The Nation Newspaper

Category: Aviation

  • Akwa Ibom group lauds Dana Air’s on-time performance

    The Uyo chapter of the Royal Circle of Friends International has endorsed Dana Air’s efficiency and on-time performance at its Cultural and Award day held recently in Uyo.

    Registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission, the Royals is a social –cultural, Multilingual, and non partisan group with membership across the country and vocations.

    The President of the organization, Royal Uduak Okokon JP, while presenting the certificate and award to Dana Air said, ‘as part of our yearly rituals of always meeting to review our score card and return the thanks and praises to God for his goodness towards us as individuals and as a group, we wish to also recognize and appreciate individuals and companies that have contributed to the development of our state and have also impacted us positively with their services and activities.’’

    ‘Let me on behalf The Royals present you this certificate and award as the Best Airline of the Year 2018. This is in recognition of your efficient customer service, good customer relations, passenger handling, and timely day–to-day flight operations which has been observed over time to be in strict compliance with the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and International Air Transport Association (IATA).’’

    Speaking after receiving the award on behalf of Dana Air, the Uyo Station Manager, Ms Anthonia Aneke said ‘Dana Air will continue to do its best to offer excellent services and safe flight operations in accordance with standard and recommended practices.”

    Read Also: Dana Air bags two crew proficiency awards

    ‘The people of Akwa Ibom are time-conscious and despite the upsurge in traffic across our destinations at the moment, we have maintained our operational efficiency with an excellent on-time performance and amazing customer and in-flight service. This has endeared us to the good people of Akwa Ibom state making us their choice for air travel.’’

    Commenting further, Ms Anthonia said ‘Uyo is home to Dana Air considering the number of years we have been flying to the state and our longstanding relationship with the government and good people of Akwa Ibom state speaks volumes.

    ‘As the official airline of Akwa United and having been the preferred airline of one of the biggest Christmas Carols in the world- The Akwa Ibom Christmas Carol festival, we are committed to only offering the best and we promise not to disappoint. We thank the good people of the state particularly, the Royal Circle of Friends for this recognition’’

    Only recently, Dana Air extended its multi-million naira sponsorship deal for the state owned club –Akwa united FC. The airline in July, bagged a global recognition for its standards in ground handling and also won an award as the Best Domestic Airline for passenger facilitation at the Nigerian Aviation Awards 2018

  • Air Peace makes 2019 projections

    Air Peace has unveiled its plan for the aviation sector in 2019, assuring passengers of  expansion in flight operations on its  long-haul flights to Dubai, Sharjah, London, Guangzhou-China, Houston, Mumbai and Johannesburg.

    A statement issued by Air Peace Corporate Communications Manager, Mr. Chris Iwarah quoted the carrier’s Chairman/Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Allen Onyema as urging staff of the airline to gear up to raise the bar of flight services to the travelling public in 2019.

    Onyema, the statement added, commended the travelling public for preferring Air Peace and staying loyal to its brand in 2018. The chairman attributed the success of the airline in four years to the unflinching support its customers, pledging that the carrier would spare nothing in making their experience truly rewarding, exciting and safe.

    The carrier said it was focusing on broadening opportunities to give its customers greater comfort, beginning with the extension of its operations from its hub at the General Aviation Terminal (GAT) of the Murtala Muhammed Airport, Lagos to the Murtala Muhammed Airport 2 (MMA2) on January 2, 2019.

    It confirmed that its Lagos-Kaduna, Lagos-Asaba, Lagos-Akure and Lagos-Port Harcourt NAF Base flight operations would be moved to MMA2 from January 2. The facility, it said, would eventually handle all flights under Air Peace Hopper, Air Peace’s subsidiary.

    The expansion, Air Peace said, would create more space for it to provide exceptional flight services in an atmosphere of comfort.

    The airline also assured that its main project for 2019 would be in the area of giving the flying public a reliable, affordable, safe and convenient option on major international routes, including Dubai, Sharjah, London, Guangzhou-China, Houston, Mumbai and Johannesburg.

    The international services, Air Peace said, would give Nigeria and West Africa a sense of pride in the global aviation industry. It said it was in the final stage of doing demonstration flights with its Boeing 777 aircraft to Sharjah, Dakar, Freetown, Johannesburg, Port Harcourt and Kano as part of the process to induct the aircraft into its service.

