The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Dana Air

  • Dana Air airlifts 2.3m passengers

    Dana Air said it has  airlifted over 2.3million passengers in the last six years of its operations.

    The head, Corporate Communications of the airline, Mr Sam Ogbogoro,made this known in an interview.

    He said the airline has celebrated its sixth anniversary by demonstrating compassion to senior citizens.

    The airline visited visited the Old People’s Home in Yaba to extend support, he said

    On the significance of identifying with the aged in the society, the Head Corporate Communications, Mr. Samuel Ogbogoro, said: ‘’Dana Air is leading in the drive to support charitable causes in the country as it continues to show firm commitment by investing in worthy causes that touches the lives of both the young and aged in the society.”

    The airline recently treated special and orphaned children at the Sai orphanage to an independence party to celebrate Nigeria’s 54th independence anniversary just as it recently sponsored a youth empowerment programme, Dare2Dream project, to help Nigerian youths achieve their dreams.

  • Dana Air offers special in-flight meals

    Dana Air offers special in-flight meals

    DANA Air has announced that it would offer special in-flight menu throughout the fasting period to cater for the dietary needs of Muslim guests.

    Announcing the initiative in Lagos, the Chief Commercial Officer of Dana Air, Obi Mbanuzuo, said: “Ramadan, which is considered one of the five pillars of Islam, is here again and seeing that we understand the significance of the fasting period in the lives of our Muslim guests, we have included additional fruits like dates in our in-flight catering due to the numerous health benefits they bring.”

    While urging brethrens to use the observance of the holy month to reflect and start a personal relationship with their creator, Mbanuzuo encouraged guests who are observing the daytime fasting to take along the in-flight meals while disembarking until they are ready to break their fast.

    The airline has also reiterated its commitment to continue to offer customer-friendly services, especially its web fares, starting at N9,000 on its existing route network.

  • Photo News: Dana Air’s Boeing 737-500

    Photo News: Dana Air’s Boeing 737-500

    Dana airThe Boeing 737-500  series aircraft acquired by DANA Air parked at the tarmac of  MMA2 on arrival Wednesday  at the Lagos Airport., Pix by Kelvin Osa Okunbor.

  • DANA Air cleared to resume operations 114 days after

    DANA Air cleared to resume operations 114 days after

    • Set to acquire brand new Boeing 737-500 aircraft

    Dana Air is set to resume commercial flights 114 days after it was suspended to allow for operational audit.

    Its planes are due back in the air today following the completion of the audit by the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA).

    The regulatory agency has also lifted the suspension on the airline after demonstrating satisfactory competence in operating the Boeing McDonnell Douglas (MD-83) aircraft fleet.

    The carrier, it was learnt, will take delivery of two brand new Boeing 737-500 aircraft next week to boost its resumed operations.

    Dana Air was suspended on October 6 2013 by the federal government to enable the NCAA carry out technical audit of its operations.

    Announcing the resumption of flight operations in Lagos, the Chief Operating Officer and Accountable Manager, Mr. Yvan Drewinsky, said the lifting of the suspension order is a testament that Dana Air adheres strictly to prescribed safety standards as dictated by the Nigeria Civil Aviation Regulations (NCARs) and the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) standards.

    He also commended the aviation ministry and the NCAA for the transparent and objective conduct of the operational audit of the airline.

    “The successful outcome of Dana Air’s operational audit by the NCAA involving the Flight Safety Group in conjunction with their foreign partners underscores our commitment to safe operations in line with standard procedures,” he said.

    Dana Air will operate flights on the Lagos – Abuja – Lagos route for a start.

  • DANA Air cleared to resume operations

    Following the successful outcome of the operational audit of Dana Air by the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), the airline is set to recommence full commercial flight operations by Sunday, 26 January 2014.
    The resumption of Dana Air’s flight operations comes on the heels of the lifting of the suspension order by the regulatory agency as the airline has demonstrated satisfactory competence in operating the Boeing McDonnell Douglas (MD-83) aircraft fleet.
    The carrier it was learnt will take delivery of two brand new Boeing 737-500 aircraft next week to boost its resumed operations .
    Dana  Air was suspended  on October 6, 2013  by the Federal Government  to enable the NCAA carry out technical audit of its operations
    Announcing the resumption of flight operations in Lagos, the Chief Operating Officer and Accountable Manager, Mr. Yvan Drewinsky, said the lifting of the suspension order is a testament that Dana Air adheres strictly to prescribed safety standards as dictated by the Nigeria Civil Aviation Regulations (NCARs) and the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) standards. He also commended the aviation ministry and the NCAA for the transparent and objective conduct of the operational audit of the airline.
    “The successful outcome of Dana Air’s operational audit by the NCAA involving the Flight Safety Group in conjunction with their foreign partners underscores our commitment to safe operations in line with standard procedures.
    We are therefore delighted at the prospect of our imminent plans to recommence flight operations to continue to offer unparalleled quality of flight services to our guests”, said Mr. Drewinsky.
    Whilst commending Nigerians for their show of support and understanding especially those whose travel itineraries were disrupted during the operational audit exercise, Mr. Drewinsky specifically thanked the Minister of Aviation, Princess Stella Oduah, and the Director General of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Agency, Captain Fola Akinkuotu, for their unwavering commitment to make the skies safer.
    He assured that at resumption, Dana Air will operate flights on the Lagos – Abuja – Lagos route and will thereafter, progressively introduce additional routes and frequencies to cater for customers demands as more aircraft joins the fleet.

