The Nation Newspaper

Category: Aviation

  • Afrijet chief urges NCAA to increase oversight on airlines

    The Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of AfriJet Airlines,  Mohammed Tukur, has called on the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) to step up its oversight responsibilities on domestic airlines.

    Increased oversight duties on airlines, Tukur said, will reduce the rate of aircraft accidents and other infractions on air safety.

    In a chat with The Nation, at the weekend, Tukur said NCAA needed to mobilise its airworthiness personnel and safety inspectors to  airports before and after take-off to monitor airlines.

    Besides stepping up oversight duties, Tukur said the NCAA should release more funds for   training and retraining of its safety inspectors to boost their  competence and help resist attempts to compromise by airline owners.

    Tukur also spoke on calls for the probe of Dana Air because of the recent incident.

    He said though the probe of Dana was necessary, the government should also beam its searchlight on  other domestic carriers to restore the confidence of the flying public in them.

    He said the probe had become imperative because of serious incidents by the airlines lately, adding that this called for reflection.

    Tukur warned against the politicisation of airlines’ probes, lamenting that recent calls by non-industry experts raised concern over their motive.

    Tukur said: “When  you single out one airline for audit, especially when such call is not coming from professionals, you create fear in the minds of the public, especially the passengers.

    Incidents and accidents are associated with aviation business, which, of course, nobody prays for, but when they occur, the relevant agencies step in to forestall a re-occurrence.

    But when you undermine the responsibility of these agencies of the government and go ahead to  give directive without proper consultations, the result of such order maybe counterproductive.

  • Caverton Helicopters unveils new fleet

    Caverton Helicopters Limited has unveiled a fleet of 11 brand new helicopters to be used for the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC)/Chevron Nigeria Limited Joint Venture based in Escravos.

    The acquisiction of the helicopters came on the heels of  a rigorous tendering process, where Caverton was selected as the preferred air transport provider.

    The choppers were unveiled at its Executive Flight Facility at Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, last week.

    The new fleet of helicopters include the state-of-the-art Bell 407 GXP and the industry workhorse Bell 412 EP. The Bell 407GXP incorporates new avionics, an upgraded engine, and new executive interior design options.  Fitted with Rolls-Royce M250-C47E/4 dual channel turbine engine, this aircraft delivers exceptional hot and high performance, with efficient fuel economy.

    The Bell 412 EP is a highly reliable aircraft that has been known to perform extremely well even in inimical climatic conditions. With a spacious cabin, the aircraft can be configured in a variety of ways to accommodate up to 14 passengers.

    Both helicopter types are equipped with a variety of safety features, which include rupture resistance fuel cells, wire strike protection system, vibration and engine exceedance monitoring systems, flight data monitoring.

    Speaking at the event, Chairman, Caverton Offshore  Support Group, Remi Makanjuola, said the unveiling by  Caverton fleet of helicopters is a feat and a day Nigeria should be proud of.

    He said :”This is a day that the aviation industry should be proud of that a Nigerian went to America to acquire 11 helicopters. This is a ground breaking event. Over the past few years, we went through many phases of development as a company in less than favourable circumstances. Nevertheless, we have been able to operate existing contracts successfully, as well as secure a few new contracts.

    ” The largest and most significant of these new contracts, the NNPC-Chevron Joint Venture Helicopter Services Contract, is of course, the reason we are here today to unveil the helicopters that would be used for that activity. We are recording some successes in our desire to be a financially strong and sustainable group that puts all stakeholders at the heart of everything.

    “Our safety record is something we are proud and thankful for, and credit must go to our professionalism at all levels. Given Chevron’s global reputation for safety and quality, it is safe to say that Caverton’s diligent attention to safety, quality and continuous improvement contributed in no small measure to the contract award.

    “The addition of these helicopters to our fleet will make Caverton Helicopters one of the largest operators of BELL products in sub-Saharan Africa.”

    As a fully indigenous player in the hitherto foreign interest dominated sector, Caverton , he  said, has confirmed the mantra that Nigerians can excel and do Nigeria proud in all facets of the economy given the opportunity.

    Said he : ” Caverton is fast tracking the national content policy by ensuring that more Nigerians are trained and given the pride of place in recruitment into high technical management positions.

    “To diversify our business activities, we are building a Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) facility in Lagos, which we plan to make operational in 2019.

