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Showing posts from 2017

Stranded London Passengers of Medview Accuse Airline of Abandonment

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source: https://medviewairline.com Did Medview Airline leave her passengers stranded in London without proper communication? That is the position of the airline’s passengers stranded in Gatwick Airport, London. There are reports that the airline cancelled Lagos-bound London flights without informing about 800 passengers who were left to sleep on airport floors for days. The passengers were reportedly taken to the hotel when the British police got involved. The airline has however said the cancellations were on technical grounds as the operating aircraft developed fault. It is still not clear how soon Medview plans to resume flight services on London route. Surprisingly, the airline does not have a media page on her website for news update.  Airlines must begin to utilise their websites as veritable tools for information dissemination as communication is key in every business.

Ethiopian Airlines Ends Talks Over Nigeria's Arik Air, Gets Offers in Zambia, Ghana

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photo credit: google Ethiopian Airlines is no doubt Africa’s queen of the skies! The airline’s success story is attracting more attention to it as having the potential to revive other African airlines.   Ethiopian airline was recently in the news in Nigeria as being considered to manage Nigeria’s largest airline; Arik Air. Reports even said negotiations with the Nigerian government over Arik Air had made considerable progress. But the shocker is that Ethiopian Airlines Group CEO Tewolde Gebremariam has told the media that his company ceased talks with AMCON over Arik due to the complex nature of the negotiations. “We decided to stop the negotiation due to financial and legal complications,” he confirmed. Gebremariam said Ethiopian remains interested in starting an airline in Nigeria and considering two initiatives: proposed national airline by the government of Nigeria or possibility of working with private Carriers. It will be recalled that the government of Nigeria

Arik Air Increases Capacity on Domestic Routes Ahead of Festive Season

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Arik Air, Nigeria’s largest carrier is increasing its capacity ahead of Christmas and New Year celebrations to enable customers celebrate the festive season with family and friends. The capacity increase which will boost our key domestic routes, especially in the South East and South South zones, takes effect from  December 15, 2017  and runs through  January 14, 2018 . The main highlights of the new schedule is the resumption of Abuja-Calabar and Abuja-Uyo routes which were suspended earlier in the year. Arik Air will be flying daily from Abuja to Uyo and five times a week from Abuja-Calabar. Similarly, the airline has increased the frequency between Lagos-Calabar, Lagos-Uyo, Lagos-Enugu, Lagos-Owerri, Abuja-Enugu to daily while Lagos-Asaba will operate five times weekly during the period. Customers using Arik Air on the Lagos-Port Harcourt route now have an early morning ( 7:00 am ) departure out of Port Harcourt and late evening ( 5:00 pm ) flight out of Lagos.  Com

Arik Air Jumbo Jet Rots Away At Lagos Airport

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Since the takeover of the crisis-ridden airline, Arik Air by the Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON) in February this year, the fortune of the carrier has continued to nosedive. At takeover, the fleet of the airline was 10 from a massive 26 aircraft, but today, the fleet has depleted to just four under AMCON. Several of the airline’s aircraft are either abandoned at numerous maintenance hangar facilities or are in airports across Nigeria parked at aprons unused. Since the takeover of the crisis-ridden airline, Arik Air by the Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON) in February this year, the fortune of the carrier has continued to nosedive. At takeover, the fleet of the airline was 10 from a massive 26 aircraft, but today, the fleet has depleted to just four under AMCON. Several of the airline’s aircraft are either abandoned at numerous maintenance hangar facilities or are in airports across Nigeria parked at aprons unused. One of such aircraft is its Supe

Aero Contractors' Aircraft Maintenance Services to Save Nigeria 30 Billion Naira

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  Nigeria's foremost domestic Carrier Aero Contractors to save Nigerian airlines 30 billion naira as the airline now maintains Boeing B737 Classics to the C-Check level. This additional offering has made the struggling airline more attractive to investors that even the former owners are reportedly interested in recovering full ownership.  Reports in Thisday says that Aero would offer maintenance services on Boeing B737 classics, which is the major aircraft type operated by many Nigerian airlines and the airline is expected to also rake in revenues from the maintenance session of the company which has already started receiving requests from airlines to conduct maintenance checks for them. The maintenance facility was approved recently by the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) and given certification to the airline as Aircraft Maintenance Organisation (AMO) for C-Check on the Boeing B737-300; 400 and 500 Classics.

