The Nation Newspaper

Category: Aviation

  • DANA Air partners Diamond  bank on lounge services

    DANA Air partners Diamond  bank on lounge services

    In a bid to give passengers optimum comfort while flying business class using Dana Air, the airline has partnered Diamond Bank to provide the lounge services for its passengers, thereby fast-tracking boarding.
    The airline stated this in a statement by its spokesman, Kingsley Ezenwa.
    With this innovation, the airline has assured its business class passengers that is no better way to relax before their flight with Dana, than with the array of benefits that the Diamond Lounge offers with an available standby Automated Teller Machine to ceaselessly provide service to customers.
    The Diamond Lounge is such a place set up to make passengers feel comfortable, get their mind off stress of the past and live in the moment so as to prepare for the challenge ahead.
    The lounge is open to passengers daily.
    It is reserved for only Dana Air’s Business Class passengers and Gold card members of the airline’s Frequent Flyer program. Passengers of the airline can enjoy these benefits  by either flying Dana Air Business Class or register for the airline’s frequent flyer program, Dana Miles, fly and accrue 9000 miles to become a Gold Card holder or a member.
    To become a Gold card holder or member, when passengers book and  fly Dana’s Business flexible they get 875 miles, Business saver 750 miles which means for them to become a Gold member and benefit from the lounge, they need to fly the business flexible like 11 times and business saver 13 times.
    The Diamond Lounge offers a lot of services for the comfort of the passengers before a flight. It provides a relaxing ambiance with a serene atmosphere. The Lounge has free Wi-Fi service, for those who love to stay connected to friends and family and those who have work to do online.
    The lounge also provides refreshments from cookies and tea, coffee, drinks or water and then for those interested in news and latest happenings as well as entertainment, the lounge provides Dstv channels, magazine for reading and for cash issues, there is an Automated Teller Machine (ATM) with mint notes, diamond bank inquiries and details can be sorted out from the lounge and many more.
    The partnership between Dana Air and Diamond Bank shows two customer-centric and forward looking organizations. For those who fly Dana Air, customer service can’t be any better. To join Dana’s world of exclusivity and world-class service, register for the airline’s frequent flyer program Dana Miles or fly the airline’s very pocket friendly business class cabin.

  • Fuel Scarcity: Travellers, airport users groan over hike fares

    Travellers and other airport users are currently going through hard times following the increase in transport fares by shuttle operators at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that fares were hiked from N100 to N150 for all destinations within the airport environment while a journey to Ikeja from the airport now cost N200 instead of N150.

    A NAN Correspondent who monitored the situation on Tuesday observed that some persons were seen trekking to their destinations due to lack of commercial vehicles and the increment in fares.

    Those mostly affected by the increment were cleaners and other low income earners working within the international airport and the Nigerian Aviation Handling Company (NAHCO) premises.

    However, Mr Olalekan Agboola, General Secretary, Airport Cab Operators, told NAN that they had to increase fares due to the lingering fuel scarcity in the country.

    “The increment is because of the fuel scarcity. We are praying that the situation presently should return to normal. When everything is okay the transport fare will also drop.

    “We are begging the government that it should intervene because people are seriously suffering right now,’’ Agboola said.

    A cab operator, Mr Sule Ibrahim, said he queued for several hours to buy 20 litres of fuel at N4,000 to enable him to work for the day.

    He said: “We buy fuel at very expensive prices and until the scarcity ends, we don’t have any option than to increase transport fares.

    “We are appealing to government to look into the situation. It is affecting us negatively because we are spending so much time at petrol stations’’.

    Mrs Ada Imohinmi, a ticket officer at the MMIA, said the situation was becoming unbearable, especially for low income earners working at the airport.

    “We are really suffering because of this fuel scarcity. I live at Agbado Ijaiye and now I have to leave home very early.

    “The cost of transportation not only within the airport has gone up and yet, my salary is still the same. So, it is not easy to cope,’’ she added.

    On his part, a traveller, Mr Uche Emenike, said he had no choice other than to pay any amount demanded by the cab operators in order not to miss his flight.

