The Nation Newspaper

Tag: British Airways

  • British Airways rolls out special Xmas offer to UK, Europe

    British Airways rolls out special Xmas offer to UK, Europe

    British Airways has announced a special Christmas price discount on its popular World Traveller (economy) cabin for its Nigerian customers.

    Known as the “Christmas Sale Special,” the offer comes just a few weeks after the end of the airline’s 53rd Independence Anniversary Special and the Companion Fare Special which offered customers special discounts to United Kingdom, Europe and North America.

    Giving details of the offer, British Airways Commercial Manager for West Africa, Mr. Kola Olayinka, said the Christmas Sales Special presents the airline’s customers the opportunity to travel to London, the United Kingdom, and selected destinations in Europe from Lagos and Abuja for as low as $360!

    He, however, advised customers to hurry to confirm their bookings, as these amazing return fares are limited.

    These fares, he said, are available for purchase until December 23 and return by January 31, 2014.

    “We know it’s not Christmas yet, but we just can’t wait to share our gifts with our customers this season. This is why we are announcing our Christmas Sale Special this early. Apart from enabling our customers to make fantastic savings while travelling on our award-winning World Traveler (economy) cabin, we also believe that it will also help them plan well ahead for their Christmas travels this season,” Olayinka said.

     

  • BA gets manager

    British Airways has appointed Kola Olayinka as its commercial manager for West Africa.

    Olayinka, who was the country manager for Nigeria, will be responsible for the airline’s commercial operations in the country as well as Ghana, Sierra Leone and Liberia.

    Olayinka will be based in Lagos and will report directly to the area general manager for Africa and Europe.

    Moran Birger was appointed the Country Commercial Manager in Ghana, based in Accra, and will report to Olayinka.

    In Nigeria, Adetutu Otuyalo will continue to oversee the company’s corporate portfolio while Ademola Sanya will continue looking after all trade-related business. Both will report to Olayinka.

  • British Airways increases African flights

    British Airways is growing its African frequencies, improving connectivity through London Heathrow and introducing its latest products.

    In West Africa, it will increase its daily services to Ghana by three a week from next month, using Boeing 767s to complement Boeing 777 flights, bringing the total number of weekly services to 10.

    From Summer 2014, a larger four-cabin Boeing 747 aircraft will replace one of the Boeing 777s on the route. It will also add a fourth weekly service to Sierra Leone and Liberia.

    In East Africa, it will add an additional frequency to Uganda to offer four weekly flights. The schedule will be amended to offer better connections to other international services though Terminal 5.

    North African services have been bolstered by a fourth weekly flight to Tripoli.

    South African customers are already able to make bookings for the A380, the airline’s largest and most modern aircraft, which begins flying to Johannesburg on February 12, 2014.

    This is only the third A380 route to be announced after Los Angeles and Hong Kong.

    Services to Cape Town will double from the current daily service to a double-daily operation over the busy South African summer season. British Airways is the only airline which flies directly from Cape Town to London year round.

    It is also investing in its lounges and by the end of the year the Cape Town and Johannesburg facilities will be upgraded to reflect the customer experience at in the Terraces lounges in the award-winning Terminal 5.

    “We continue to consider the continent as an important growth market and the acquisition of bmi, our fleet renewal programme and Terminal 5 have enabled us to grow frequencies, introduce new products and provide more convenient connections for our African customers,” says Ian Petrie, Regional Manager Africa.

  • British Airways expands services in West Africa

    British Airways expands services in West Africa

    THE British Airways is increasing its West African schedule, adding a fourth weekly flight to Sierra Leone and Liberia.

    This is coming nine months after the airline started operating on the routes. It will add 33 more capacity to the route between Freetown in Monrovia and London.

    The flight will arrive at Terminal 5 in the evening, allowing same-day connections to Washington; saving the need for an overnight transit and visa.

    The flight timing also permits better connections to a host of other United States and Canadian cities as well as United Kingdom domestic destinations.

    The new service starts on October 31, this year, using Boeing 767 aircraft in a three-cabin configuration; World Traveller, World Traveller Plus and Club World. The flight will be on sale from Tuesday, June 11.

    “It is unusual to add more flights so soon after starting a new route, but we’re responding to strong demand in these fast-growing West-African economies.

    In scheduling the flight, we’ve taken into account feedback from our customers about onward connections and on which days they’d prefer to fly,” says Gavin Halliday, general manager for Africa and Europe.

    He said British Airways has increased its African network, adding three destinations and 21 services since acquiring bmi just over a year ago.