Father/Daughter British Airways Pilot Team fly Together for Final Time

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+5 British Airways's only father-daughter Boeing 777 pilot team have flown together for the final time. David and Kat Woodruffe touched down at London Heathrow on Thursday November 2, after Mr. Woodruffe completed his retirement flight from New York. Mr Woodruffe, who joined the airline in 1984 and held the role of captain, said he felt mixed emotions during his final flight alongside his daughter. Miss Wooddruffe ;35 year old mother of two believes the father-daughter bond helped them in the cockpit as they are 'familiar with each other and communication is very easy' The 64-year-old told the Press Association: 'I'm sorry to be leaving BA after so many years, but equally glad that she will be remaining in the airline to continue our legacy, and doing a job I know she has the same passion and enthusiasm for as I do.' Mr Woodruffe said they were '100 per cent professional' on the flight deck. He joked

SAA wins ‘Best African Airline’ Opens New Lounge at Heathrow

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SAA has once again scooped the ‘Best African Airline’ Award at the Business Traveller Awards 2017 for the 11th consecutive year, adding to a line-up of awards the airline has received this year. News of the award coincides with South African Airways’ announcement that from October 2017 passengers arriving into Heathrow can benefit from access to the Plaza Premium Lounge located in Terminal Two Arrivals. The lounge is the perfect place to freshen up after a long flight. The 3,400 square feet lounge is conveniently located after customs and offers premium facilities for eligible guests including luxurious shower facilities, an exciting choice of food and beverages, TV, free WIFI and an extensive selection of international newspapers and magazines.The Business Traveller Awards are voted for by readers of the magazine and are designed to reward products and services that the reader’s themselves value. Widely regarded as the market’s benchmark for excellence, South Africa’s nat

Get Cheap Fares to Accra on Arik Air

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Arik Air has reduced the prices of flight tickets on its Lagos-Acrra and Abuja-Accra routes. The airline said in a statement released on Monday that passengers can pay from as low as  N51,240 to N43,000 on Lagos -Accra and Abuja-Accra route respectively one-way trip. “Tickets can be purchased online at www.arikair.com or at any Arik Air city office, airport ticketing office or any travel agent or call 01-2799999 for reservation,” the statement read. “Arik Air flies twice daily from Lagos to Accra at 7:00 am and 5:00 pm and daily from Abuja to Accra at 5:30 pm.

Delta Airlines Sues Alleged Fake Website

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photo credit: http://www.vpitv.com Delta Airlines has sued a  website on allegation of tricking people into thinking they are dealing with the airline  when arranging for their pets to fly on jets. The site — DeltaPetTransit.com — is designed to look like a Delta site and uses the airline’s logos and pictures of its planes, Delta said in the lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court in Georgia. But the site is not affiliated with the airline and has no right to use its trademarks the complaint says. Read more:  http://www.twincities.com/2017/09/22/delta-air-lines-sues-mysterious-website-it-says-tricks-people-who-put-pets-on-jets/

Genuine Websites of Nigeria's Major Domestic Airlines

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The internet world is a free world so both genuine and fake sites exist together . If you are visiting any website, make sure you differeniate the real sites from the fake sites as so many people have been defrauded online by scammers who clone popular sites. Below are the original websites of Nigeria's major domestic airlines: Arik Air:   http://arikair.com Aero Contractors:   http://flyaero.com Air Peace: https://www.flyairpeace.com Dana Air: http://www.flydanaair.com Medview Airlines: http://medviewairline.com Overland Airways: https://www.overlandairways.com

Nigeria Inaugurates Task Force to Address Complaints of Multiple Charges, BASA

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Nigeria's Minister of State for Aviation, Sen. Hadi Sirika. Photo credit: google.com Nigeria's  Federal Government on Thursday September 21, 2017 inaugurated a tax force s to address lingering issues bordering on multiple charges, Bilateral Air Service Agreements (BASA) and the state of airport infrastructure. Members of the task force which is chaired by the Minister of State for Aviation; Senator Hadi Sirika include, the special adviser to the president on economic matters, the director general Nigeria Civil Aviation Authourity(NCAA), the managing director Federal Airport Authourity of Nigeria( FAAN) the managing director Nigeria Airspace Management Agency(NAMA) nominees of Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON), the department of air transport management, federal ministry of transportation and the International Air Transport Association (IATA).  