    “Once completed, all the helicopters in our fleet as well as aircraft from third party operators will be maintained in the country, thus saving time and foreign exchange.

    ‘’The showcasing of our newly acquired fleet of Bell Helicopters attests to proactive drive to successfully grow our business in the long term.”

    The company’s achievement, Makanjuola said, would not have been possible without the unwavering support of the Federal Government and the major oil companies like Shell in particular who had confidence in us.

    “We have keyed into the fiscal discipline and local capacity-building that the Federal government has emphasised over the past few years, and we are now well-positioned to contribute our quota to the national economy’’,he added.

    The Caverton Helicopter, he noted, would begin operation on April 1, 2018.

    This is just as the company looks forward to a zero-accident  services since the helicopters will be flying everyday. Ovuede said the rules and regulations of aviation would be strictly adhered to by ensuring that all the helicopters are well maintained.

    Commending the group for promoting indigenous content thereby helping the nation’s economy, Minister of State for Aviation ,Hadi Sirika, said this new addition will assist in  expanding the Nigerian aviation sector.

    Speaking on the journey so far, Managing Director, Caverton Helicopters, Capt. Josian Choms, said despite the challenges of doing aviation business in Nigeria, the company has continued to be ahead. The strength, he said, lies in the passion at which Caverton discharges its service to its client, which is made possible by productive and efficient leadership and employees.

    While safety remains the company’s watchword, Choms reiterates the company’s rule of zero- accident as it continues its excellent service in the Nigerian air space.

  • Executive Order boosts service delivery at airports

    The implementation of  the Executive Order on  the Ease of Doing Business has boosted service delivery at airports. The Order, which okays passengers screening through a single window by security personnel, has saved turnaround time for airlines and passengers, reports KELVIN OSA OKUNBOR.

    Passenger facilitation at airports has assumed new dimensions, thanks to the implementation of the Executive Order on  the  Ease of Doing Business signed last May 18 by Vice President  Yemi Osinbajo.

    In the last 10 months, passenger screening, check-in procedures and other processes have taken a new shape – no more lost hours for travellers.

    The Order has not only improved the architecture of security, but also prescribed the terms of engagement of uniformed personnel attached to critical units.

    It requires that staff members on duty should be properly identified by their uniforms and identity cards, while off-duty personnel are expected to stay away from the airport except with  the approval of the agency head.

    According to Osinbajo, aviation security personnel of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) should address touting at airports.

    ”All non-official staff shall be removed from the secured areas of airports. No official of FAAN, Immigration, security agency or Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) or any other agency is to meet any non-designated dignitary at any secure areas of the airport,” The Vice President warned.

    He directed that the approved list of dignitaries to be received by protocol officers should be made available to AVSEC and other relevant agencies ahead of their arrival.

    ”Any  official caught soliciting or receiving bribes from passengers or other airport users shall be subject to immediate removal from post and will face  disciplinary as well as criminal proceedings in line with extant laws and regulations,’’ the Order said.

    Ten months on, passenger processing at airports and other screening procedures have been transformed.

    Investigations reveal that  it  takes less time for passengers and airlines to process check in procedures at the airports for the reworking of security architecture at the departure and arrival wings of the terminal building.

    Besides saving airlines and passengers time, there is a significant reduction in the procedure and processing of flights due to the elimination of multiple tables where passengers displayed either their luggage or travel documents.

    The controversial “Customs Table“ used by airlines have been removed at the Lagos International Airport to improve passengers’ profiling and check-in processes in line with globally accepted operational standards. The development, described as a win-win situation for passengers, airlines and security agencies, is a departure from the past.

    Before the implementation of the Executive Order, a long table was used by Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Quarantine Service, Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) and other agencies’ officials  to  allegedly extort money from passengers.

    This table before the implementation of Executive Order was responsible for the unnecessary delays in passengers’check-in, which sometimes ran into several hours.

    In an interview, FAAN Managing Director, Saleh Dunoma  said there was a paradigm shift at the airports since the order was signed.

    Dunoma confirmed that check in procedures and passenger processing had improved

    He said: “Desks that have been there for manual search are no longer there. The checks are being done at appropriate locations and this has created a tidy departure hall.

    “This has improved the ambience of the departure hall.’’

    An aviation security expert,  Group Captain John Ojikutu (rtd) commended the government for the new regulations, noting, however, that there was still room for improvement.

