu Ujunwa Uchenna was arrested on her way to Dubai with 11.7kg of cannabis in dried bitter leaf vegetables” Adeofe stated.

    Other suspects are Agwu Jeremiah Kalu, 30 years old was found with 25kg of cannabis in cartons and Okpara Kenneth Chigozie, 43 years old caught with 7.500kg of cannabis in his bag were both arrested on their way to China.
    Onyia Chukwuebube Clinton, 26 year old had 16.350kg of cannabis in his luggage during screening of passengers to Doha.
    The suspects in their statements owned up to the crime, adding that they needed money to take care of basic needs like house rent, school fees and feeding.

    NDLEA Chairman and Chief Executive, Col. Muhammad Mustapha Abdallah (retd.) has warned that those who seek to enrich themselves through drug trafficking shall be apprehended and prosecuted. He called on members of the public to appreciate their dignity by taking a qualitative drug-free decisions.
    “NDLEA will continue to invest in public enlightenment to guide people in taking sound drug-free decisions. Life is precious and I urge you to shun drug trafficking and criminal acts capable of subjecting you to prison custody and untimely death” Abdallah stated.