    Emenike said: “From the local airport to the international wing, they charged me N2,000 instead of the usual N1,500 but I had to pay because I was a bit late for my flight’’.

    Another traveller, Mr Michael Ajayi, appealed to President Muhammadu Buhari to find a lasting solution to the lingering fuel scarcity.

    “I just flew in from Abuja and the fuel situation is the same. The government should work harder to fulfill the change promises to Nigerians,’’ he said.

     

  • How to grow aviation, by experts

    How to grow aviation, by experts

    THE Federal Government must invest $50billion in airport facilities and other support infrastructure in the next 28 years to grow the aviation sector, Evergreen Apple Nigeria (EAN) Managing Director  Mr Segun Demuren has said.

    The  investment, according to him, will enable aviation agencies build air navigation facilities for  business/private jet and scheduled aircraft operators.

    Demuren spoke in Lagos as covener of the Nigerian Business Aviation Conference.

    He said private/business jet operators were adversely affected by some policies of government. He listed some of the unfavourable policies to include; imposition of  five per cent import duty tax on private/business aircraft; inadequate airport facilities and  multiple charges.

    He said government needs to re- examine its policies on business aviation to stimulate the growth of the sector.

    Demuren said business aviation could stimulate the growth of the sector if  harnessed as aviation contributed over $685 million to the  Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in 2015.

    According to him,business aviation which comprised chartered and private jet operators contributed 25 per cent out of the total amount.

    He said there is still room for more operators in the burgeoning business aviation sector if the right policies are put in place.

    He noted that despite the challenges affecting business aviation, there is growing interest in the use of private jets and helicopters for Intelligence Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISC).

    Private / business jets and helicopters, he said, has become a critical strategy to handle security challenges by some agencies of government including the  Nigerian Customs Service (NCS) which  recently acquired   a Cessna CJ4 jet for border patrol.

    Some states, he said,  have  also acquired  four Intelligence Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISC) helicopters to enhance monitoring of security .

    This, he said, would drive demand for more private jets and related facilities .

    Business aviation, he said, has assisted to open new frontiers for investment especially in states where new airports have been constructed.

    It has also contributed to the creation of over 5,000 jobs in the last 10 years, because of the services it provides with the use of aircraft,such as as air ambulances, which has saved 500 patients from dying.

    The aviation expert, however, faulted unfavourable government’s policy which he said has slowed the growth of aviation in the country.

    He cited five per cent import duty tax on aircraft, describing it as a conflict  because Nigeria is a signatory to the Cape Town Convention which does not require payment for tax on moveable assets.

    Demuren said: “There is also five per cent import duty on essential aircraft spare parts, coupled with double taxation. Five per cent of business turnover is also demanded from operators.”

    He listed three top issues affecting business aviation operators as unavailability of cheap finance, lack of major maintenance facilities, saying that business aviation spends over $305 million yearly on overseas checks.

    Demuren also decried the non-availability of cheap financing from financial institutions in the country for business aviation unlike their counterparts in Europe, America and Asia that have access to finance,

    He said  inadequate infrastructure also contributed immensely to undermine the growth of business aviation.

    He insisted that since Nigeria is a signatory to the Cape Town Convention, the government is not supposed to  impose the  five  per cent import duty on aircraft.

    He said with such five per cent imposition operators are  suffering from double taxation in the country.

    He said: “There is a lot of misconception about business aviation in Nigeria. Some think it is just for luxury, but I can tell you here that only one per cent of our customers patronise us for luxury and pleasure while the remaining 99 per cent is strictly for business.

    Also speaking the Managing Director of Toucan Aviation Support Services, Achuzie Ezenagu, has called on the Federal Government to focus on the development of aviation in Nigeria as catalyst to the nation’s economic development.

    Ezenagu said government could work with stakeholders to grow the sector.

    He also called for establishment of Maintenance, Overhaul and Repair (MRO) facility in Nigeria, noting that it would safe the country huge financial resources, help to train and employ indigenous aircraft engineers, make aircraft checks cost effective for Nigerian airlines and reinforce Nigeria as a hub in West Africa.

