NIGERIA: Arik Air And Radisson Blu Partner

Arik Air and Radisson Blu Anchorage Hotel, Lagos are partnering to offer passengers discount on room rates as well as free room upgrade in the five-star hotel.

The offer includes 10per cent off weekend rates, free room upgrade, 15 per cent off buffet meals, 10 per cent off spa treatment and 10 per cent off beauty studio services.

To enjoy the offer, guests are required to present their Arik Air boarding pass not older than one month after flying at Radisson Blu Anchorage Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos.

Starting from 9th to 31st of August, 2019, guests can enjoy the discount offers every day of the week and from 1st September to 31st December, 2019, the offer is available on weekends.

Speaking about the promotion, Arik Air Chief Executive Officer, Captain Roy Ilegbodu said: “We are delighted about this partnership which offers our loyal customers the chance to experience the five-star service of Radisson Blu Anchorage Hotel”.

Radisson Blu Director of Sales and Marketing, Wellington Mpofu commented: “Arik Air is a vibrant, recognizable brand in the region and this partnership complements the strong presence and growth of the Radisson Hotel Group in the continent and beyond. This is a promotion to experience luxury offered by the two entities.”

Tourism Observer

NIGERIA: Nigeria Air, Is It A National Carrier Or National Airline And Will It Survive Where Others Have Failed?

Anytime Senator Hadi Sirika, minister of state for aviation, spoke about setting up a national carrier, I always switched off. Even though I like his ideas and I still salute his single-mindedness in closing down the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, for a critical runway reconstruction last year.

I just could not see eye-to-eye with him on the matter of a national carrier. It was going to be a waste of time and resources, I argued. I had evidence.

For decades, the Nigerian government has satisfactorily shown that it cannot run any business professionally. There is no single commercial entity run by the government that does well. We always end up burning money.

The defunct national airline, Nigeria Airways, started off so well in 1958 but eventually crashed in 2003 as the Nigerian disease of mismanagement ate it up.

Its business class seats were reserved for government officials and their cronies, girlfriends and families most of whom flew free of charge.

That is the way government business is run in Nigeria. Nigeria Airways flew from turbulence to turbulence despite the economic opportunities in the aviation industry.

Ethiopian Airlines, Kenya Airways and South African Airways, owned by their respective governments, were doing fairly well but our own Nigeria Airways was descending both in service quality and profitability.

President Olusegun Obasanjo assumed office in 1999 lamenting that Nigeria Airways had 32 aircraft when he left office as military ruler in 1979.

Twenty years later, only one aircraft was functional. He promised to revive the airline. I was in the team of journalists that flew to South Africa in 2000 for the signing of a lucrative code-sharing deal with South African Airways on the Johannesburg-Lagos-New York route.

We were told the deal would breathe a new life into Nigeria Airways. It was only on paper. While SAA is still going strong, our own national airline finally collapsed under heavy debts in 2003, unable to keep head above water despite subventions and subsidies.

The climax of the sad Nigeria Airways story, as narrated by a passenger, was in May 2002. A New York-Lagos flight was delayed for 24 hours because the airline couldn’t pay for fuel. Passengers had to contribute to fuel the aircraft. One passenger gave a loan of $5,000 to the airline.

It turned out to be the last flight. Another sad story is that of the Nigerian National Shipping Line (NNSL), set up by government in 1959. It sank in 1995 under the weight of debts and mismanagement.

All its 21 vessels were sold off. With these stories at the back of my mind, I was not excited when the Buhari administration started talking about setting up a national carrier.

But I am having a rethink with the unveiling of the Nigeria Air brand on Wednesday. Sirika said the federal government will own only 5% as well as raise the start-up capital for operations to commence in December.

He said it is going to be a public private partnership (PPP) to be privately managed. Investors will own the remaining 95%. There is already an international drive to market the venture to partners and investors.

The proposed carrier is expected to be a major player in the aviation sector, serving domestic, regional and international routes. The business projection is that in five years, it will be carrying four million passengers and boasting of a fleet of 30 aircraft.

For starters, national carrier is not the same as national airline. A national carrier flies the country’s flag and gets preferential treatment in international operations while a national airline is owned by the government.

A national carrier, sometimes called flag carrier, does not have to be government-owned. There are different models. For instance, British Airways is the UK flag carrier but it is not owned by the British government. It’s the same for Lufthansa (Germany) and Japan Airlines.

But Ethiopian Airlines and EgyptAir are 100% state-owned. Kenya Airways was wholly state-owned until 1996. It is now public-private.

Actually, my interest in Nigeria Air is fuelled by many factors. One, government will not have a say in the management. With 5% stake, it will be a minority shareholder. If the airline runs well, therefore, Nigeria will be reaping dividends rather than burning subventions.

We will now have to pray that Nigeria Air will not be managed by the mindless and clueless Nigerian big men and buccaneers who have not the foggiest idea about how the airline business is run. There are too many failed examples in our aviation industry.

The success of Nigeria Air will depend on the quality of management. But, to start with, the government will not be involved. That sounds better.