Etihad Launches Installment Payment for Flights

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Photo credit: www.etihad.com Flying with Etihad has been simplified with a new mode of payment that allows customers to pay for flight tickets in installments.  The United Arab Emirates National Carrier in partnership with online payment service provider PayFort now gives consumers who book via Etihad.com  the opportunity to pay their fare over a period of between Three and Sixty months.  A statement on the airline's website reads: "People in the UAE, KSA and Egypt planning their travel and holidays with Etihad Airways now have the option of paying via monthly Installments when booking flights directly through Etihad.com.   The Airline is the first in the region to offer fully automated online Installment plans after partnering with PayFort, the leading online payment service provider in the Arab world. The initiative is designed to allow families and those on a budget book flights to their dream destination with convenient, payment plans tailored to their req

Air Peace Secures IATA Membership

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Air Peace  has joined the league of Nigerian Carriers who are members of the prestigious   International Air Transport Association, IATA.  The airline was added as a member of IATA after after securing its IATA Operational Safety Audit( IOSA certificate . IATA represents some 270 Member airlines in over 117 countries. IATA’s Members airlines carry 83% of the world’s scheduled international air traffic.  IATA membership means that the airline has met global aviation safety standards. This membership also means that the ailrine can  participate in  IATA Settlement Systems (ISS) which provides swift, reliable, and efficient movement of funds between airlines and their travel partners.  Other Nigerian airlines  with IATA membership are : Arik Air , Overland Airways and Dana Air .

Emirates to Restore Abuja Route From November 1 2017

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Photo credit: google.com Emirates Airlines will restore flight connectivity to Nigeria's Federal Capital City; Abuja on November 1, 2017 after vacating  it for one year. The country's Minister of State for Aviation, Sen. Hadi Sirika, disclosed this via his Twitter handle @hadisirika. He tweeted that he has “Concluded with Emirates return to Abuja November 1st. Looking at second leg to Lagos via Kano later on. Please bear with us.” There are reports that the Lagos via Kano to Dubai and other destinations may also follow before the year ends .

Turkish Airlines Carries 44.9M Passengers Between Jan-Aug 2017

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Photo credit: search.yahoo.com Turkey's national flag carrier Turkish Airlines carried 44.9 million passengers from January to August 2017, the airline has announced. The company said the increases in passengers carried in August from  Far East, Africa, Middle East, and domestic lines were 6.5, 12.8, 15.7, and 14.4 percent, respectively. Turkish Airlines earned $4.6 billion total revenue in the first half of 2017, flying to 300 destinations in 120 countries, including 251 international and 49 domestic destinations. The total number of passengers carried by the airline rose 6.1 percent in the first eight months of the year over the same period in 2016, Turkish Airlines said. According to the company's statement sent to Turkey's Public Disclosure Platform (KAP), the numbers of passengers carried in domestic and international lines rose 6.8 and 5.5 percent, respectively. Over the same period, the airline's passenger load factor or seat occupancy increased

ICAO Announces Job Opportunities for Young Aviation Professionals

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Photo credit: yahoo.com Young applicants interested in gaining valuable professional development experience should consider applying for the International Civil Aviation Organization’s Young Aviation Professionals program.  Young professionals will learn to explore important inter-relationships between ICAO and the airline and airport industries while working closely with IATA and ACI experts. YAPP applicants must be less than 32 years of age, possess advanced university qualifications and have at least two years of aviation employment experience in an area of operational or regulatory responsibility. ICAO says due consideration is given to gender equality and geographic diversity priorities during the selection process. Interested candidates must submit their applications through ICAO’s  employment site  by October 13, 2017.  ICAO, in partnership with the International Air Transport Association and Airports Council International created the YAPP in December 2013.