    “2018 was both challenging and exciting for us. It was the year we upped our record of firsts. In the year under review, we launched a number of domestic and regional routes under our no-city-left-behind project on the platform of our subsidiary, Air Peace Hopper. We also made history as the first domestic airline to acquire and register the Boeing 777 aircraft in Nigeria. We have so far acquired four Boeing 777s, with two already delivered. We also successfully renewed our International Air Transport Association Operational Safety Audit (IOSA) certificate and Air Operator Certificate (AOC) after a very rigorous process. We also diversified the aircraft in our fleet with the inclusion of six 50-seater Embraer 145 jets, which have so far helped our Yuletide operations in no small way. The real big leap came in September when we signed a deal with American planemaker, Boeing for the delivery of 10 brand new Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft, making us the first to achieve the feat on the West Coast of Africa.

    “We are sincerely grateful to our loyal customers without whose support, preference for our brand and patronage we could not have made a success of the target we set for ourselves in 2018. It was quite a challenging year too, given the dire economic situation across the world, but our esteemed customers supported us through it all.

    “In 2019, we are going to implement a series of bolder decisions aimed at giving the flying public a truly exciting experience. Already, we have begun the expansion of our flight operations to the Murtala Muhammed Airport 2 (MMA2) in response to our customers’ wish for a better space to serve them. This becomes effective January 2, 2019 with the operation of our Lagos-Akure, Lagos-Asaba, Lagos-Kaduna and Lagos-Port Harcourt NAF Base services from the facility. All flights under our subsidiary, Air Peace Hopper will eventually be moved to MMA2.

    “We are also going to give the flying public a reliable, safe, affordable and comfortable alternative on some international routes, including Dubai, Sharjah, Guangzhou-China, Mumbai, London, Houston and Johannesburg. Already, the Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of Air Peace, Mr. Allen Onyema has prepared members of staff for the task ahead. Our staff have been wonderful with their commitment and dedication to duty through the years, but 2019 is one year all hands must be on the deck to give our customers the best flight experience on the domestic, regional and international routes and make our dear country, Nigeria and West Africa truly proud in the global aviation industry,” Air Peace said.

     

  • My mission in NAHCO, by MD

    A NEW target has been set at the  Nigerian Aviation Handling Company (NAHCO) Plc.

    The new management plans to drive the new structures and subsidiaries of the group to become the leading ground handling firm in Africa.

    In an interview with The Nation at the weekend, the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer Mrs Olatokunbo Adenike Fagbemi said the new team planned to add value to service delivery and shareholders’ investments through closer monitoring of the group’s sunsidiaries.

    The subsidiaries are NAHCO Free Zone (NFZ), Nahco Energy and Power (EPI) and Mainland Cargo Options Limited (MCO), adding that they would will report to her.

    With the assistance of KMPG, she would transform NAHCO.

    Mrs Fagbemi said in the interim, her task would be to reposition the company, maintain industrial harmony, energise the workers in addition to improving the customer experience of NAHCO’s clients.

    She spoke of plans to coordinate and drive initiatives aimed at positioning the company as one of the leading ground handling company in West and Central Africa in the next few years.

    Meanwhile, NAHCO has received further endorsement with the recertification of its operations by  International Air Transport Association (IATA).

    The new IATA Safety Audit for Ground Operations (ISAGO) registration recertification expires June 12, 2021. This is coming at a time the company announced it had received the RA 3 revalidation of its operations by the European Union in the country’s major airports.

    In 2010, nahco aviance was awarded the ISAGO certification, becoming the first ground handling firm in West Africa to receive one of the industry’s highest honours for safety and service quality.

    The recent ISAGO recertification came almost the same time the Third Country EU Regulated Agent (RA3) validation was issued to some NAHCO’s airport operations. The stations include Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt and Kano.

    The ISAGO Audit and Registration mean that NAHCO conforms with the applicable ISAGO standards and recommended practices as specified in the ISAGO Ground Operations Manual Edition  seven  certifying its area of operations.

    Areas covered by the recertification include Organisation and Management (ORM), Load Control (LOD), Passenger and Baggage Handling (PAB), Aircraft Handling and Loading (HDL), Aircraft Ground Movement (AGM) and Cargo and Mail Handling (CGM).

    The benefits of ISAGO registration for ground handling and airport businesses include safer ground operations, fewer accidents and injuries, elimination of redundant audits from airlines, reduced costs: less damage and less audits, uniform audit process and harmonised standards.