Two, the benefit of solid start-up capital means we can be assured of good aircraft. When Arik launched operations in 2006, its selling point was the tear rubber or brand new aircraft. Despite all its troubles, Arik’s safety record is still intact.

That is a benefit of a well-invested capital and maintenance. Government should invest in businesses that require huge capital outlay in order to spark off investors’ interest.

When no investor was interested in building hotels in Abuja, federal government built Hilton and Sheraton, which it later privatised. Can you count the number of hotels in Abuja today?

Nigeria is not enjoying much benefit from its bilateral air service agreements (BASA). For instance, British Airways flies to Lagos and Abuja daily and Virgin Atlantic flies to Lagos also daily, but there is no Nigerian airline flying to the UK.

Not even one flight! You are not likely to find this anomaly in many countries with a huge market like ours. According to Sirika, Nigeria Air will fly 41 international routes, in addition to 81 domestic and 40 regional.

If anything, virtually every sector of the Nigerian economy should benefit from the business, not forgetting the little matter of job creation in a country direly trying to tackle unemployment.

Four, the fact that government is investing in a business does not mean it is doomed. A ready example is Nigeria LNG Limited, in which government owns 49% but which it does not run. It is one of the best NLGs in the world.

If it was run by government, it would have become another NNPC — which is just a sleazy centre for the distribution of political patronage. We have not only recovered our investment in NLNG, we have continued to enjoy the fruits of our seed capital.

Therefore, that government is investing in an idea does not necessarily doom it. What makes the difference is who manages it. The government must not have the power to play patronage politics with Nigeria Air.

Economists will say everything has an opportunity cost. I agree that the money government is going to invest in Nigeria Air can be used for other pressing needs in education, healthcare, water, roads, bridges, and so on.

However, the fact that we need roads and schools does not mean we don’t need to improve options for Nigerian travellers and incentivise competition in the aviation space. We can do many things simultaneously. One does not stop the other.

Given the expected multiplier effect, this looks like an investment worth making, all things being equal. It is more than national pride, it is sowing seed in an economic driver.

Virgin Nigeria was running fairly well until the Nigerian factor ruined it. Its successor, Air Nigeria, was a natural disaster. Arik was considerably successful until it was infected by the Nigerian disease of mismanagement.

Nigerian billionaires are always guaranteed government bail-out whenever they ruin their businesses. The moral hazard encourages bad behaviour.

If Nigeria Air ends up in the hands of these buccaneers, then its fall will be mightier than that of Nigeria Airways. Ironically, Nigeria Airways was profitable when it was managed by KLM. Nigerians took over in the 1980s and please help me complete the sentence.

Ex-workers of Nigeria Airways are still being owed. In September 2017, President Muhammadu Buhari approved N45 billion for the settlement of their severance benefits. The national assembly did not pass it. This issue has to be resolved before we can start a new carrier.

Investors are expected to inject between $150 million and $300million over a number of years. We need to know how much in total Nigeria will be committing to it and how the funds will be raised. We can use all the transparency at this stage. Already, the PDP has described it as a scam.

Finally, my understanding is that PPP has three stages — development, procurement and implementation. The idea has been developed. That is what we saw with the unveiling of the brand at the Farnborough Airshow in the UK last week where the biggest guys in the global industry usually gather.

The next phase is procurement. Where will Nigeria get the funds to pay for the aircraft? Will it a recoverable loan from the federal government? Will we source funds from Exim Bank, AfDB or commercial banks? We need to know.

Investors are expected to inject at least $150 million by 2019. Have investors started showing interest? We need answers, Senator Sirika.

Except there is a supernatural dimension to this issue, I still don’t know why the federal government will not release Col. Sambo Dasuki (rtd) from detention. The former national security adviser has been granted bail by the court countless times.

The attorney-general, Mallam Abubakar Malami, says Dasuki was responsible for the death of 100,000 people and will not be released on bail. Does that mean Dasuki is already serving a prison sentence?

Normally, it is a court of law that pronounces an accused guilty. The attorney-general would be better off arguing his case against bail in court. But he has now assumed the role of a judge.

While we await the final word on the controversial NYSC discharge certificate of Mrs Kemi Adeosun, the minister of finance, I must confess that I have learnt a lot from this saga. For one, I never knew you have to serve even if you are 60, as long as you graduated before clocking 30.

I just assumed if you return to Nigeria after 30, you will be exempted. I also never knew that even if you never set a foot on Nigerian soil, as long as one of your parents is a Nigerian, you are automatically a Nigerian.

Meanwhile, now that a generation of Nigerians are schooling abroad, I hope their parents will remind them to come home and serve, even if they will still return to live abroad.

Minister of Aviation, Sen. Hadi Sirika, on Thursday ruled out government’s interference in the recruitment and operations of new national carrier, Nigeria Air.

Sirika gave the assurance at a lecture, held at the Air Force Institute of Technology’s 47th convocation in Kaduna.

He explained that the airline was unveiled in London for visibility but that investors in the company would decide the running of the airline.

Minister of Aviation, Sen. Hadi Sirika, on Thursday ruled out government’s interference in the recruitment and operations of new national carrier, Nigeria Air.