    It will be recalled that the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority in exercising its statutory safety oversight functions on all the operating airlines, has prescribed a yearly schedule audit programme to ensure safety in the sky and to also avoid hitches in flight operations. Dana Air is the first airline to have successfully undergone the operational audit exercise.

  • New airlines coming

    Domestic air fares may crash in the coming weeks as new entrants in the air transport sector prepare to launch their flights.

    According to investigations, the entrants in the domestic scene of the airline industry include: Discovery Air, WestLinkAirlines, Hak Airlines, Azman Aviation Services  as well as Ramaniya Airlines.

    The new carriers may exploit the vacuum created by  absence of  some grounded carriers, including DANA Air, IRS Airlines, Chanchangi Airlines, which operations have been halted by the regulatory body for technical and safety reasons.

    The new airlines, which have brought in some aircraft ahead of planned operations are undergoing regulatory processes with aviation authorities as part of the mandatory requirements for  commencement of operations.

    Most of the new entrants, it was learnt are anticipating the Yuletide season for take off, on account of the attendant increase in passenger traffic available on triangular routes .

    The triangular routes include: Lagos – Abuja, Port Harcourt and Enugu.

    Other routes that will attract passenger traffic that the new entrants are considering including Lagos – Owerri, Calabar, Kaduna and Kano.

    While Discovery Air has opened offices at the new domestic terminal of the Lagos Airport, Ikeja, it has acquired three aircraft preparatory for operations .

    It is only awaiting the completion of demonstration flights, a mandatory requirement prescribed by the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority ( NCAA), before any carrier could begin scheduled operations .

    Another carrier, WestLink Airlines, it was learnt has acquired some aircraft ahead of planned scheduled operations .

    The airline, a source hinted may consider the Abuja Airport as its operational hub, from where it intends to service routes including Lagos- Abuja, Jos, Kaduna and others.

    The airline, owned by Captain Ibrahim Mshelia, chief executive officer of Mish Aviation College in Accra, Ghana, it was learnt, has endorsement from some multilateral organisations, which has facilitated its aircraft acquisition.

    Speaking in an interview, the managing director  of Discovery Air,  Captain Abdulsakami Mohammed said the airline is now closer to commencing domestic commercial operations in a matter of days.

     

     

     

     

    Captain Abdulsalami Mohammed disclosed thatDiscovery Airways was set up about a year ago with the aim of providing the Nigerian travelers very good customer service, and to also fill the gap of shortage of commercial aircraft in the country.

    He said: “We are going to commence operations with three modern aircraft and progressively grow our fleet size to service our robust expansion plans that is based on our due diligence of the market. 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”.

    Speaking further, Captain Mohammed stated that the short lifespan of most Nigerian airlines could be attributed to lack of proper planning as well as the harsh and non-conducive business environment which makes it difficult for Nigerian operators to access long term credit facilities.

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

    He however  expressed optimism that with the successes so far recorded and their compliance to the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority’s guidelines for start-up airlines.

    “ Discovery Airways may commence commercial operations by mid-December to offer choice of travel during the yuletide, he said .

    Other carriers, including RamaniyaAirlines ,Azman Air Services Limited and Hak Air are consolidating on the absence of some grounded airlines to secure approval from NCAA to commence operations on very busy routes.

    Recall that DANA Air, IRS Airlines, and Chanchangi Airlines remain grounded by the NCAA for safety and technical issues.

  • Dana Air ‘loses over N4b to shutdown’

    Dana Air ‘loses over N4b to shutdown’

    Thirty days  after its operation was shut down by the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority ( NCAA), DANA Air claims to have lost about N4billion in revenue in 2013 .

