The Nation Newspaper

Tag: airline

  • Heartland want to dedicate Lobi win to Oriental Airline plane crash victims

    Heartland want to dedicate Lobi win to Oriental Airline plane crash victims

    •Naze Millionaires remember dead duo 21 years later

    Heartland will be eager to beat Lobi Stars as a tribute for the repose of the souls of Aimola Omale and Uche Ikeogu who both died when the club’s (then known as Iwuanyanwu Nationale) chartered flight crashed in Algeria in 1994 when they were returning from Tunisia after a CAF Champions Cup first leg tie against Esperance Sportive.

    The ill-fated crash happened on September 18, 1994 and 21 years after the incident which happened in an Algerian town of Tamanrasset Heartland players and officials yesterday assembled to pray and have a procession in honour of the two players that died in the crash.

    The Media Officer of Heartland, Cajetan Nkwopara told SportingLife the Naze Millionaires players and officials used part of their final training session ahead of Sunday’s duel with Lobi Stars to hold a procession and also pray for the repose of the lives of the dead duo of Omale and Ikeogu.

    He said Heartland players have been told to approach the tie with the Pride of Benue with maximum concentration as they would like to dedicate the expected home win to the repose of the lives of their former heroes.

    Nkwopara told SportingLife that the death of the two players in the Oriental Airline plane crash still remains one of the sad moments of the club and that even though it is over 20 years the incidence still remains ever fresh in their memories.

  • Indonesian airline with 54 passengers missing

    Indonesian airline with 54 passengers missing

    An Indonesian airline with 54 people on board is reported missing in Papua region.
    Agency report said contact was lost with the Trigana Air ATR 42 turboprop just before after take-off from Sentani airport in the regional capital Jayapura.
    The plane was said to be flying to the town of Oksibil in the south of the region.
    There are indications that the plane crashed due to bad weather.
    Those on board the aircraft included 44 adult passengers, five children and infants, and five crew.
    Spokesman of the Transport ministry Julius Barata confirmed the disappearance.

  • Airline operators calls for reduction in operation cost

    Airline operators calls for reduction in operation cost

    Airline Operators Association of Nigeria (AOAN) has called on the Federal Government to review the charges paid by its members in order to reduce their high cost of operation.

    Mr Mohammed Joji, General Secretary of the association, told the News Agency of Nigerian (NAN) in Abuja that high operating cost was a challenge facing the aviation industry in Nigeria.

    Joji stated that airline operators in the country were burdened with multiple charges, which included five per cent ticket sale charge, landing and parking charge as well as passenger service charge and en-route navigational charge.

    According to him, aside the charges mentioned, airlines are also subjected to paying Value Added Tax (VAT) to the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), and this is abnormal.

    “The issue of multiple charges is a major challenge facing local airline operators, because the charges are so numerous and have significantly affected airlines’ operations.

    “For instance, we pay five per cent charge for passenger’s ticket, which is a compulsory payment for every operator.

    “For the operators to survive in the business, there is the need for the government to harmonise some of these charges in the overall interest of the sector.

    “The charges are not good for the industry as a whole, and we urge the government to find ways of addressing this issue which has become a major challenge to us,’’ he said.

    Joji said that another challenge of the industry was the high cost of aviation fuel (JET-A1), which is currently being sold at between N160 per litre and N170 per litre.

    He added that the aviation fuel, whose price was usually cheaper than the prices of petrol and diesel, was hitherto sold at N40 per litre.

    According to him, the marketers have taken advantage of the deregulation of the downstream sector to reap additional proceeds, which is illegal and immoral.

    The general secretary called on the government to develop policy to stabilise aviation fuel supply and pricing, which had been of serious concern to both operators and stakeholders.

    He also disclosed that foreign exchange issue was another challenge be-devilling the growth of the sector, adding that every part of an aircraft, including nuts, bolts and screws, were imported.

  • Ethiopian Airlines wins award

    Ethiopian Airlines wins award

    Ethiopian Airlines has won the Airline of the Year Award for the second time at MICE Magazine’s Eighth Annual Industry Golden Chair Awards in Beijing, China.

    The award is one of the most influential awards in China, which ranks airlines, hotels, travel agencies and tourism destinations with the best performance. Its Group Chief Executive Officer, Tewolde Gebre Mariam, said: “We are honoured to receive this award for the second year in a row. I wish to thank MICE Magazine and, above all, our esteemed customers from China for their vote of confidence. Ethiopian has become the airline of choice for Chinese travelers between China, Africa and Brazil. We offer the best and fastest connectivity options with a total of 28 weekly flights to four gateways in China that are Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Hong Kong, and with immediate connection to 49 destinations in Africa and Sao Paulo in Brazil. All the flights are operated with the latest and most comfortable aircraft, the 787 and 777. Thanks to our codeshare agreement with our fellow Star Alliance partner, Air China, we avail seamless and convenient connections with one ticket and the ability to accrue and redeem frequent flyer miles on the two airlines.”