     

     

    It also announced an increase in its schedule to Marrakech from daily to 10 flights a week and a third weekly service to Agadir. These services start at the end of October.

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    > In East and Southern Africa, it has upped the Nairobi frequencies to eight a week. In South Africa, it confirmed three additional frequencies to Johannesburg on top of the existing double-daily schedule.

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    > “The acquisition of bmi has enabled us to expand our flying programme in Africa to serve 18 routes in 15 countries. We now fly to more places, more often than we ever have before in the 80 years we have served the continent. These flights link growing African destinations to London and provide onward connections to the world’s business capitals,” says Halliday.

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  • British Airways ups African services

    British Airways will add 266 seats a week to Nairobi when it increases its schedule to Kenya from daily to eight flights a week. The new service will start on May 12.

    “The aircraft will be a Boeing 777-200 in a four-cabin configuration, offering First, Club World (business), World Traveller Plus (premium economy) and World Traveller (economy).

    “Kenya is a growing economy and the additional flight has been scheduled as an overnight service so our customers, particularly those travelling on business, can make the most of their time,” Ian Petrie, the Regional Commercial Manager for Africa, said in a statement.

    British Airways has also announced that three additional services it introduced to Johannesburg on trial early last year have been confirmed in its schedule for the year. This brings to 17 the number of weekly services it offers from London to Johannesburg.

    In the past year, the airline has expanded its schedule to Morocco and has begun flying to Sierra Leone and Liberia.

    “We have a long, proud history in Africa. Over 80 years ago our predecessor, Imperial Airways, pioneered air routes the length of the continent,“ he added.

  • GreenSky set for lift up

    British Airways and Solena are gaining momentum in their goal of producing sustainable jet fuel with technology partners for their GreenSky London initiative now in place and British Airways confirming its financial commitment.

    GreenSky London is a flagship project that would see the construction of a state-of-the-art facility that would annually convert about 500,000tonnes of waste normally destined for landfill into 50,000 tonnes of sustainable low carbon jet fuel, 50,000 tonnes of biodiesel, bionaphtha and renewable power.

    Solena’s technology consortium continues to grow and includes: Solena Fuels Corporation will provide the high temperature gasification process that converts waste matter into synthesis gas and the overall Integrated Biomass Gasification to Liquids (IBGTL) solution. Oxford Catalysts Group/Velocys will supply the Fisher-Tropsch (FT)reactors and catalyst which will convert the cleaned synthesis gas into liquid hydrocarbons.

    Fluor has started the Pre-front end Engineering and design (Pre-FEED) for the project. Fluor is a world leader in project execution and bio-fuel projects, and is providing engineering services to support Solena.

    British Airways has committed to purchasing, at market competitive prices,the jet fuel produced by the plant for the next ten years which equates to US$500.

    Barclays has also been appointed as advisor to explore the optimal funding through Export Credit Agencies. A Competitive Letter of Interest has been obtained from one of the Agencies including associated term funding.

     

  • ‘BA’s investment programme delivering customer benefits’

    With just two years into a five-year £5 billion programme of investments, British Airways has already reached some significant milestones, chief executive, Keith Williams, has said.

    He told customers in Lagos that the airline has expanded its network, which now includes new African routes.

    Besides, he said BA is acquiring new aircraft, enhancing products and introducing innovative technology to better serve its customers.

    “As a result of acquiring bmi, British Airways now serves 19 routes in 16 African countries. It flies more often to more places in Africa than it has ever done since it first opened routes to the continent 80 years ago.

    “The acquisition also enabled it to grow its overall route network, giving customers access to 20 more destinations. British Airways is now operating the biggest Heathrow schedule in its history. Together with its franchise, codeshare and oneworld partners it offers a global network of over 600 destinations,” he added.

    Williams said that new aircraft, such as the Boeing 777 ER are comingonto the fleet, embodied with new World Traveller Plus and World Traveller cabins and a sophisticated in-flight entertainment system which offers nearly double the previous choice.

    “We are making improvements in every cabin. The rollout of our new First is nearly complete. Bringing together balanced privacy, comfort, space and contemporary British design, it draws on the airline’s heritage, focusing on quality and attention to detail,’’ he said.

    In May 2013, he said BA will take delivery of our first Boeing 787 Dreamliner and two months later, its first A380 superjumbo. “These new aircraft will enable us to further develop and grow our net

    work, achieve considerable fuel savings compared to the aircraft they replace, and bring the outstanding 777-300 levels of customer comfort to a wider audience,” he said.