    Other benefits are improved safety oversight, harmonised auditor training and qualifications, improved quality standards and enhanced understanding of high risk areas within ground operations

    The NAHCO Lagos station, first got its validation, the first of its kind in Nigeria, in June 2014. Port-Harcourt’s first validation was on September 22, 2016. Lagos, Port Harcourt were then revalidated on  July 16, 2018 with the expiry date of July 16, 2022.

    Abuja station got its first validation in August 2014, and will expire in August, next year. Kano, first validated this year, will also expire in 2022.

    The Third country EU regulated agent (RA3) is a designation given to a cargo handling entity located in a third county that has been validated and approved as such on the basis of an EU security validation. The organisation ensures that security controls, including screening, where applicable is applied to the consignment bound for the union and that the consignment has been protected from unauthorised interference from the time that those security controls were applied until the consignment are loaded onto an aircraft or are otherwise handed over to an ACC3 – certified carrier or other RA3 operator.

    The advantage of having RA3 validation is that consignments once screened, protected before loading into an ACC3 validated carrier are exempted  from further screening and can enter any member state.

    Commenting on these industry achievements, nahco aviance Managing Director/CEO, Mr. Idris Yakubu, said the recertification was reward for hard work. He noted that the certifications show that the firm’s thorough, diligent and consistent processes were among the best anyone could find in the world.

    According to him, “NAHCO’s excellent and time-tested processes are well-known in the industry. We were the first groundhandler to get the ISAGO certification as far back as 2010. These have been continually renewed due to our reliable processes and procedures. We shall continue to improve on these processes, so that we better serve our clients.”

  • FAAN fetes children at end of year party

    THE Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) Managing Director, Saleh Dunoma, has advised parents, teachers and other members of the society to build up children’s confidence.

    He spoke at the party held by the agency for workers’ children at the Murtala Muhammed School complex at the Murtala Muhammed airport, Ikeja, Lagos.

    Dunoma, an engineer, pointed out that children are important in the society.

    Dunoma, represented by the Director of Security services, Mrs Ann Egbadon, said: “Children are the leaders of tomorrow and as such, it is important that we appreciate, encourage, celebrate and build up their confidence so as to evolve into matured, balanced and well adjusted children. This is what we are here to do.”

    According to the FAAN boss, the Yuletide is a time to wind down after a year of hard work.

    He, therefore, advised that such season should be for showing and giving love to others, a time to celebrate God’s goodness and the lofty achievements of the outgoing year, and essential, a time to show love and care to our children.

    The party created an avenue for children to have fun, interact with each other and engage in various quiz and dancing contests.

    Various games of interest were played and food, drinks and music were provided to the admiration of the participants.

    Meanwhile Dunoma has assured the agency’s workers of resolving  labour matters, including stagnation and promotion in the organisation, in accordance with due process.

  • Airport workers make case for casual employees

    Workers in the Electrical department of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) have  appealed to the Regional General Manager of the Murtala Muhammed Airport, Ikeja, Lagos, Mrs Victoria Shin-Aba to engage the casual workers in the department.

    Head of Department, FAAN Electrical, Abdulrahman Musa made the appeal at the weekend during the department’s end-of-the-year party held at the airport.

    Musa said:  “We are appealing to everyone to support our course in moving the department forward, so we can secure a clear path towards achieving our goals because the best time to start is now. The people that will change the world should be us; if not us, who? And if not now, when?

    “We are appealing to the regional general manager to assist us in appealing to the management about our casuals that were interviewed long ago as I hope you would use your good position to assist each and everyone involved in the interview conducted by FAAN,” the engineer added.

    According to Musa, the electrical department of FAAN has made frantic efforts to be better. As such, the workers have learnt to be their brother’s keeper who support one another at all times.

    Although their goals in the department are numerous, Musa pointed out that their determination is huge to see that they achieve their goals during the period of their stay in the organisation.

    Appreciating the workers, Musa added: “I would like to thank the electrical staff who have stood with me, who have supported me. Together, we have had these many shared achievements amid lots of challenges but thank you for being there for the department and for our profession. Together, we would build the department for the future.”

    High point of the event was the presentation of awards of excellnce to Mrs Shin-Aba and International Terminal Manager, Mr. O. T. Ogini.

    Responding, Mrs Shin-Aba expressed her joy for the award.

    Mrs Shin-Aba said: “The electrical department is the life wire of the airport. When the life wire is not on, nothing works. I appreciate Musa. He is very intelligent, articulate and a professional to the core. All of you are very important and I appreciate you all on behalf of the airport management staff.’’

    Ogini thanked members of the electrical department of FAAN, stressing that there has been a kind of evolution in the development which is good for the industry.