    Ojikutu, who is the and Managing Director of Centurion Securities Limited, said the removal of check-in tables was in line with the agitation by industry experts, who have, for years, called on the government to redesign the security procedure for passengers check-in.

    Also, Dana Air Group Managing Director, Mr. Jacky Hathirami, praised aviation agencies for the commitment they had so far exhibited in implementing the directive.

    He said: “Apart from the fact that aviation industry is critical to the economy, I believe the executive order has removed unnecessary bureaucracies at the airports, provide solutions to a lot of anomalies in the system.’’

    On the impact of the Ease of Doing Business at airports, Akwaaba African Travel Market organiser, Mr Ikechi Uko, commended FAAN for removing the long tables.

    Uko admitted  that passenger facilitation at airports was not only faster, but now devoid of the hassles of multiple screening and checks.

    He said: “It is easier now to go through the airport, though visa on arrival is still not easy as the processes of getting approval for visa on arrival is still difficult.”

    He said there was room for improvement in some areas at the airport like the toilets which he observed are getting cleaner.

    FAAN’s Director of Operations, Captain Rabiu Yadudu told The Nation that the Ease of Doing Business has brought about a lot of efficiency in airport operations and synergy among security agencies.

    He added that the authority is now a subscriber to the Airport Service Quality Programme (ASP) put together by the global regulator, Airport Council International (ACI).

    The programme, he said, uses data gathering to help the agency measure its passengers’ reactions to  improve service delivery.

    He said the Executive Order has broadened the horizon for the airport authority in entrenching safety and seamless facilitation.

    Yadudu said:  “It  provided a template for us  to know how to react to customers and stakeholders and give  us better understanding to serve  better.”

    The new arrangement, he said, had  provided  passengers  satisfaction at airports.

    “This programme is all about gathering data from the incoming and outgoing passengers on all aspects of our operations to help us improve our services through analysis of this data. The ASP is all about efficiency and how we response to passengers stimuli,” he added.

  • ‘Monitor quality of aviation fuel supply’

    A pioneering study on the microbial contamination of aviation fuel and its handling system has been submitted.

    The team urged quality control agencies to intensify the monitoring of the quality of fuel supplied to aircraft.

    It was carried out by a team of researchers at the University of Ilorin, Kwara State. It  recommended,  among others, the incorporation of micro-biological standards into aviation fuel (known as Jet A1) and its allied products.

    The study is the first in the subsector. It was aimed at assessing microbial contamination of aviation fuel and fuel handling at CITA Petroleum Tank Farms in Lagos, Port Harcourt and Abuja.

    Samples were collected thrice between September 2014 and May 2015, representing rainy, harmattan and the beginning of rainy seasons to evaluate the effect of seasonality on the detection and frequency of occurrence of the microbial contaminants.

    Lead researcher and lecturer at the Department of Microbiology, University of Ilorin, Prof. Albert Olayemi, said though the work might not be enough to establish microbiological quality standards to classify aviation fuel and fuel handing, it is the first approach to underscore the importance of microbial contamination in aviation fuel and safety.

    Olayemi added that the combined monitoring and preventive action costs would be less than the costs of crises response strategy.

    The indigenous study was sponsored by CITA which provided a $100,000 grant.

    The report was presented to CITA  Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Dr. Thomas Ogungbanbe and  Chief Operating Officer (COO)Olasimbo Betiku, at the CITA’s head office  in Lagos preparatory to its unveiling at the Second IATA  Aviation Fuel Systems Management Symposium in Miami next month.

    Ogungbangbe highlighted the importance of the research in   Africa, adding that most of the  assumptions in science, aviation, engineering and technology are mostly based on the European, American and other environment.

    Next month, Betiku will lead the Nigerian delegate to Miami Florida to share the African narrative on the subject.

    Meanwhile, the research has commended the management of CITA Petroleum Nigeria complying with the industry and company’s Proprietary Policies, Standards and Procedure (PSP) covering the entire supply storage and distribution.

  • Arik Air explains smoke in cabin incident on Lagos – Accra flight

    Arik Air explains smoke in cabin incident on Lagos – Accra flight

    …….Dash 8 Q400 aircraft parked in Ghana for rectification, testing

     

    Arik Air on Friday gave clarifications on how unknown source of smoke was detected in the cabin of its Dash 8 Q400 aircraft that was on flight W3 304 from Lagos to Accra on March 6, 2018 forcing the pilot in command to declare an emergency 81 nautical miles to airport of disembarkation.

