Nigeria's Aviation News Headlines for Wednesday August 10, 2016
Airline Operators Urge Govt to Address Aviation Fuel Shortage(Thisday)
The
Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON) has called on the federal government to take
urgent step to address the acute shortage of aviation fuel, known as Jet A1.
Chairman
of AON, Captain Nogie Meggison made the call following the lingering scarcity
of the product, which resulted in flights delays and cancellations.
“We
have been forced to cry out about the perennial problem at this juncture
because it continues to put us in a difficult situation to go an extra mile to
fulfill our obligations to our esteemed customers in spite of the
inconveniences that go with it. However, we
are
at the mercy of the oil marketers and many times our hands are tied such that
we are left with no other option than to cancel flights,” Meggison declared.
The AON chairman noted that besides the
shortage of Jet A1, the oil marketers have constantly increased the price of
the product to an unbearable point.
“Till
April this year, I bought Jet A1 fuel for N105 a liter. About a month ago the
price jumped to N145. Two weeks later it rose to about N200 a liter. Today the
price has skyrocketed above N230 a litre. This has greatly increased our
operational cost.
“For
instance, considering that the cost of fuel accounts for about 40 percent of
the operational cost of most airlines, the colossal rise in price of the
product by over 100 percent has equally increased the operational cost
astronomically. In the light of this, our
feasibility
studies and financial projections are greatly threatened thereby putting the
airlines in a dangerous and difficult financial position,” Meggison explained.
Firm to Assist Nigerian Companies Buy Aircraft(Punch)
A
New York-based firm, MVMM International, says it is set to assist aviation
companies to broker deals for the sale and purchase of aircraft.
The
United States company said some Nigerian firms would be assisted to maximise
their profits while improving public relations.
In
a statement on Tuesday, the firm, said, “We assist aviation companies to broker
deals for the sale/purchase of aircraft, help clients protect assets and assist
with property acquisition.
“We
guarantee effective and knowledgeable representation for you, your family, and
business. We are committed to keeping you informed at every step of the
process. We approach every client with a focus on integrity, advocacy, and
understanding. Most
importantly,
we respect your time and we are committed to giving top-notch legal service.”
The
Managing Attorney, MVMM International Law, Michelle Mills, a Jamaican and
naturalised US citizen, said the firm understood that relocating family and/or
business could be emotionally and financially draining and stressful.
Why Fuel Scarcity Persists in Airports Nationwide, by Marketers(Guardian)
*Fuel scarcity in the aviation sector
*Several flights still delayed, as operators seek FG’s intervention.Perennial fuel scarcity in the aviation sector was yesterday blamed on the Federal Government, particularly the delay in fulfilling pledges on foreign exchange (dollars) special intervention to the importers.
Aviation fuel marketers on Tuesday said about three weeks after government pledged to source forex from the International Oil Companies (IOCs) for aviation fuel purposes, they are yet to get the intervention.
Consequently, the importers are resorting to self-help to bring in a small fraction of the aviation fuel (Jet-A1) to ensure that the sector is not entirely grounded.
In a related development, incessant delays in scheduled flight operations have continued in airports nationwide. The development, which has become the norm in the last four weeks was till yesterday observed on all routes, including the high-traffic Lagos-Abuja end.
discouraging to importers.
http://guardian.ng/business-services/why-fuel-scarcity-persists-in-airports-nationwide-by-marketers
Ghana, Niger Approve Air Peace’s Operations(Punch)
The
civil aviation authorities of Ghana and Niger Republic have endorsed Air
Peace’s plan to spread its wings in their respective countries.
The
Head of Operations, Niger Civil Aviation Authority, Mr. Bala Sani, said the
airline’s safety standards, equipment and structure qualified it for
international flight operations.
He
spoke after a two-day inspection visit to Air Peace’s facilities in Lagos,
saying, “Air Peace’s aircraft is well maintained. I commend the chairman/chief
executive officer of the airline and his team for not compromising standards in
the company’s operations.”
Ghana
Civil Aviation Authority also expressed satisfaction with Air Peace’s operations.
In
a report signed members of its inspection team comprising Mr. Samuel Benson,
Capt. E. C. Dargbe and Dorothy Tackie, the GCAA said its assessment of the
airline was positive.
It
said the airline gave priority to safety and global best practice in its
operations.
EFCC Raid: NAHCO Awaits Investigation Details(Punch)
The
Nigerian Aviation Handling Company has said it is still awaiting details of the
investigation being carried out by Economic and Financial Crimes Commission,
following a raid on its office in Lagos last Monday.
Operatives
of the EFCC had last week stormed NAHCO’s office at the Murtala Muhammed
International Airport Lagos, and interrogated some senior members of staff.
Although
no documents were taken, some of its key officers were told to report to the
EFCC’s office for further investigation.
NAHCO,
in a statement, said, “While we await details from the investigating
authorities as it is the practice worldwide so as to ensure the protection of
both local and international investors’ interests, the event of the past week
have been properly managed as to
have
little or minimal impact on operations and business continuity.
“The
Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Nobert Bielderman, who was on a
short vacation has since returned to the country and is back in the company. We
ask for the understanding of all stakeholders at this time.”