    He however stated that the positive efforts of the department had stabilised operations at the airport.

    Also at the party were airport workers and other stakeholders  in the industry.

  • Emirates Group declares $14.8b profit

    The Emirates Group has declared its half-year results for 2018-19, posting a profit of $14.8 billion in the first six months. This represents 10 per cent higher the figures of same period last year.

    The Group saw steady revenue growth compared to the same period last year. However, profits were impacted by the significant rise in oil prices, and unfavourable currency movements in certain markets, amid other challenges for the airline and travel industry.

    The Emirates Group revenue was $14.8 billion for the first six months of its 2018-19 financial year, up by 10 per cent  from $ 13.5 billion  during the same period last year.

    Profitability was down by 53 per cent  compared to the same period last year, with the Group reporting a 2018-19 half-year net profit of $296 million.

    The profit erosion was primarily due to the significant increase in fuel prices of 37 per cent  compared to the same period last year, as well as the negative impact of currencies in certain markets.

    The Group’s cash position on  September 30, 2018 was $ 5.9 billion compared to $ 6.9 billion as at March 31, 2018.

    Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman/Chief Executive, Emirates Airline and Group, said: “Emirates and dnata grew steadily in the first half of 2018-19. Demand for our high quality products and services remained healthy, as we won new and return customers across our businesses and this is reflected in our revenue performance. However, the high fuel cost as well as currency devaluations in markets like India, Brazil, Angola and Iran, wiped  from our profits.’

    “We are proactively managing the myriad challenges faced by the airline and travel industry, including the relentless downward pressure on yields, and uncertain economic and political realities in our region and in other parts of the world.”

  • Arik Air notifies passengers of flight disruptions

    The management of Arik Air says there will be slight disruption of flights during the Yuletide, due to  operational issues and adverse weather conditions.

    In a statement signed by the airline’s media consultant, Mr Simon Tumba on Thursday in Lagos, the airline said the adverse weather would affect coastal areas, especially Benin, Enugu, Asaba and Warri.

    “Therefore some flights may either be rescheduled or cancelled, subject to aircraft and airport closure time constraints.

    “We regret the inconveniences this disruption will cause our customers and want to assure them of our sincere efforts to reducing the impact to the barest minimum.

    “Our staff shall contact customers affected by this disruption, making alternative arrangements for them or refunds as the case may be,” Tumba said.

    He assured passengers that the airline considered their safety and that of its crew as paramount, adding that the airline would only operate safe and secure flights.

    Tumba said all hands are also on deck to make all flight experiences pleasurable.

    Read Also: Arik Air resumes Warri flights

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) had on Nov. 25 issued an Advisory Circular to all pilots and airline operators to take certain precautions, due to the adverse weather conditions.

    The circular, signed by the Director General of the NCAA, Capt. Muhtar Usman, urged them to adhere to the Nigerian Civil Aviation Regulations (Nig.CARs) during flight operations in adverse weather conditions.

  • Turkish Airlines records 81.4 % increase in passengers

    Turkish Airlines said its passenger and cargo traffic results increased by 84.1 per cent in November 2018, describing it as an indication of its continued growth measured in the number of passengers, revenue per kilometer and load factor.

    According to its November 2018 traffic results, the carrier said the total number of passengers flown went up by four per cent compared to the same month of 2017.

    Turkish Airlines said it flew 5.5 million passengers, culminating in the 84.1 per cent increase, which was two per cent higher compared with figures of the same period last year.

    The carrier said while international passengers figures increased by three points, domestic passenger traffic inched towards 84 per cent

    A statement by the carrier reads: ”International-to-international transfer passengers, that is transit passengers,  went up by approximately eight per cent  while the number of international passengers, excluding international-to-international transfer passengers, transit passengers, went up by 13 per cent.

    “In the same month, cargo/mail volume continued the double digit growth trend and increased by 25 per cent, compared to the same period of 2017.

    “Main contributors to this growth in cargo/mail volume, are North America with 45 per cent, Africa with 32 per cent, Far East with 23 per cent  and Europe with 21 per cent increase.

    “In November, Africa, North  America, Far East and Middle East showed load factor growth of  five points; four points, three points and two points respectively.”

    According to the January-November 2018 traffic figures, there was an increase in demand and total number of passengers, which stood at 10 per cent  over the same period of last year. Total number of passengers reached 69.7 million. Total load factor improved by three points up to 82 per cent, while international load factor increased by three points, reaching 82 per cent, domestic load factor  went up by one point, reaching 85 per cent .