Sirika gave the assurance at a lecture, held at the Air Force Institute of Technology’s 47th convocation in Kaduna.

He explained that the airline was unveiled in London for visibility but that investors in the company would decide the running of the airline.

There will be no management control whatsoever. But I want to warn you that the people who are going to do recruitment ab initio will be a company that is world-class, he said.

Sirika said that Nigeria Air would be different from the grounded Nigeria airways.

The ownership is different. It is different because it is private sector-driven.

Minister of Aviation, Sen. Hadi Sirika, on Thursday ruled out government’s interference in the recruitment and operations of new national carrier, Nigeria Air.

Sirika gave the assurance at a lecture, held at the Air Force Institute of Technology’s 47th convocation in Kaduna.

He explained that the airline was unveiled in London for visibility but that investors in the company would decide the running of the airline.

There will be no management control whatsoever. But I want to warn you that the people who are going to do recruitment ab initio will be a company that is world-class, he said.

Sirika said that Nigeria Air would be different from the grounded Nigeria airways.

The ownership is different. It is different because it is private sector-driven.

Government will own minority share of less than five per cent.

Nigeria Airways died due to so many reasons, including governance issues and also that of finance.

Nigeria Airways was owned by the government of Nigeria and over time it lost track and lost funding and someone, therefore, decided to shut it down and it died, he added.


Tourism Observer

NIGERIA: Arik Air Plane In Emergency Landing In Accra, Ghana

A Nigerian plane made an emergency landing in Ghana after smoke was detected in the cabin, officials said Friday, in the latest incident to hit domestic and foreign airline operators.

The aircraft, owned by Arik Air, was travelling from Lagos to Accra on Tuesday when the fault was detected but no-one was hurt, a company statement said.

Arik Air flight W3 304 from Lagos to Accra on March 6, 2018 declared an emergency in line with standard operating procedures, when an unknown source of smoke was detected in the cabin, it said.

The incident occurred 130 kilometres from the Ghanaian capital but the plane landed safely in Accra without further incident, it said.

It was the latest in a string of incidents involving the aviation sector over the past month.

On February 7, an emergency exit door fell off a Dana Air jet as it landed in Abuja after flying in from Lagos.

Six days later, an Atlanta-bound Delta airlines jet was forced to return to Lagos after a fire was detected in one of its engines with passengers using emergency slides to evacuate the plane, officials said.

On February 17, an Air Peace plane had to delay landing in the southwestern city of Akure because cows had strayed onto the runway.

Another Dana Air plane overshot the runway at Port Harcourt on February 20 due to heavy rain and flooding.

And on Wednesday, the Nigerian government ordered a complete audit of Dana Air's operations to determine the technical fitness of its fleet.

The airline was grounded after a 2012 crash outside Lagos that killed all 153 on board and six on the ground. Mechanical failure and pilot error were blamed.

Arik Air yesterday explained the smoke incident that happened on it’s flight W3 304 from Lagos to Accra,Ghana. A passenger aboard the said flight had on Thursday night accused the airline of not given passengers medical attention after the plane landed in Accra

Explaining what happened, Arik Air Communication Manager, Mr Banji Ola said : Arik Air flight W3 304 from Lagos to Accra on March 6, 2018 declared an emergency in line with standard operating procedures, when unknown source of smoke was detected in the cabin 81 miles from Accra.

The captain of the flight briefed the passengers accordingly assuring them that the aircraft was under control and safe for landing in Accra.

The aircraft, a Dash 8 Q400, landed safely in Accra without further incident and all passengers disembarked normally.

The aircraft is currently parked in Acrra and our team of engineers are conducting comprehensive inspections on the aircraft to ascertain the cause of the smoke, after which the aircraft will be flown without passengers to a maintenance facility for rectification and testing.

The relevant aviation authorities in Ghana and Nigeria have been briefed appropriately on the incident, he added.

Arik Air is a Nigerian airline operating mainly from two hubs at Murtala Muhammed International Airport near Lagos and Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja.

Arik Air's head office is the Arik Air Aviation Center on the grounds of Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Ikeja. Arik Air serves a network of regional and mid-haul destinations within Africa.

On 3 April 2006, Arik Air took over the former Nigeria Airways facilities in Lagos, some three years after its liquidation, and began reconstruction work.

On 14 June 2006, Arik took delivery of 2 new Bombardier CRJ-900 aircraft to fly domestic routes throughout Nigeria and, within the African continent from Summer 2006, 2 ex-United Airlines Boeing 737–300s and 3 50 seat Bombardier CRJ-200 aircraft.

In August 2006, the Federal Ministry of Aviation granted Arik Air authorisation to fly to Trinidad and Tobago and Amsterdam, London and Madrid in Europe.

Furthermore, the airline then planned to fly to Atlanta, Miami, and Houston in the United States and Birmingham in the United Kingdom.

On 30 October 2006, Arik Air began scheduled passenger flights with four flights between Lagos and Abuja using CRJ 900 aircraft.

Flight operations began to Calabar on 15 November 2006 and services to Benin City and Enugu started on 7 January 2007. The airline is wholly owned by Ojemai Investments.