    He said given the growing economic and people ties between Africa and China, the firm would expand its reach in China, Africa and Brazil with new destinations and more frequencies to enhance its service to our customers from China.

    Last year, Ethiopian received Best Airline to Africa award by Premier Traveller, one of the most prominent travel magazines in the United States. Ethiopian has also been awarded Best Airline in Africa and African Airline of the Year awards by Passenger Choice and the African Airlines Association (AFRAA).

     

  • Ethiopian Airline bags awards

    Ethiopian airlines has emerged African airline of the year at the Akwaaba African Market in Lagos.

    The airline also carted away the best African airline to West Africa.

    While the country’s airport, the Bole International airport, Addis Ababa also won the most passenger friendly airport in East Africa.

    In other award categories, Arik Air won the best airline in West Africa, while Asky Air took away the award for the best short haul airline in West Africa.

    Others include, best tourism marketing company won by South African Tourism, the Best Hotel in West Africa, won by Four Point Sheraton and Biggest hotel chain in African which was taken home by Protea Hotel. La Campagne Tropicana, Ikegun emerged the best beach resort in West Africa, Obudu Moutain Resort won the best resort in West Africa, Calabar Festival won the best Carnival, while Mr Adrian Landry won the best hotel manager among others.

    At the event, Capt. Irene Koki Mutungi was honoured by Women in Aviation (Nigeria) International-Glowing Wings Chapter in partnership with Akwaaba.

  • Airline sued over ‘missing’ luggage

    A Jos, Plateau State-based businessman, Adejo Yakubu has  faulted a claim by Ethiopian Airlines that he was not entitled to compensation despite its inability to account for his luggage four years after he boarded the airline’s flight from Beijing, China  to Abuja, Nigeria.

    Last week, Yakubu, through his lawyer, James Attah Adokwe, put a lie to an earlier claim by the airline that what he lost was just hand luggage which weighed 10kilogramm, and for which he was only entitled to US$200 compensation.

    An official of the airline, Gii Emmanuel, an Ethiopian citizen, told a Federal High Court in Abuja, while being cross-examined by Adokwe, that Yakubu actually paid for extra luggage outside the hand baggage, evidence that contradicted his company’s claim that the passenger had just his hand baggage.

    Yakubu, who is the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Global Photos and Accessories Nigeria Limited, flew the airline on November 4, 2010 on a return flight from Beijing after a business trip to China. On his arrival at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja on November 5, his luggage, which was duly checked-in   at the departure in Beijing, was discovered missing.

    He complained to the airline officials, who gave him the necessary documents to endorse and give description of items contained in the missing luggage, pledged to help retrieve the missing luggage. About 21 days later when the airline could not produce his luggage, Yakubu’s lawyer wrote the airline, who in a letter dated March 2, 2011, offered to pay US 200 as compensation, claiming that what was missing was hand baggage weighing 10kg.

    In subsequent letter dated August 4, 2011 written by its lawyer, Chris Uguwnayi of the firm of Tayo Laleye and Company , the airline raised its offer to US500 claiming that it was acting on “goodwill basis,” an offer Yakubu rejected, and subsequently proceeded to court and instituted the suit marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/195/2012, with Ethiopian Airlines as sole defendant.

    Yakubu is praying the court for among others, an order directing Ethiopian Airline to pay him N9,584,022 in general and special damages following its inability to account for his luggage and the psychological and emotional  trouble the airline action has caused him.

    He also wants the court to declare that the airline “was negligent/or failed in ts duty to deliver the plaintiff’s baggage on November 5, 2010 and up to date.”

    Alternatively, Yakubu wants the court to order the defendant to pay to him US6,658 as a result of its negligence, which led to the loss of his luggage.

    While testifying last week before Justice Gabriel Kolawole, Emmanuel , who  adopted his witness statement on oath, Emmanuel admitted that the plaintiff was on his company’s flight from Beijing between November 4 and 5, 2010.

    He also admitted that the plaintiff complained about his missing luggage subsequently. He however denied knowledge of the actual content of the missing luggage.

    Justice Kolwole adjourned till January 15 next year for adoption of written addresses.

  • Lawyer writes airline over missing luggage

    Lawyer writes airline over missing luggage

    An Onitsha based lawyer Mr. Steve Ononye has written Air France over his missing luggage.

    The lawyer alleged that he travelled with his family to the United Kingdom on August 3 and also returned by Air France.

    “On arrival at Port Harcourt International airport, I lodged a complaint about the missing bag to the Air France Customer Relations unit on August 18. I filled the inventory form.

    “It is very unprofessional and unethical that up to one month of lodging the said complaint, no reply in whatever form or manner has been communicated to me with respect to the missing bag and the management of Air France has consistently neglected to reach out to me in this respect

    “The bag which the management of Air France has refused to deliver to me contains so many gift items including some clothing materials, which I bought for my mother.  It is quite a pity that my mother will never set her eyes on the clothes and shoes which I bought for her because she died exactly one week after we returned to Nigeria.