    According to a statement by DANA Air’s Head of Corporate Communications Tony Usidamen, the company’s financial report for 2012 showed that the airline  lost N14 billion last year.

    He said financial loss to Dana Air because of government’s shutdown in 2012 and 2013 was conservatively estimated  at about N18billion . “It is now over 30 days since the NCAA directive and, though the airline is open and ready for the audit, it is worrisome that there is still no clear indication when the ‘external auditors’ will commence the audit.

    “The sincerity of NCAA’s planned audit of the airline is now very much in doubt.

    “The continuous grounding of Dana Air is causing untold hardship for the hitherto gainfully-employed staff of the airline, and with NCAA’s inaction regarding the audit, there appears to be no relief in sight to the suffering of the airline’s staff and their numerous dependants.

  • What’s delaying operational audit of DANA Air?

    SIR: In compliance with the October 6, directive by the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) for Dana Air to suspend its flight operations to allow for an audit of the airline’s operations, the management of the company shut down its operations.

    Subsequently, as a result of the suspension (and understandably so), the airline directed its Nigerian and expatriate staff to proceed on compulsory leave without pay, with a promise to recall staff as soon as the audit process is completed.

    It is now three weeks since the NCAA directive and, though the airline is open and ready for the planned audit, it is worrisome that the NCAA is yet to commence the audit and no clear direction or timeline has been given to the airline for completion of the same.

    The continuous grounding of Dana Air is causing untold hardship for the hitherto ‘gainfully-employed’ staff of the airline, and with NCAA’s inaction regarding the audit, there appears to be no relief in sight to the sufferings of the airline’s staff and their numerous dependants.

    NCAA’s action or inaction is not without consequences for the average Nigerian traveler with the few airlines left taking advantage of the dearth of operators to hike fares and offer poor services to helpless customers.

    Businesses and nation’s economy are negatively impacted too. Need we mention the negative signals being sent to potential investors in the sector?

    It is for these reasons that the over 540 directly-employed Nigerian staff of the airline, are appealing to the NCAA to save us and the airline by carrying out its statutory role devoid of sentiments and political interference, and commencing the planned operational audit of the airline without any further delay.

    • Tony Usidamen

    Lagos

     

  • Dana Air’s workers urge NCAA to begin airlines’ audit

    Dana Air’s workers urge NCAA to begin airlines’ audit

    Three weeks after the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) suspended its operations for a safety/technical audit, about 540 direct workers of DANA Air yesterday wrote a letter of appeal to the regulator, urging it to expedite action on the audit of the carrier.

    In an open letter by the Head of Corporate Communications, Mr Tony Usidamen, the 540 workers said the carrier is ready and open for audit, but he decried the delay by the NCAA to begin the exercise.

    The workers lamented that the forced closure of the airline by the NCAA has occasioned untold hardship on them and their dependants.

    The letter reads: “It is now three weeks since the NCAA directive and, though the airline is open and ready for the planned audit.

    “It is worrisome that the NCAA is yet to commence the audit and no clear direction or timeline has been given to the airline for completion of the same customers.”

    Businesses and nation’s economy are negatively impacted too. Need we mention the negative signals being sent to potential investors in the sector?

    “It is for these reasons that we, the over 540 directly-employed Nigerian staff ofDana Air, are appealing to the NCAA to save us and the airline by carrying out its statutory role devoid of sentiments and political interference, and commencing the planned operational audit of the airline without any further delay.”

  • Anxious passengers besiege DANA Air counters for refunds

    It was a mild drama on Monday morning at the departure hall of the Murtala Muhammed Airport, Ikeja, Lagos, as over hundreds of anxious passenger besieged the counters of DANA Airline to seek refunds of their air fares following the suspension of the airline’s operations by the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA).

    The passengers arrived the MMA 2, as early as 6.30am ostensibly not aware of the NCAA’s suspension of DANA flights on Sunday.

    The passengers got to the airport for the supposed 7.05am flight only to be informed by ground personnel of DANA Air that their operations have been suspended by government.

    Most of the passengers, who had purchased their tickets online, brandished the electronic tickets they printed out from different mobile devices.

    Other passengers had previously paid for their tickets before Monday.

    Some of the passengers apparently in a bid to meet up with their appointments, started putting pressure on the airline officials to facilitate the refund of their flight tickets to enable them get seats on other airlines going to their destinations.

    Some of these passengers take the early flight to Abuja on Mondays.

    There was display of emotions as some passengers took on the DANA Air personnel on ground, who pleaded with them to exercise patience, as their refunds were being worked out.