The Nigerian government set a deadline of 30 April 2007 for all airlines operating in the country to re-capitalise or be grounded in an effort to ensure better services and safety.

The airline satisfied the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA)’s criteria in terms of re-capitalisation and was re-registered for operation.

On 4 April 2008, Arik Air was given permission to fly to the United States by the US Department of Transportation.

Arik Air started international operations to London-Heathrow on 15 December 2008, using an Airbus A340-500 aircraft damp-leased from Hi Fly. It added Johannesburg on 1 June 2009, New York JFK on 30 November 2009, and Dubai on 28 July 2014.

Subsidiary airline Arik Niger commenced operations in April 2009, but was shut down in February 2010.

Arik Air transported its 5 millionth passenger on 6 August 2010 and it transported its 10 millionth passenger on 18 September 2012, both on flights between Johannesburg and Lagos.

On 20 September 2012, the airline cancelled all its domestic operations after aviation officials raided the airline's office in Lagos, Nigeria. Flights resumed on 23 September.

Arik Air had placed an order for five Boeing 777-300ER aircraft, which was cancelled in 2011.

Arik Air then placed an order for two Boeing 747-8I aircraft 2013. However, in early 2017, Arik Air converted the 747-8I orders to two Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners instead.

Arik Air had been the last remaining airline customer for the passenger 747-8 who had not yet received any examples, and now the United States Air Force and UPS Airlines are the sole remaining customers.

The conversion of the 747-8 order to Dreamliners came shortly after the airline, owing to major financial stress and most aircraft not being operational.

It was taken over by the Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON) at the start of 2017, deeming the airline as too big to fail.

Since the takeover, all flights leaving Africa, along with flights to O.R. Tambo International Airport, have been gradually suspended.

Simultaneously, KPMG was appointed by AMCON to conduct a forensic audit on Arik Air's books.

Since then, AMCON is gradually in the process of reviving and stabilising the airline and its operations.

Arik Air in the restructuring has suspended all international operations except to Ghana, Senegal, and The Gambia, resulting in the A330 fleet being parked in France.

Arik Air has built up a domestic network covering mainly Nigerian and several other Western African destinations.

The Arik Air fleet includes the following aircraft

- Boeing 737-700 9

- Boeing 737-800 4

- Bombardier CRJ900 4

- Bombardier CRJ1000 1

- Bombardier Q400 2


Tourism Observer

NIGERIA: Ethiopian Airlines Negotiating With Nigeria Government To Take Over Arik Air

Ethiopian Airlines is negotiating with the Nigerian government to take over the bankrupt Arik Air, a senior official confirmed in Addis Ababa.

The Director of International Service at the Ethiopian Airlines Group, Mr Esayas Weldemariam, Wednesday said they were expanding their presence in West Africa.

Following the bid opened by the Nigerian government, we are negotiating to secure management contract of Arik Air, Mr Esayas said, responding to the rumours about the impending deal.

Based on the terms and conditions set by the Government of Nigeria, Ethiopian Airlines has submitted its offer to take over the management of Arik Air,We are bidding with other airlines, if we agree on the negotiations, we are ready to go and take over the management, he said.

Arik Air, which is one of the largest private airlines in Nigeria, has been serving as the de-facto national carrier for the most populous state in Africa.

Following the failure to service its debts and pay employees salaries, Arik Air was last February taken over by the government.

Ethiopian Airlines also manages Asky Airlines in Lome, in a joint ownership with the Togo government, and the Malawian Airlines, also jointly with the government.

The Addis Ababa flag carrier, which began operations in April 1946, has won several accolades in the recent past including African Airline of the Year in 2015 and 2016 by the African Aviation and in 2014 ranked the largest in Africa in revenue by the International Air Transport Association (IATA).

Ethiopian Airlines Group, which has several related business wings, envisages becoming a $10 billion revenue generating company by 2030, with a total of 140 aircraft, according to Mr Esayas.

It currently has a fleet of 92 aircraft, flying to 104 international 19 local destinations.

The airline reported a 70 per cent jump in full year 2016 net profit to $265 million boosted by an 18 per cent increase in passenger numbers over the period.

Ethiopian Airlines has placed an order for more than a dozen new Airbus, Boeing and Bombardier aircraft, cementing its position as the regional aviation giant.

The airline announced at the Paris Air Show that it had placed a $3 billion order for 10 Airbus A350-900 aeroplanes, in addition to at least another two it already has on order.

It is looking at more wide-bodied aircraft to help it boost its hub-based business model, which primarily relies on moving regional and continental travellers through its Addis Ababa hub.

Airlines group chief executive Tewolde Gebremariam said that it would be deploying the new aircraft on its long range routes to meet increased customer demand.

We have been a loyal Boeing customer for a very long time, because we were looking for the right aircraft in the Airbus family. Now we have found the A350 to be the right aircraft for us.

We are very happy we made that decision very early in the A350 programme. Now we see the performance of the aircraft is up to expectations. The performance, operational and cost efficiencies we have achieved with our initial A350-900s have resulted in these additional 10 aircraft orders, Mr Tewolde said.