    Also speaking,the former Director General of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Dr Harold Demuren, said Nigeria is long over due for such facility and noted that if 40 per cent of the funds spent on the re-modelling of airport facilities in the last few years were deployed by government to establish the facility it would have been invaluable for the development of aviation in the country.

    Demuren noted that Nigeria loses huge resources maintaining its aircraft overseas and besides the economic loss, Nigerian trained aircraft engineers cannot secure jobs locally and for Nigeria to become the West African hub, it must have the MRO facility.

    “We should make the airport more accessible and make them more available. Government can encourage stakeholders to grow the sector by providing incentives. Government should also find a way to bring all the data from different sectors of the economy together because every sector works hand in hand with another.

    Also speaking, Chairman, Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON), Captain Nogie Meggison described business aviation as  transport logistics needed to accelerate economic activity .

    Private jets, he said, have become essential within Nigeria because of  poor roads, limited domestic airline fleet and train network.

    He said: “The time saving, the convenience and the increased productivity that follows means business aviation is not a luxury but an essential tool for growth in Nigeria.”

    Megisson said government has taken some steps to address challenges associated with business aviation.

    He said: ”Government is expanding facilities at some airports as  it has removed import duties on new jets. The signing a few years ago of  Cape Town convention reassuring lessors about asset security is enough evidence of this.

    Government has also invested  in new infrastructure including a private jet terminal that opened last year in Abuja.”

  • MMA2 is ready for regional operations, says Bi-Courtney

    Bi-Courtney Aviation Services Limited (BASL), operator of the Murtala Muhammed Airport Two (MMA2), has faulted the claims in some quarters that insufficient space for parking aircraft is delaying the commencement of international operations at its terminal.

    BASL said it has obtained authorisation from the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) to begin regional operations at MMA2 as set out in the concession agreement between the two.

    The approval, however, requires regulatory approval from the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) before commencing operations.

    BASL in a statement said the delay in obtaining NCAA’s approval has nothing to do with the size of its apron or any other operational issue.It  explained that various teams of inspectors from NCAA and other statutory agencies, including the Department of State Security (DSS), Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS), National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Nigerian Customs Service (NCS) and the Port Health Service supervised its preparation for the international operations to ensure that it complied with all the requirements.

    It noted that all these agencies have also deployed their personnel at the terminal in readiness for the commencement of international operations, while the interior ministry had already accorded MMA2 the status of an entry point into the country.

    The statement reads: “We don’t have any issue with parking space for aircraft. That is a false allegation. The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has given us the authorisation to commence regional operations, but we still need other approvals from the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA).

    “And we have complied with all the requirements set by NCAA. These areas cover safety, security and operations audit. We have invested huge sum for the commencement of the regional operations for the past six months. We have signed the agreement with FAAN since last year.”

    Also reacting to the reported plans by an airline to move its operations from the terminal to the General Aviation Terminal, which is being run by FAAN, due to purported high charges at MMA2, the company denied that any airline was planning to relocate from its terminal.

  • Turkish Airlines to increase flights, routes

    Turkish Airlines plans to increase the number of routes and flights it offers in Nigeria.

    The  airline’s  Vice President, Mr. Said Samil Karakas,  at a briefing at the weekend in  Istanbul,  said: “We currently offer the largest number of origin and destination  pairs in Africa – a total of 11,472 origin-to-destination pairs on the African continent.

    “Within Africa, we do 2,448 Origin and destination; Africa to Europe 5,184; Africa to the Middle East 1,632; Africa to the Far East 1,632; and Africa to America 576, which brings our total to 11,472 Origin and destinations.

    ‘’No other airline in the world covers Africa like we do nor are they as well-priced as we are.”

    Karakas added that Turkish Airlines  currently fly from three locations in Nigeria,including, Lagos, Abuja and Kano.

    He said the airline would like to also fly from Port Harcourt and a few other locations.

    He said: ”In addition to that, the airline also wants to double its daily flights in and out of the three current locations. These requests, Karakas said, have since been tabled before the presidency as well as the aviation ministry.”

  • Brussels airport aims for limited reopening this week

    Brussels airport aims for limited reopening this week

    Brussels airport has on Tuesday commenced a make-shift check-in area after the last week attack.