It
also assured investors, regulators and other stakeholders that it was doing all
within its powers to resolve the issue.
It
said, “As a publicly quoted company, NAHCO is guided by its apex regulator, the
Securities and Exchange Commission, Nigerian Stock Exchange and the listing
rules.
Med-View Receives B777 Aircraft for Hajj Operations (DailyTrust)
Med-view Airline has taken delivery of another airplane, a Boeing
777-200, one week after the carrier acquired the 463-passenger capacity B747
aircraft. The new arrival from Lisbon, Portugal, has the capacity for 323
passengers comprising 30 business class
and 293 economy seats.
It was dedicated for the Hajj 2016 exercise, said the airline’s
executive director (technical), Engr. Lukman Animashaun, who received the
aircraft on arrival at the Hajj terminal of the Murtala Mohammed Airport, on
Saturday.
The airline was expected to airlift over 10,000 intending pilgrims
from Lagos, Osun, Oyo, Ogun, Edo, Kaduna, and Kano states and members of the
armed forces to the Holy land.
The Managing Director and Chief Executive of the Med-view Airline,
Alhaji Muneer Bankole, said that the airline would add the new
airplane to the operating B747 and B767 for effective airlift of pilgrims to
the Holy land.
Qatar Airways Collaborates with NTDC on 120 Tourism Sites in Nigeria(Tribune)
The domestic tourism gospel which called on Nigerians not to travel abroad for sightseeing always as the country has a lot of tourism sites but rather foreigners should be invited to see what is in here being branded by Dr (Mrs) Sally Mbanefo, Director –General, Nigeria Tourism Development Corporation, NTDC is finally being embraced by those who believe in the entity called Nigeria.
For, while some foreign airlines are threatening to stop doing business in Nigeria because of what they described as harsh economic policies of the Federal government, Qatar Airways has distinguished itself by sustaining full operation in Nigeria without any
threat of closing down, but in addition, signified its intention to collaborate with NTDC. It had also expressed its readiness to project, promote, sell Nigeria’s industry and encourage tourists from the middle East to visit 120 tourism sites in Nigeria .
In what is going to be the first Middle East – Nigeria tourism traffic boosting business code named: “Nigeria 120 Sites”, the NTDC has formed a strategic cultural tourism alliance with Qatar Airways which will involve the identification and enlistment of 120
unique tourism sites in Nigeria for the portal of Qatar Airways for subsequent marketing in the Middle East.
http://tribuneonlineng.com/qatar-airways-collaborates-ntdc-120-tourism-sites-nigeria
Lai Muhammed Reveals Buhari’s Tourism Agenda at Press Parley(Tribune)
•Resuscitation of Presidential Council on Tourism •Tour
of tourism sites in 36 states for assessment
•Adoption of Vision Domestic tourism •Political solution
to Hotel Registration and classification
•UNWTO offers support in four key areas •Review of
Tourism Master Plan •New Visa Policy soon
•To
review National Tourism PolicyThe end seems to have come to the systemic lip service being paid to the development of tourism as an economic sector by Federal Government if the revelations of the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed is anything to go by.
Alhaji Mohammed revealed that President Buhari was not only concerned about the nation’s failure to make tourism a desirable alternate revenue earning sector but unhappy with the physical state of sites.
“I am assuring you that President Buhari is not only passionate about the development of tourism potentialities of this country but has more than a passing interest in making it another revenue generation sector.”
He pointed out that the president has charged the ministry to ensure the enhancement, enrichment and reactivation of the sector in alignment with the vision of his government.
http://tribuneonlineng.com/lai-muhammed-reveals-buharis-tourism-agenda-press-parley
Pound Tumbles as Traders Await More Brexit Bad News(Thisday)
The
pound fell below $1.30 for the first time in almost a month as investors
prepared for data that will give further clues on the state of the U.K. economy
in the wake of the decision to quit the European Union
Britain’s
currency dropped for a fifth day and ceded ground to all of its 16 major peers
amid speculation the reports, due next week, will show an economy reeling from
the Brexit vote on June 23. Sterling is suffering its longest losing streak
since May after the
Bank
of England cut interest rates for the first time since 2009 in its Aug. 4
policy announcement, while exceeding economists’ expectations on quantitative
easing.
According
to Bloomberg, the pound was depressed further after BOE policy maker Ian
McCafferty warned in The Times newspaper on Tuesday that further rate
reductions and QE may be required. That’s all the more surprising because as
recently as January, he
was
voting to raise rates.
“Investors
are gradually coming to realize that the Bank of England is going to cut this
year — that’s going to be negative for the currency,” said Charles St-Arnaud, a
senior economist at Nomura International Plc in London. “That should have been
already priced
in.
So the question becomes, how much more negative can we get for the pound
without any more bad news?”
The
pound fell 0.3 percent to $1.2999 as of 2:28 p.m. in New York, slipping below
$1.30 for the first time since July 12. Sterling is in its longest stretch of
declines since May 9 and has dropped 1.8 percent this month, the worst
performance among major
currencies.
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