Last June, Ethiopian Airlines took delivery of the first of its original order for 12 A350s and now operates four of the type with three leased from AerCap and one leased from PingAn Aircraft Leasing.

The airline also signed a $1.5 billion engine order with Rolls-Royce that will see the latter provide Trent XWB engines for the 10 new Airbus A350-900 aircraft. In addition, the order includes engine service parts for 14 of the aircraft already in service.

Ethiopian Airlines ordered Trent 1000 engines for six Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft at the 2016 Paris Airshow, five of which are in service, and has lease arrangements for an additional four aircraft.

On Wednesday, the airline also announced that it had signed a commitment with Boeing for the purchase of two B777 freighters at a cost of $651.4 million. It also confirmed that it had firmed up the 10 Boeing 737 options included in its original order placed back in 2014, pushing its order to 30. Ethiopian Airlines currently operates six of this type alongside two B757-200s.

We still remain with Europe as Africa’s largest trading partner and that has an impact on what we do. Having a very good aeroplane from Europe, is a perfect match. We will deploy these additional aircraft on our long-haul routes connecting Addis Ababa with destinations in Africa, Europe, the Middle East and Asia, Mr Tewolde said, complimenting the overall performance of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner.

Ethiopian Airlines will also be receiving five additional Dash 8-400s, a $163 million order that Canadian plane maker Bombardier confirmed, having received two of them last year.


Tourism Observer

NIGERIA: Aviation Industry Limping

Nigeria closed its airport in Abuja for urgent repairs to the runway. This further exacerbated financial losses in the aviation industry which saw the biggest carrier Arik Air taken over by government.

Serious safety risks are forcing the aviation industry in Nigeria's capital Abuja to come to a temporary halt. The Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport will be closed for six weeks of urgent repair work to the airport's only runway. The closure of one of the country's two main airports heavily impacted business schedules and add further financial losses to the already ailing economy. Major international airlines canceled flights to Abuja for the repair period which was due to start on March 8.

The latest to do so is South African Airlines (SAA). It followed British Airways, KLM, Air France and Lufthansa. Flights to Lagos, Nigeria's commercial hub, continued. Officials said the runway in Abuja was in shocking disrepair and that attempts to fix it piecemeal since its lifespan ended 14 years ago had failed. An SAA plane was damaged while landing there last August.

This is really not a good development to allow the airport to deteriorate and then close it down because they only have this one runway, said a passenger. It can be seen as negligence and will have a negative impact economically, but perhaps not to such a large extent as one might think, he added optimistically.

Travellers landed in Lagos and travel on to the capital Abjua. But that was not the preferred option if one wanted to save time and costs. The option of flying to Kaduna was rejected by many passengers since the road from there to Abuja was unsafe.

Many airlines refused a government proposal to divert flights to northern Kaduna city and then bus passengers the 250 kilometers (155 miles) south to Abuja - a three-and-a-half-hour ride on a road which is notorious for accidents, hijackings and kidnappings. That proposal "would impact on aircraft availability and connectivity for passengers," SAA spokesman Tlali Tlali said in media reports.

The refusals came despite promises by Nigeria's government to provide security on the highway from Kaduna to Abuja and to upgrade facilities at Kaduna's airport. Three months ago, the airport still did not have computers and airline staff issued handwritten boarding cards.

Lack of maintenance affected not only the aviation industry in Nigeria but also the country's entire infrastructure, despite its status as one of Africa's largest economies.

The country's aviation sector has been hard-hit by Nigeria's currency crisis, with tickets paid in devalued naira but scarce foreign currency needed for fuel. To avoid the closure of the country's biggest airline, the government stepped in taking over Arik Air, a heavily indebted company with erratic operation challenges.

According to Jude Nwauzor, spokesman for the Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON), Arik failed to repay loans totaling 135 billion naira ($429 million, 402 million euros) by the end of 2016 and was also in debt to numerous foreign creditors. "AMCON has taken over the management of Arik because the whole place is in a mess. "We have appointed a new management to stabilize the airline and prevent it from going down like other airlines in Nigeria," Nwauzor said.

In December, planes were grounded by a 24-hour strike over unpaid wages. The airline was unable to pay workers for months and had its aircraft seized for non-payment of leases. The company was almost bankrupt,mostly due to mismanagement and corruption.

They have 500 workers and many lost their jobs if government did not taking over." The takeover seems to be in line with government's wish to bring back a national carrier.

The dilemma worsened when Arik Air had to cancel flights regularly because it could not pay for fuel. Thousands of passengers were stranded during the past year.

Arik is the biggest airline in West Africa and flies 55 percent of domestic flights in Nigeria as well as transcontinental routes to London and New York.

The aviation industry in Nigeria is in turmoil and Arik is not the only airline struggling: Nigeria's second-biggest carrier, Aero Contractors, halted services for four months because of "serious financial difficulties." Airlines say a lack of foreign currency caused by the economic recession in Nigeria has left them unable to pay fuel suppliers and, in some cases, pay landing charges at airports outside the country.

Last year two other Nigerian airlines stopped operating and United Airlines and Iberia also pulled out of Nigeria over the currency crisis in which international airlines lost millions of dollars while the government blocked their remittances in foreign currency and the naira tumbled.