Air Berlin's Administrator Takes in Bids from Lufthansa, Others

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Photo credit: http://www.airplane-pictures.net Lufthansa and several other parties have put in bids for parts of Air Berlin by the deadline of Friday set by the administrator of the insolvent airline which employs more than 8,000 people. Air Berlin which is Germany’s second-biggest airline after Lufthansa filed for bankruptcy in August after major shareholder; Etihad Airways withdrew funding following years of losses. Read more: https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-air-berlin-lufthansa/air-berlins-administrator-takes-in-bids-from-lufthansa-others

Emirates Offers Extra Baggage Allowance up to 10 kg in Economy Class

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Photo credit: google.com  Emirates has launched a limited period offer for passengers travelling in economy class. The airline will allow passengers to carry 10 kg extra baggage allowance on select destinations.  As reported in Financial Express,the offer is valid for sale until September 30, 2017, and the travel period is until December 13, 2017. Passengers flying to Mumbai, Kochi, Delhi, Hyderabad, Chennai, Karachi, Dhaka, Sylhet, Chittagong, Jakarta, Cebu, Clark and Colombo can carry 10 kg extra baggage with them, but only on select flights. Meanwhile, the airline will also allow 10kg extra luggage on all Emirates flights to destinations like –Amman, Islamabad, Kabul, Khartoum, Lahore, Multan, Sialkot, Tunisia and Peshawar. Read more: http://www.financialexpress.com/industry/emirates-baggage-allowance-extra-10-kg-in-economy-class-tickets-sale-validity-last-date-mumbai-flights-delhi-flights

British Airways Plane held in Paris over 'direct security threat'

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Passengers are led off the British Airways plane. A BA spokeswoman confirmed the flight later departed safely.  Photograph: @jsa/PA A  British Airways  plane has been evacuated at Charles de Gaulle airport in Paris for security reasons, after passengers were told a “direct threat” had been made towards the aircraft. Flight BA303 was due to take off on Sunday bound for Heathrow in London when the incident occurred, with police and fire engines surrounding the plane on the tarmac. One passenger, James Anderson, 20, said those onboard were informed by the pilot that an individual had made a direct threat against the aircraft. People were led off the plane and individually searched by armed officers, with luggage in the hold searched by dogs. Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/sep/17/british-airways-ba-plane-paris-direct-security-threat

RwandAir Set to Dominate West African Destinations With Three New Routes

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Source: https://rwandair.com/ RwandAir said it will from  30th September 2017 commence three weekly operations to Conakry  (Guinea), Bamako (Mali) and Dakar (Senegal) from its new hub in Cotonou (Benin).  RwandAir  already serves  three West Coast destinations from Cotonou namely: Libreville (Gabon), Brazzaville (Congo), and Abidjan (Cote d’Ivoire). In August, the airline opened a new hub in Cotonou, Benin which will allow seamless connections to West and Central Africa. RwandAir says the  new Cotonou hub will be synchronized with the existing operations from Kigali. This year, RwandAir started flights to Mumbai, Harare, London (Gatwick) and Brussels.  The new routes will extend RwandAir’s network to twenty-six (26) destinations.

Takeover Negotiations: Arik Air Sues Ethiopian Airline ,Nigerian Government

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Arik Air has asked the Federal High Court sitting in Lagos, Nigeria  to restrain Ethiopian airline and the Nigerian Government from further negotiations on its takeover. Shareholders of Arik Air Limited on  September 6, 2017 filed a N20 billion suit against the Federal Government and Ethiopian Airlines over recent claims in the media that they were negotiating the takeover of the airline.  The suit was instituted against Ethiopian Airlines, the Federal Ministry of Transportation and the Attorney General of the Federation. A copy of the suit was obtained by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) .  In a 20 paragraph affidavit deposed to by Mr. Chris Ndulue, a Director with Arik Air, the plaintiff noted its takeover on February 8, 2017 by the Asset Management Company of Nigeria (AMCON) is being challenged by its management via two suits already pending before the Federal High Court, Lagos. According to Arik, the suits numbers are FHC/L/CS/827/17 and FHC/L/CS/826/17. Arik Air a