    More than a million customers have now downloaded British Airways apps, which make the check-in process faster and more convenient. A feature for iPhone users now also enables them to book their flights from their phone.

    The Nigerian market is such an important one for British Airways that we are pleased to offer our new OnBusiness members in Nigeria a welcome gift of 1,000 OnBusiness points if you join before November 30.

    “Nigeria was the first market outside of the UK where we launched our new advertising campaign: To Fly.To Serve. Through our programme of investments and product and service enhancements we’re making that brand promise a reality,” said Williams.

  • We’ll assist Nigeria to develop aviation industry – British Airways

    We’ll assist Nigeria to develop aviation industry – British Airways

    The Chief Executive Officer of British Airways (BA), Mr. Keith Williams, said the company will partner the Federal Government to ensure its Transformation Agenda succeeds especially in the aviation sector.

    Williams stated this on Thursday while fielding questions from State House correspondents after a closed door meeting with Vice President Namadi Sambo, at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

    He described Nigeria as an important market for British Airways, saying the company had operated in Nigeria for 76 years.

    “The Transformation Programme has to grow the economy and British Airways is an airline that supports the growth of that economy through air travels.

    “So, as the Nigeria’s economy grows the British Airways will grow with Nigeria.

    “British Airways has served Nigeria now for 76 years and we get a great partnership with Nigeria which has been a long one and an important one and it will always continue to be an important one and the British Airways supports that,” the News Agency of Nigeria quoted the British Airways chief as saying to journalists.

    According to him, Nigeria has huge domestic and international markets for the growth of aviation industry and BA will explore the market for the general good of Nigeria and airline.

    “Nigeria is a huge important country with a huge population. It has got important trade flows and the airlines need to support those important trade flows either through Nigerian airlines or International airlines,” Williams said.

    He expressed satisfaction with the way and manner the aviation sector was being managed in Nigeria.

    He, however, said that Nigeria needed to build its domestic and regional aviation industry.

    Williams described the ongoing merger activities between world leading airlines as a welcome development for the global growth of the aviation industry.

     

     

  • British Airways, others are exploiting Nigerians – Mark

    British Airways, others are exploiting Nigerians – Mark

    Senate President, Senator David Mark, on Tuesday said the Senate will take measures to stop foreign airlines operating in the country, including British Airways (BA) and Virgin Atlantic, from continuing to exploit Nigerians.

    Mark stated this during the consideration of the report of the Senate Committee on Aviation on alleged violation of Aviation Laws and practice by foreign airlines and lapses in the operations of regulatory agencies.

    The Senate President insisted that the Senate cannot fold its hand and allow foreign airlines to continue to exploit Nigerians.

    Though most Senators commended the report, some others opposed the recommendation which sought to grant Arik Air a national flag carrier status.

    Due to disagreement on some vital recommendations by the Senator Hope Uzodinma- led committee, the Senate aborted adoption or rejection of the recommendations.

    The committee had recommended that the Economic Regulatory Powers of Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) should be reviewed and strengthened and consequently, Senate should mandate its Committee on Aviation to start the process of amending the Civil Aviation Act of 2006.

    “That NCAA working with Federal Ministry of Justice and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), should compel BA and Virgin Atlantic Airline (VAA) to refund Nigerian passengers monies due to them as they did in the United Kingdom and United States of America and also, pay to the Federal Government of Nigeria, a fine of $35million and $100million respectively in line with the Civil Aviation Act 2006.

    “That the Senate should engage Aviation Ministry on its plan to float an indigenous National Carrier

    “That Arik Airline with over 26 new aircrafts in its fleet and any other local airline with similar capacity which must have operated in Nigeria for a minimum period of five years should be granted National Flag Carriers status.

    “That the process for a Bill on anti-competition, anti-thrust and Passenger Bill of rights should commence immediately in line with international best practices and standard.

    “That the Ministry of Aviation should take all necessary steps to ensure that necessary facilities and incentives are provided to position Nigeria to become the West African hub in the aviation industry.

    “That government officials travelling abroad should be mandated to use Nigerian flag carriers and the Federal Ministry of Aviation working with the National Orientation Agency should start a sensitization programme to enlighten the public on the imperative of flying our national flag carriers.

    “That the Senate should mandate the Ministry of Aviation and NCAA to ensure that Nigerian airlines are allowed to fly into Heathrow Airport from Abuja in order to reduce monopoly by foreign airlines and in line with already executive Bilateral Air Service Agreement (BASA).