Aviation analysts have previously criticized the running of Nigerian airlines for trying to minimize operating costs in order to boost profits.

That has seen more than 40 operators go bust in 35 years, including Nigeria Airways, which collapsed in 2003. However air travel is the only viable way to get around Nigeria relatively quickly because of the underdeveloped road and rail infrastructure.

Mega Maldives Airlines To Suspend Operations Today, May 2

Mega Maldives Air (LV, Malé) has officially announced it will suspend all commercial flight operations with effect from Tuesday, May 2, 2017.

In a statement, the Maldivian operator said the move was part of its restructuring and recapitalization efforts which began last year. As part of the plan, Mega Maldives will pursue what it termed, "new investments", which will bring about changes to its ownership structure.

“We are well aware of our customer and tourism stakeholder expectations of us," George Weinmann, CEO, said. "The Board of Directors and Executive team felt that it was necessary to focus on the restructuring and improving our product and service. We will look forward to returning to flying very soon with a renewed fleet that can service established, under-served and emerging markets.”

As such, while no flights will operate for the duration of its dormancy, the company's other management and administrative functions will continue as before.

Mega Maldives operates a single B767-300(ER), leased from AerCap, but has supplemented its operations with occasional B737 and B767 wet-leases.

The carrier has been especially vulnerable to fluctuations in the Chinese tourism market given the only two remaining cities it connects its Malé hub to are Shanghai Pudong and Beijing Capital.

Spirit Airlines Suspends A320neo Deliveries In 2018

Spirit Airlines (NK, Fort Lauderdale Int'l) has confirmed it has abandoned plans to take delivery of any more A320neos until 2019.

The Ultra low-cost carrier said in an SEC filing on Friday, April 28, that of the four A320neo it had intended to take delivery of in 2018, two have been converted to A320ceo (for delivery this year) with the remaining two now deferred until 2019. The renegotiated contract was finalized during the first quarter of the year, it said.

As it stands, Spirit's A320neo delivery schedule will see fourteen deliver from Airbus (AIB, Toulouse Blagnac) in 2019, sixteen in 2020, and eighteen in 2021. The carrier has already taken delivery of five A320neo all of which are Pratt & Whitney PW1127G-powered variants. The aircraft have, however, been subject to recurring technical glitches with two - N901NK (msn 6833) and N905NK (msn 7334) - now inactive since March.

Oman's SalamAir To Change Dubai Operations

SalamAir (OV, Muscat) is planning to switch its Dubai operations from Dubai World Central to Dubai Int'l the budget carrier's Chief Executive Officer Francois Bouteiller has told Arabian Business.

Speaking during an interview last week, Bouteiller said the decision to change came after passengers requested the service be switched to Dubai International Airport which, in their opinion, is more centrally located and more prestigious.

“It’s only an impression that DWC is too far out and is not as ‘prestigious’ as DXB," he said. "But, in fact, it is a lot more efficient and a much better airport in terms of operational capability."

However, Bouteiller added that while SalamAir has managed to secure slots at the increasingly congested Dubai International Airport, the launch of flights may not occur until unspecified restrictions at the airfield's Terminal 2 have been resolved.

“He [Dubai Airports CEO Paul Griffiths] is working on a solution," he said. "They are just over capacity.”

SalamAir currently connects Muscat with Dubai via a 2x daily return service. The LCC also serves Salalah locally as well as Jeddah and Madinah regionally.

Arik Air board takes legal action over AMCON takeover

An objection has been filed in the Federal High Court in Lagos about the take over of Arik Air (W3, Lagos) by the state-owned Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON). The objectors claim that there is a conflict of interest in the appointment of the receiver manager.

The action comes just a week after the airline was effectively shut down by employees who accuse the new management of being hostile to unions.

Arik Air was placed into the hands of lawyer Oluseye Opasanya after its take over by AMCON in February, and an injunction was secured to prevent any interference in Opasanya's management of the airline. The objection claims that Opasanya, who works for law firm Olaniwun Ajaya LP, is acting in an unprofessional manner.

The conflict of interest apparently arises from the fact that the lawyer who is representing AMCON, Kayinsola Ajayi, also works for the same firm.

Ajayi has rejected the claim, stating that there is a distinction between a lawyer, and the law firm for which they work. He also claims that the four objectors – which includes the chairman of Arik Air's board, its managing director, CEO and another director – are interlopers and not party to the suit.

Meanwhile, relations between Arik Air's employees and Opasanya are also strained. Union members claim they have been treated in an uncivilised manner with Opasanya walking out on meetings. News site Naij reports that union representatives were escorted out by bodyguards.

Members of the National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE), Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria, and the National Association of Aircraft Pilots and Engineers staged a protest on Thursday March 23, saying that the airline's management had failed to reinstate sacked staff.

One employee who contacted ch-aviation said that staff on international services were effectively retrenched on February 20, however no information about a retrenchment package has been communicated to them. "We were never paid for February," the informant said. "No retrenchment letters have been issued to the staff."

The case regarding the conflict of interest has been adjourned until May 15.