    According to its Public Rekations and Communications Manager, Adebanji Ola, the pilot took the safety step in line with standard operating procedures .
    Ola said the captain of the flight briefed the passengers accordingly assuring them that the aircraft was under control and safe for landing in Accra.
    The aircraft, he said landed safely in Accra without further incident and all passengers disembarked normally.

    He said :” The aircraft is currently parked in Acrra and our team of engineers are conducting comprehensive inspections on the aircraft to ascertain the cause of the smoke, after which the aircraft will be flown without passengers to a maintenance facility for rectification and testing. The relevant aviation authorities in Ghana and Nigeria have been briefed appropriately on the incident.”

    But, a social media message posted by one of the passengers on board contradicted the position of the airline.

    The passenger recounted his experience thus :” I boarded Arik air flight W3304 to Accra on Tuesday 06/03/2018. The name of the aircraft is STEPHEN. It was a Dash 8 NextGen propeller aircraft. The flight took off precisely 7.20pm (Lagos time) 35 minutes into the 55 minutes flight, I started perceiving something smelling like a burning stuff.

    “Shortly after the guy sitting next to me asked if I perceived any smell of burning stuff and that confirmed my worst fears. Before you could say jack, smoke has filled the cabin. The air hostesses were busy scampering around opening the cabins and the lavatories to check if they could trace the source of the smoke without success.

    “While that continued, the oxygen masks that were always being advertised during the safety demo prior to take-off couldn’t be released instead we were handed tissue papers (otherwise called serviets) to use to cover our noses to minimize and filter out possible carbon monoxide inhalation.

    “About 5 minutes after, precisely with 15 minutes of flight time remaining, the pilot came on the public address system to inform us that they have smoke coming into the cabin and that they don’t know the source and that they have DECLARED EMERGENCY”.

    “At that point we knew that our lives were only in God’s hands. Everyone prayed to his/her Gods.

    “To the glory of God, the flight successfully landed by 8.15pm (7.15pm Accra time) to the waiting of several fire service trucks at Kotoko International airport, Accra.

    “We were evacuated into a waiting bus with instruction to leave everything behind in the cabin. Sadly there was no Arik official to address us neither was there any manner of first aid attention given to the passengers to manage stress and possible elevated blood pressures.

    “After a while our cabin luggage were brought to us and we had to leave from there to go through the Ghana immigration to our individual destinations.

    “I’m highly discouraged that this near crash major incident was not reported in the media 2 days after (today is 08/03/2018) and I suspect a cover up by Arik and the authorities. So I have chosen to use the social media to ensure this news gets out.

    “Kindly keep forwarding this message till everybody is made aware of the quality and kind of services Arik air gives and the possible cover ups before something terrible happens.

    “If anyone is in doubt, I can be reached through chymexus@yahoo.com and I can provide my phone number for further verification.”

  • FAAN tightens security at Lagos airport airside

    FAAN tightens security at Lagos airport airside

    The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has deployed 10 Hilux patrol vehicles to tighten security at the airside of the Murtala Muhammed Airport, Ikeja, Lagos.

    The airside is the area of an airport with direct access to the aircraft. Entry to the place is controlled.

    In an interview in Lagos, FAAN’s General Manager, Corporate Affairs, Mrs Henrietta Yakubu, said the deployment was part of measures to enhance efficiency and security at the airport.

    She said: ”The authority will like to assure airport users and the public that we will continue to upgrade our facilities, processes and procedures, in consonance with our core values of security, safety and comfort.”

    In a related development, FAAN has automated the car park at the General Aviation Terminal (GAT) at the Murtala Muhammed Airport (MMA), Lagos.

    Mrs Yakubu said  within one month of the  exercise, it has recorded 68 per cent increase in revenue.

    She said the exercise had blocked some of the leakages in the system.

    She said with the automation, rowdiness and  traffic gridlock  caused by the manual collection at the park had disappeared.

    Mrs Yakubu  said  FAAN would review the performance of the exercise by the end of this quarter and make adjustments where necessary. He noted that so far, the new system had been in favour of both FAAN and the public.

    FAAN started the automation of the GAT car park on January 8, a development that has eliminated the manual collection of toll which was in place for about two decades.