    It further reads: ”Excluding international-to-international transfer passengers, transit passengers, the  number of international passengers went up significantly by 12 per cent. Cargo/mail carried during the eleven months of the year also increased by 25 per cent, reaching 1.3 million tons.”

  • NAMA begins equipment calibration at 24 airports

    Ahead of the yuletide, the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA)  has begun routine calibration of navigational facilities in 24 airports.

    The agency’s spokesman, Khalid Emele, disclosed this on Sunday.

    The facilities include: Instrument Landing System ( ILS) and Distance Measuring Equipment (DME). Calibration in aviation parlance means flight checking of navigational equipment to ascertain its efficiency and accuracy.

    Emele said the exercise, which  is targeted at putting all navigational aids in optimal capacity, will be  completed in two weeks. It will also ensure that the facilities generate precise and accurate signals to guarantee the safety of air navigation in the country.

    According to him, the equipment  to be calibrated and commissioned are the newly installed ILS/DME facilities in Lagos and Port Harcourt airports.

    Work, he said, has reached an advanced stage on  the installation of Cat III ILS in Lagos and Abuja, adding that a team of NAMA engineers are undergoing Factory Acceptance Test (FAT) of the CAT III equipment in the United States (US) in preparation for its take-off in January 2019.

    Meanwhile, NAMA has refuted reports in some quarters alleging that flights were either being delayed or canceled on account of obsolete navigation equipment at some airports.

    The agency said it was untrue that it has not embarked on significant upgrade of facilities in the last  12 months.

    Emele said: “We see the above allegations as totally erroneous and misleading, especially when viewed against ongoing efforts by the agency in the area of infrastructure upgrade across major airports in Nigeria. There is also the need to put things in proper perspective as the above insinuations are capable of sending the wrong signals to our teeming airspace users as well as the flying public.

    “For the records, the agency has in the last 18 months embarked on an aggressive upgrade of navigational infrastructure in strategic airports in the country. For instance, Cat II Instrument Landing Systems /Distance Measuring Equipment (ILS/DME) have been installed in Kaduna, Lagos, Kano and Port Harcourt airports. In the same vein, installation of Doppler Very High Frequency Omnidirectional Range (DVOR) is ongoing at Maiduguri airport, while that of  ILS/DME is also in progress at Benin airport. Upgrade of facilities in other airports is to follow soon.

    “ The Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) therefore, wishes to reassure the flying public of the safety of the nation’s airspace as all necessary measures are in place to ensure safe, efficient and seamless flight operations in Nigeria.”

  • IATA launches airlines’ data sharing platform

    The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has launched its Turbulence Aware data resource to help airlines avoid turbulence when planning routes tactically in flight.

    Turbulence Aware augments means airlines’ ability to forecast and avoid turbulence by pooling and sharing (in real time) turbulence data generated by participating airlines.

    Today, airlines rely on pilot reports and weather advisories to mitigate the impact of turbulence on their operations. These tools, while effective, have limitations due to the fragmentation of the data sources, inconsistencies in the level and quality of information available, and the locational imprecision and the subjectivity of the observations.

    For example, there is no standardised scale for the severity of turbulence that a pilot may report other than a light, moderate or severe scale, which becomes very subjective among different-sized aircraft and pilot experience.

    Turbulence Aware improves on the industry’s capabilities by collecting data from multiple contributing airlines, followed by a rigorous quality control. Then the data is consolidated into a single, anonymised, objective source database, which is accessible to participants.

    Turbulence Aware data is turned into actionable information when fed into an airline’s dispatch or airborne alerting systems. The result is the first global, real-time, detailed and objective information for pilots and operations professionals to manage turbulence.

    “Turbulence Aware is a great example of the potential for digital transformation in the airline industry. The airline industry has always cooperated on safety, its number one priority. Big data is now turbo-charging what we can achieve. In the case of Turbulence Aware, the more precise forecasting of turbulence will provide a real improvement for passengers, whose journeys will be even safer and more comfortable,” said Alexandre de Juniac, IATA’s Director -General and CEO.

    The challenge of managing turbulence is expected to grow as climate change continues to impact weather patterns. This has implications for both safety and efficiency of flight.

    Turbulence is the leading cause of injuries to passengers and crew in non-fatal accidents, according to the FAA.

    As we progress to having accurate turbulence data available at all flight levels, pilots will be able to make much more informed decisions about higher flight levels with smoother air.