NIGERIA: Abuja Airport Closing For Six Weeks, International Airlines Reject Kaduna As Not Safe For Flights

Hardly 24 hours to the closure of Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport 9NAIA), Abuja for total rehabilitation of its runway, foreign airlines have continued to shun the alternate airport, Kaduna, insisting the airport is not safe for flight operations.

This is coming as local carriers jostle to increase their frequencies to Kaduna Airport in order to capture more passengers on the route pending the complete renovation of the Abuja runway.

Virtually all the foreign airlines spoken to by our correspondent said that they won’t relocate their operations to Kaduna despite the appeal of the Federal Government for them to do so.

The Airlines said that they have already informed the Minister of State for Aviation, Hadi Sirika that they would be suspending operations to Abuja the moment it is shut for total rehabilitation. For instance, British Airways in a statement signed by its Regional Commercial Manager West Africa, Mr. Kola Olayinka said that the airline considered several factors before deciding not to fly to Kaduna Airport.

The statement reads: “‘I can confirm that BA will not be operating to Kaduna during the planned closure of the Abuja Airport. “Many factors were considered before this decision was reached, major ones are concern about the safety and security of our passengers as well as difficulties around some key operational issues. “We are currently evaluating all options for our customers planning to travel at that time and we will be reaching out directly to them for information about their trip.”

Also, South African Airways in its letter to Sirika, informed him that it would cease flight operations to Abuja starting from today, March 6th 2017.

The letter was made exclusively available to our correspondent by a source close to the Ministry. The letter was signed by the Ag. Chief Commercial Officer, SAA, Mr. Aaron Munetsi.

The letter read in part: “SAA commends the Nigerian authorities concerning the planned repairs of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport runway. However, due to network and fleet operations planning, SAA regrets to advise that the airline will suspend its Abuja operations with effect from 6th March until April 18th 2017.

“The airline promised to be in constant touch with the Nigerian aviation authorities as the repair work progresses in order to establish its readiness for revised operations in accordance with the work schedule.” Besides, the media consultant to Lufthansa Airways, Mr. Hakeem Jimoh in a telephone conversation with our correspondent said that the carrier would not operate to Kaduna as directed by the government. Rather, he explained that the airline would continue to operate to Port Harcourt and Lagos, stressing that it would only return to Abuja Airport once it is re-opened for flight operations.

He explained that the airline has already stopped the sales of Abuja airport tickets for passengers intending to travel to the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) from March 8, 2017. Jimo explained that passengers who had already booked ahead, the airline would offer them “no fee booking option,” which would allow them to change their travel plans to Lagos and Port Harcourt Airports without collecting additional charges from them.

He, however, said that for those who still prefer Abuja Airport to any of the alternatives offered by the airline, the management would make refunds to them without any charges.

He said: “There is no plan to operate to Kaduna Airport by the airline. We will soon suspend our operations to Abuja and return to the airport once it is re-opened for flight operations. We don’t have any codeshare arrangement with any Nigerian airline at least for now.


“So, for those who have already book ahead, we will give them alternatives, which is either Lagos or Port Harcourt that we still fly into in the country. We will offer them ‘no-fee booking option,’ which is the industry standards and if any passenger still doesn’t want to fly with us, we will make a full refund of their payments to them without any charges.”

Other airlines that operate into Abuja, but have declined to fly to Kaduna are Ethiopian Airlines, Turkish Airlines, EgyptAir, Air France and Lufthansa Airways.

However, indigenous carriers have indicated their willingness to operate direct flights to Kaduna as from tomorrow.
Dana Air in a press statement to journalist early this morning said I would commence four daily flights to the state from March 8, 2017.

The airline put the frequencies at 7.02am, 10.53, 13.23pm and 18.25pm, while there would be one flight each from Uyo and Port Harcourt to Kaduna keeping strictly to its scheduled time of departure.

Also, Med-View in a statement by its media consultant hinted that it would as from Wednesday commence five daily flights to Kaduna from Lagos.

The statement explained that with the schedule, all Med-View Airline flights to Maiduguri and Yola would be routed through Kaduna airport, but their departure and arrival time remain unchanged as well as flights originating from Lagos.

Commenting on the increased frequencies, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the airline, Alhaji Muneer Bankole said the schedule was a proactive measure taken to ensure that all its numerous passengers going to Maiduguri and Yola have a seamless transition to their various destinations while flying Abuja-bound passengers to Kaduna.

The troubled Nigerian Arik Air, has also announced a special promotional fare that would enable passengers to buy a one-way ticket to any destination in Nigeria from N16, 000 especially those on the Kaduna route.

Arik also introduced a new schedule for the airport. The airline said that it would be operating three daily flights between Kaduna and Lagos and one daily flight between Kaduna and Accra, Ghana during this period.

Abuja Airport runway was constructed in 1982 alongside the commissioning of the airport. Rather than the industry standards of 20 years before total overhauling, the runway was in use for 34 years without any major repairs.

While it is closed, Abuja-bound passengers will have to fly to Kaduna and travel by bus to the capital, guarded by security agents, on a road where kidnappings have become recurrent in the last few years.