    “The missing bag with Ref No: PHC AF 22389 be retrieved from wherever it could be and same delivered to him without delay,” the lawyer said.

    He added that he would sue the airline if the bag is not returned to him within seven days.

  • Airline displays GulfStream’s G 280

    The new commercial sales representative of the Gulfstream, Skyjet Aviation Services Limited  has displayed  one of Gulfstream products, G280 in Lagos.

    According to the Director of Aircraft Sales, Bruce Fullerton, “we ( Skyjet and Gulfstream ) will be bringing a Gulfstream 280 Lagos. It was displayed at the weekend at the EAN Aviation hangar.

    “The Gulfstream   G280 has established itself as the super-midsise class leader in performance and economy.

    According to Gulfstream website,   “a newly designed long, sleeking and high-thrust engines increase range and speed, yet fuel economy is so well maximised the G280 has earned best-in-class fuel efficiency’’.

  • Norwegian airline prepares for global expansion

    Norwegian airline prepares for global expansion

    A Norwegian direct airline service to Los Angeles has revived hopes for a budget long-haul market.

    Budget airline Norwegian has started the new twice weekly service out of London’s Gatwick Airport.

    It will fly twice weekly from London to Fort Lauderdale and thrice weekly to New York.

    Norwegian made its first foray into long-haul last year with routes from Scandinavia to the United States and Thailand.

    Norwegian says that some low season flights can be had for as low as £179 ($272) one-way to New York, however only a limited of seats are available at this price.

    Norwegian’s website was offering flights in the height of the holiday season in July and August from £329 to £647.

    But the service, run from a new company called Norwegian Air International (NAI) in the Republic of Ireland, has been heavily criticised by US airlines and labour unions.

    They say NAI is using Ireland because of its more flexible labour laws.

    The Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA) said the creation of Norwegian Air International “was clearly designed to attempt to dodge laws and regulations, starting a race to the bottom on labour and working conditions”.

    Among their complaints is NAI’s use of pilots and crews from Asia to drive down costs.

    Norwegian says that it always respects the regulations of the markets in which it operates and says it is hiring 300 American cabin crew and New York-based pilots for its 787 Dreamliner operation.

    It said in a statement that NAI was based in Ireland to “access to future traffic rights to and from the EU (Norway is not a member of the EU)”, and because being registered in Ireland gave it access to more flexible rules on financing.

    Norwegian has planned its long-haul business round fuel-efficient aircraft. It has a fleet of 787 Dreamliners with four more due for delivery before the end of the year.

    If the Norwegian long-haul budget model works it could have far reaching consequences for the development of travel and how airports are used.

    The new generation of fuel efficient aircraft could mean more passengers flying “point-to-point” rather than via large hub airports such as Heathrow, Schiphol or Charles de Gaulle.

    There is an argument that these new routes are so significant, they could change the course of the runway debate in Britain

  • Why airlines fail in Nigeria, by operator

    An airline operator, Captain Abdulsalami Mohammed has attributed the high mortality rate of domestic airlines in Nigeria to lack of proper planning by operators.

    Mohammed, who is the Managing Director of Discovery Air, explained that many people venture into airline business without adequate preparation.

    Such ill-preparation about the business, he said, has contributed significantly to the collapse of many airlines.

    He said: “The short life span of most airlines could be attributed to lack of proper planning as well as the harsh and non-conducive business environment which makes it difficult for operators to access long term credit facilities.

    “It is only when you have a well thought out plan of what is required to run the business that you could hit the ground running and remain in business.

    “Many people just dabble into the business without adequate preparation. This accounts for the high rate of failure of many airlines.”

    Specifically, he noted that unlike in Europe and America, where there are finance companies that are willing to lease aeroplanes to operators, Nigeria is seen as a high risk country and operators are therefore forced to pay upfront making them to grapple with limited resources.

    He said the firm will commence operations with three modern aircraft and progressively grow its fleet to service its expansion plans that is based on due diligence of the market.

    He said: “We have in the last one year taken time to study the successes of global legacy airlines and have adopted strategies to suit Nigerian operations.”

    Mohammed said the airline was set up about a year ago to provide travellers good customer service and fill the gap of shortage of commercial aircraft in the country.

    He said the airline will commence commercial flight operations soon as it has taken delivery of a Boeing 737-300 aircraft.

    The Boeing 737-300 aircraft is the first in the series of three aircraft to be delivered within the next one month.

    The aircraft which arrived in the the country from England last month will be involved in demonstration flights as part of the process for the issuance of the Air Operators’ Certificate (AOC) by the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA).

    According to him, with the arrival of the aircraft the airline is fully prepared to complete the AOC’s certification processes.

    He however expressed optimism that with the successes so far recorded and compliance to the NCAA’s guidelines for start-up airlines, AOC will be issued to it soon.

    “Discovery Airways is now closer to commencing domestic commercial operations in the country very soon. We may even commence commercial operations by mid-December to offer more choices to travellers during the Yuletide,” he said.