    She said: “FAAN decided to overhaul the whole system and see how we could make it orderly because we were getting a lot of complaints from our passengers and airport users that they were not getting space to park their vehicles.Then, we were wondering if all the people that parked their vehicles at the car park were airport workers and travellers. Also, we are in an era of technology where people no longer do things manually, but automated. That was what prompted FAAN into doing the automation.

    “And since we started, there has been a lot of sanity at the car park. There is a lot of orderliness, progression. As soon as you go into the airport, you just go into the car park without any issues. In time past, there were lots of queues. Once you get into the airport, if you are not dropping, you are encouraged to go to the car park and do your business there, rather than parking on the road and create traffic jam.”

    Despite the automation of the car park, Mrs Yakubu said FAAN would still continue with the planned construction of a multi-storey car park within the GAT terminal, stressing that such would further enhance revenue generation for the agency.

    “As you know, FAAN just completed the construction of a multi-storey car park at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos. Plans are on ground, too, for the car park at the GAT. When we commence the construction, everyone would see it,” she said.

    On the evacuation of aircraft at the Lagos Airport, she said the exercise had been completed in Lagos while the team would move to Kano airport for the same exercise and, subsequently, move to Ilorin, Kaduna and others.

    She added that FAAN was also working on the toilets at the international wing of the Lagos Airport.

    “The Wing D toilet fittings have been removed and replaced. Once we are done with Wing D, we shall move to Wing E. We are doing overhaul of the facilities so that we can have new toilets for users,”she said.

  • Gulfstream G500 Jet makes its debut

    The all-new Gulfstream G500 business jet has made its debut with the visit to the country of Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation’s senior executives.

    They were in Nigeria to give customers an opportunity to experience firsthand the new aircraft’s cutting-edge technology, unparallelled comfort and superior craftsmanship.

    The Gulfstream G500 business jet was on display at the ExecuJet Terminal of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos.

    At the event attended by senior leaders from diverse sectors, Commercial Counsellor Brent Omdahl, reaffirmed the strong economic ties between the United States and Nigeria.

    “The U.S. Foreign Commercial Service continues to facilitate long- term business relationships between companies from the United States and Nigeria. We are excited to welcome this stellar group from the Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation to share their experience and expertise with Nigerian business executives,” Omdahl said.

    He further said: “Private aviation is a growing industry in Nigeria, which is home to more than 20 Gulfstream business aircraft, most of them large-cabin, long-range jets capable of connecting companies and business owners with their corporate interests around the globe.

    “The Gulfstream G500, for example, can fly 8,149 km at nine-10ths the speed of sound, easily carrying passengers from Lagos to London or Moscow. At Mach 0.85, the aircraft can travel 9,630 km, linkingLagos with Caracas or Mumbai.’’

  • RwandAir to launch flights into Abuja 

    RwandAir to launch flights into Abuja 

    Rwand Air  has concluded plans to launch flights from its hub in Kigali into Abuja, Bamako in Mali, Conakry in  Guinea and Cape Town in South Africa.

    These routes, according to the airline,  are part of its route expansion and growth drive for the 2017/2018 financial year.

    Apart from the expansion plan for its operations in Africa,  RwandAir is also determined to expand its flights into New York, in the United States and into Guangzhou in China, Asia.

    In an interview,  Rwand Air Country Manager in Nigeria, Ms Ibiyemi Odusi, said the airline will continue to offer uninterrupted seamless air services on its many routes with improvements on its products on all fronts.

    She said the airline is committed to offering market competitive fares, generous baggage allowance  and uninterrupted connections to destinations within Africa, Middle East and Europe.

    Odusi said: “Abuja will soon be active together with Bamako, Yaounde, Conakry, Cape Town New York and, of course, the long awaited Guangzhou, in China.

    “ We are the fastest-growing airline in Africa. Our fleet of 12 aircraft is composed of Airbus A3330-300 and A330-200. We will continue to consolidate on this to enable us feed our routes seamlessly with adequate schedule planning.

    “ By the end of this financial year, we will be looking at 31 destinations in the whole network.”

    Meanwhile, the RwandwAir  Country Manager said the airline  plans to host trade and corporate partners, for their contributions in the financial year. This has since been a tradition with the airline.

    According to Odusi, the programme is drawn up to appreciate partners for their support for the airline. It is necessary to appreciate them and also update them on new products/services, she said.