    According to News Agency of Nigeria {NAN}, a spokeswoman for Brussels Airport said this was aimed at allowing a limited restart of passenger flights in the coming days.

    She said a temporary structure had been put up to bypass the departure area that was heavily damaged when two bombs exploded there last Tuesday.

    According to her, “What we have today is a test to see whether all our procedures are in order.

    “If all requirements were met, the airport could reopen on Wednesday at the earliest, but only at a maximum capacity of 20 per cent,’’ she said.

    She explained that the tests included checking security and fire procedures, as well as operational items such as the handling of baggage and the signs in the terminal.

    The Coordinator for Brussels Airport said initially only a few flights for Belgian flag carrier Brussels Airlines, partly owned by Germany’s Lufthansa, would be allowed to depart.

    He said once capacity was increased, other airlines would be invited to forward their flight plans

  • How to grow aviation, by experts

    How to grow aviation, by experts

    THE Federal Government must invest $50billion in airport facilities and other support infrastructure in the next 28 years to grow the aviation sector, Evergreen Apple Nigeria (EAN) Managing Director  Mr Segun Demuren has said.

    The  investment, according to him, will enable aviation agencies build air navigation facilities for  business/private jet and scheduled aircraft operators.

    Demuren spoke in Lagos as covener of the Nigerian Business Aviation Conference.

    He said private/business jet operators were adversely affected by some policies of government. He listed some of the unfavourable policies to include; imposition of  five per cent import duty tax on private/business aircraft; inadequate airport facilities and  multiple charges.

    He said government needs to re- examine its policies on business aviation to stimulate the growth of the sector.

    Demuren said business aviation could stimulate the growth of the sector if  harnessed as aviation contributed over $685 million to the  Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in 2015.

    According to him,business aviation which comprised chartered and private jet operators contributed 25 per cent out of the total amount.

    He said there is still room for more operators in the burgeoning business aviation sector if the right policies are put in place.

    He noted that despite the challenges affecting business aviation, there is growing interest in the use of private jets and helicopters for Intelligence Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISC).

    Private / business jets and helicopters, he said, has become a critical strategy to handle security challenges by some agencies of government including the  Nigerian Customs Service (NCS) which  recently acquired   a Cessna CJ4 jet for border patrol.

    Some states, he said,  have  also acquired  four Intelligence Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISC) helicopters to enhance monitoring of security .

    This, he said, would drive demand for more private jets and related facilities .

    Business aviation, he said, has assisted to open new frontiers for investment especially in states where new airports have been constructed.

    It has also contributed to the creation of over 5,000 jobs in the last 10 years, because of the services it provides with the use of aircraft,such as as air ambulances, which has saved 500 patients from dying.

    The aviation expert, however, faulted unfavourable government’s policy which he said has slowed the growth of aviation in the country.

    He cited five per cent import duty tax on aircraft, describing it as a conflict  because Nigeria is a signatory to the Cape Town Convention which does not require payment for tax on moveable assets.

    Demuren said: “There is also five per cent import duty on essential aircraft spare parts, coupled with double taxation. Five per cent of business turnover is also demanded from operators.”

    He listed three top issues affecting business aviation operators as unavailability of cheap finance, lack of major maintenance facilities, saying that business aviation spends over $305 million yearly on overseas checks.

    Demuren also decried the non-availability of cheap financing from financial institutions in the country for business aviation unlike their counterparts in Europe, America and Asia that have access to finance,

    He said  inadequate infrastructure also contributed immensely to undermine the growth of business aviation.

    He insisted that since Nigeria is a signatory to the Cape Town Convention, the government is not supposed to  impose the  five  per cent import duty on aircraft.

    He said with such five per cent imposition operators are  suffering from double taxation in the country.

    He said: “There is a lot of misconception about business aviation in Nigeria. Some think it is just for luxury, but I can tell you here that only one per cent of our customers patronise us for luxury and pleasure while the remaining 99 per cent is strictly for business.

    Also speaking the Managing Director of Toucan Aviation Support Services, Achuzie Ezenagu, has called on the Federal Government to focus on the development of aviation in Nigeria as catalyst to the nation’s economic development.

    Ezenagu said government could work with stakeholders to grow the sector.

    He also called for establishment of Maintenance, Overhaul and Repair (MRO) facility in Nigeria, noting that it would safe the country huge financial resources, help to train and employ indigenous aircraft engineers, make aircraft checks cost effective for Nigerian airlines and reinforce Nigeria as a hub in West Africa.

    Also speaking,the former Director General of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Dr Harold Demuren, said Nigeria is long over due for such facility and noted that if 40 per cent of the funds spent on the re-modelling of airport facilities in the last few years were deployed by government to establish the facility it would have been invaluable for the development of aviation in the country.

    Demuren noted that Nigeria loses huge resources maintaining its aircraft overseas and besides the economic loss, Nigerian trained aircraft engineers cannot secure jobs locally and for Nigeria to become the West African hub, it must have the MRO facility.

    “We should make the airport more accessible and make them more available. Government can encourage stakeholders to grow the sector by providing incentives. Government should also find a way to bring all the data from different sectors of the economy together because every sector works hand in hand with another.

    Also speaking, Chairman, Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON), Captain Nogie Meggison described business aviation as  transport logistics needed to accelerate economic activity .

    Private jets, he said, have become essential within Nigeria because of  poor roads, limited domestic airline fleet and train network.

    He said: “The time saving, the convenience and the increased productivity that follows means business aviation is not a luxury but an essential tool for growth in Nigeria.”

    Megisson said government has taken some steps to address challenges associated with business aviation.

    He said: ”Government is expanding facilities at some airports as  it has removed import duties on new jets. The signing a few years ago of  Cape Town convention reassuring lessors about asset security is enough evidence of this.

    Government has also invested  in new infrastructure including a private jet terminal that opened last year in Abuja.”

  • Etihad enhances maintenance efficiency

    Etihad Airways Engineering has enhanced its aircraft maintenance capability with a new Automated Tool Control (ATC) system which provides engineers with greater tool access, handling and traceability. It also eliminates the risk of tools being lost in critical aircraft systems during maintenance.

    Connected by Wi-Fi to a central server, and capable of providing an audit trail of the last 15,000 transactions, the automated system tracks the tools that are selected and is immediately able to identify any broken, lost or unreturned tools.

    The toolbox can’t be opened until the engineers scan their badge against the reader mounted on the front of the box.

    The badge identifies the engineer as an authorised user and the box unlocks.

    Using the built-in touchscreen, the engineer confirms their job task (work order / task number) and job location.

    According to the airline, the new system was successfully tried at Abu Dhabi International Airport in November 2015, and was rolled out across all Etihad Airways Engineering maintenance bays in January.

    Around 350 workers have been trained on the new system, with over 50,000 transactions being recorded to-date – with no missing tools.

    Speaking on the development, Jeff Wilkinson, Senior Vice President, Etihad Airways, Technical, said: “Tool control is a key factor for success as we look at ways to improve maintenance processes that reduce workflow, optimise efficiency and enhance safety.

    “With our new ATC system, our engineers are able to get on with the job quickly and efficiently, without having to take additional steps to track, register or look for the tools they are using, saving significant amount of time.

    ‘’This also enhances safety as a lost tool isn’t just an inconvenience to the engineer, but it’s also a potential safety hazard if unintentionally left inside an aircraft,” he added.

    Multiple systems, some consisting of up to 1,000 individual tools per box, and others with dedicated tools for electrical and cabin engineering work, are allocated by the systems administrator to an authorised engineer assigned to a specific maintenance task on the aircraft.

  • Turkish Airlines to increase flights, routes

    Turkish Airlines to increase flights, routes

    Turkish Airlines plans to increase the number of routes and flights it offers in Nigeria.

    The  airline’s  Vice President, Mr. Said Samil Karakas,  at a briefing at the weekend in  Istanbul,  said: “We currently offer the largest number of origin and destination  pairs in Africa – a total of 11,472 origin-to-destination pairs on the African continent.

    “Within Africa, we do 2,448 Origin and destination; Africa to Europe 5,184; Africa to the Middle East 1,632; Africa to the Far East 1,632; and Africa to America 576, which brings our total to 11,472 Origin and destinations.