     

     

     

  • ‘Flights into Kano will deepen intra-country connectivity’

    Air Peace flights on the Lagos-Kano-Abuja-Kano route will boost intra-country connectivity, its Chairman, Allen Onyema, has said.

    Onyema spoke during Air Peace’s inaugural flight on the Lagos-Kano-Abuja-Kano route.

    He said the carrier had fulfilled its promise to link all parts of the country to boost economic activities.

    Onyema said the nightmares caused by delays and flight cancellation on the route would be over, as Air Peace would up the ante with the new service.

    He said the flight was an achievement in the airline’s vision to unite Nigeria through air travel and lift the economy through trade facilitation and job creation.

    “This historic event accords with our strategy to expand our operation in the North and connect other unserved or underserved cities of the nation. Kano has long been recognised as the economic capital of the Northern Nigeria. We are, therefore, hopeful that the extension of our flight services to the state will greatly and positively impact on the economy of the region,” Onyema said.

    Besides the launch of the Kano route, the airline has also added Yola and flights on the West African Coast in Freetown, Sierra Leone, Banjul, Gambia and Dakar in Senegal.

    He said last year, the airline expanded its fleet to 24 airplanes.

    The airline, he said, is positioned to transform air travel experience in Nigeria,West Africa sub-region and beyond.

    He said: “We are reputed for our time performance and uncompromising stand on matters of safety. We promise to leverage the experience of our skilled staff and excellent business model to end the era of delays on the Lagos–Kano-Lagos and Kano-Abuja-Kano routes.”

    He appealed for patronage and support as the airline operate twice daily from Lagos into Kano and back, once from Kano into Abuja and back and try to deliver new experience for travellers on the Kano route.

    “We are determined to forge a mutually beneficial relationship with the good people and residents of Kano and its neighbouring states,” Onyema assured.

    Emir of Kano Alhaji Lamido Sanusi Lamido, represented by Jakadan Hausa Alhaji Ibrahim Sambo assured the airline of the the Kano Emirate’s continued support for it to succeed on the Lagos–Kano route.

    He advised the airline not to delay its passengers and ensure it sustains the operation with good service.

    He said Kano people were happy that Air Peace has found the city worthy to fly into.

     

  • ‘Flights into Kano will deepen intra-country connectivity’

    Air Peace flights on the Lagos-Kano-Abuja-Kano route will boost intra-country connectivity, its Chairman, Allen Onyema, has said.

    Onyema spoke during AirPeace’s inaugural flight on the Lagos-Kano-Abuja-Kano route.

    He said the carrier had fulfilled its promise to link all parts of the country to boost economic activities.

    Onyema said the nightmares caused by delays and flight cancellation on the route would be over, as Air Peace would up the ante with the new service.

    He said the flight was an achievement in the airline’s vision to unite Nigeria through air travel and lift the economy through trade facilitation and job creation.

    “This historic event accords with our strategy to expand our operation in the North and connect other unserved or underserved cities of the nation. Kano has long been recognised as the economic capital of the Northern Nigeria. We are, therefore, hopeful that the extension of our flight services to the state will greatly and positively impact on the economy of the region,” Onyema said.

    Besides the launch of the Kano route, the airline has also added Yola and flights on the West African Coast in Freetown, Sierra Leone, Banjul, Gambia and Dakar in Senegal.

    He said last year, the airline expanded its fleet to 24 airplanes.

    The airline, he said, is positioned to transform air travel experience in Nigeria,West Africa sub-region and beyond.

    He said: “We are reputed for our time performance and uncompromising stand on matters of safety. We promise to leverage the experience of our skilled staff and excellent business model to end the era of delays on the Lagos–Kano-Lagos and Kano-Abuja-Kano routes.”

    He appealed for patronage and support as the airline operate twice daily from Lagos into Kano and back, once from Kano into Abuja and back and try to deliver new experience for travellers on the Kano route.

    “We are determined to forge a mutually beneficial relationship with the good people and residents of Kano and its neighbouring states,” Onyema assured.

    Emir of Kano Alhaji Lamido Sanusi Lamido, represented by Jakadan Hausa Alhaji Ibrahim Sambo assured the airline of the the Kano Emirate’s continued support for it to succeed on the Lagos–Kano route.

    He advised the airline not to delay its passengers and ensure it sustains the operation with good service.

    He said Kano people were happy that Air Peace has found the city worthy to fly into.