    ‘’No other airline in the world covers Africa like we do nor are they as well-priced as we are.”

    Karakas added that Turkish Airlines  currently fly from three locations in Nigeria,including, Lagos, Abuja and Kano.

    He said the airline would like to also fly from Port Harcourt and a few other locations.

    He said: ”In addition to that, the airline also wants to double its daily flights in and out of the three current locations. These requests, Karakas said, have since been tabled before the presidency as well as the aviation ministry.”

  • Domestic operators to spend N560b on aircraft year, maintenance abroad

    Domestic operators to spend N560b on aircraft year, maintenance abroad

    Domestics operations will spend over N560 billion  on aircraft maintenance this year, investigations have revealed.

    The money will cover major aircraft checks in Europe, Asia, America, South Africa, Ethiopia and Morocco.

    The checks include “C and D” under which major components of  aircraft are stripped and reworked.

    According to investigations over 200 aircraft are on the regulatory register for scheduled, private / charter operators and training aircraft.

    In 2013, the operators spent over $1.22 billion (N200 billion) when the exchange rate was  N200 to $1 on maintenance because of lack of such facility at home.

    Nigeria has over 200 aircraft  (scheduled, charter and privately owned), which are taken abroad for major repairs. South Africa, Egypt, Morocco and Ethiopia have workable Maintenance  Repairs Overhaul (MRO) facilities, and airports that operate as hubs.

    The process of taking aircraft abroad for repairs, according to  engineers, takes a minimum of two weeks with a corresponding loss of about $500,000 (N160 million) for C-Check on Boeing 737. A smaller aircraft, such as, Embraer 190 or 100 would cost $300,000 (N110 million) during the same period. Many of the airlines take their aircraft abroad for repairs at exorbitant costs.

    The aircraft are on queue for weeks before they are attended.

    Given the complex facility requirements and the cost, it may be difficult for an airline to build a maintenance hangar in Nigeria.

    Last weekend, some experts including Managing Director of Toucan Aviation Support Services Mr Achuzie Ezenagu and former Director-General of Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) Dr Harold Demuren called for the establishment of facility in Nigeria.

    They said the country would continue to lose huge money to repairing aircraft overseas until it has such a facility.

    A former spokesman for Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON), Mohammed Tukur, called for partnership between the government and private investors to establish a local maintenance facility. According to him, it could save the airlines over 50 per cent of maintenance costs and make Nigeria a technical hub for aircraft maintenance. MRO costs encompass both the outgoing charges and the revenue loss during the out-of-service period.

    The maintenance checks types are ‘A’, ‘B’, ‘C’ and ‘D’. ‘A’ and ‘B’  checks are lighter checks; ‘C’ and ‘D’ are considered more intensive. ‘B-Check’ requires a large number of components to be inspected as the aircraft is put out of service and kept in the hangar until the checks are completed.

    ‘D-Check’ is the most comprehensive and expensive among the checks. It is usually referred to as Heavy Maintenance Visit (HMV),  involving the entire aircraft for inspection and overhaul. The paints may also need to be completely removed for detailed inspection of the fuselage structural integrity.

    The airlines cough out millions of dollars for ‘C and D Checks’.

    Former Director of Operations of the defunct Nigeria Airways, Capt. Dele Ore, said airlines that lease aircraft were required to payments into one or more maintenance reserve accounts in order to provide for future maintenance expenditures.

    This, he said, would have been another boost to the Nigerian economy, but regrettably it is an alternative forgone.

    Ore said: “It may, however, be viable for major players such as Arik Air, Aero Contractors, Medview Airline and others, to participate on building hangar projects.” He regretted that the issues of modern and licensed Aircraft Maintenance Engineers (AME) need to be given serious considerations.”

    He said building a MRO facilitiy in Nigeria would save carriers huge revenue  on aircraft maintenance overseas, and reduce capital flights.

    Nigeria is said to have the largest and most modern commercial aircraft fleet in West and Central Africa, but lacks an MRO facility.

    Its airlines have been urged to build a cooperative alliance with global industry stakeholders, including viable investors that support an indigenous and economically viable MRO facility that would address the industry needs and aspirations.