The plans for Kaduna to handle Abuja flights have been met with skepticism. The airport handled just 12 flights in December 2015, the last month for which Nigeria’s airports authority has figures, compared with 812 that used Abuja.

NIGERIA: Arik Air Cuts Flights Due To Fuel Shortage

Nigeria’s largest airline Arik Air was forced to cut back operations Nov. 16 because of a fuel shortage. In a statement, the carrier said aviation fuel rationing began during the week beginning Nov. 7, causing delays and cancellations.

Arik Air, which operates around 100 daily flights, requires about 500,000 liters of fuel a day. As a local operator, it has been badly affected by the fuel shortage, which it said is the fourth this year.

A Notice to Airmen (NOTAM), warning about the fuel shortage at Lagos, was issued Nov. 12. Supplies are also limited at Abuja and Port Harcourt.

“As a result of the worsening aviation fuel supply situation, Arik Air has announced a further reduction in flights to cope with the fresh scarcity, and reduce the unpleasant delays and cancellations which passengers have experienced in recent times,” Arik Air said. “One of the airline’s flights to Johannesburg on Tuesday had to be routed via Port Harcourt to pick up fuel.”

The fuel shortage marks a further setback for Arik Air, which was forced to temporarily ground flights Sept. 13-14 because of problems with its insurance policy.

Arik Air serves 18 destinations across Nigeria and Africa using a fleet of 28 regional, medium- and long-haul aircraft, including two Airbus A330-200s.

Emirates To Get Support Of Arik Air

Arik Air yesterday said it was ready to support Emirates Airline and would be able to assist with accommodating Emirates passengers from various Nigerian destinations , including Abuja.

This, the airline said was to re-affirm its partnership with Emirates Airline in view of their recent decision to suspend their Abuja service.

This revelation was made yesterday by Arik Air’s Chief Commercial Officer (CCO), Mr. Suraj Sundaram . According to Sundaram, “Arik Air and Emirates have a long standing partnership through an interline agreement since 2011 which enables Emirates passengers to have access to the entire Arik Air network for connections to and from within Nigerian destinations and to other West African countries.

“This means Arik Air would be able to fly Emirates passengers from various Nigerian destinations (including Abuja) and other West African markets to Lagos for onward connection to the Emirates service from Lagos to Dubai.”

He said that “Arik Air’s interline agreement with Emirates Airline has increased the travel choices for customers from Nigeria and West Africa to travel to various global destinations offered by the Emirates network.

Such partnership also allows Emirates passengers to tap into Arik Air’s strong network that currently serves 18 destinations in Nigeria and 10 West and Central African destinations,” he said.

NIGERIA: Foreign Airlines Hike Fares, Local Airline Operators Take Advantage

The astronomical rise in the cost of air tickets currently offered by foreign airlines is creating unsolicited demand for their local counterparts exploring the international routes. But are they ready for the challenge? About three weeks ago when the Central Bank introduced the new flexible foreign exchange policy, a new wave of optimism let loose among foreign airlines operating in the country.

Besides cushioning the free fall of Naira against the dollar, the operators anticipated that the flexible regime would enable operators to repatriate stuck funds and in no time bring down the cost of fares once again. The argument though logical, has proven to be incorrect.

While the Naira has declined since the policy was introduced and funds repatriated, the price of ticket fares has further increased, and out of reach of customers.

Precisely, prices of air tickets for international trips have gone up by no fewer than 20 per cent in the last few days, with economy class tickets now ranging from N700, 000 to N1 million on some popular airlines.

For instance, a Lagos-New York return ticket goes between N600, 000 and N700, 000 on economy class compared to about N300, 000 charged a year ago. A business class ticket for same route now goes for about N1.8 million to N2 million.

Findings show that the average return ticket on economy class for Lagos-London route has risen to between N553, 200 and N600, 000 as against the initial N280, 000 and N355, 000. Business class tickets on carriers like British Airways, Lufthansa, Air France-KLM, are in the neighbourhood of N2.5 million compared to about N1.2 million it was offered some 12 months back. A first class ticket on the average, costs between N3.2 million to N3.8 million per passenger.

For a return flight from Lagos to Amsterdam and Lagos to Paris, fares go for N400, 000 and above on economy class seats, from the initial N260, 000, while the business class tickets go for N2.1 million.

A passenger, who identified self as Enitan, said it was regrettable that the fares have continue to reach the rooftop without any effort to check the foreign airlines.

Enitan said while many Nigerians traveling on holiday could afford to cancel the trip or go for alternatives, "there are some of us traveling for business reasons that cannot just help the situation."

A family of three actually canceled their summer trip, upon receiving the bill of N2.3m, which is almost an 100 per cent increase from the estimate bargained a month ago.

A United States bound passenger, Emeka Abah, told The Guardian that an advice of traveling from Kotoko in Accra, Ghana was becoming appealing, considering the comparatively cheaper fares in Ghana as against what is obtainable in Nigeria.

Prior to the flexible foreign exchange policy regime, fares on offer in Ghana and other West African countries were actually cheaper. It is, however, not clear if the comparative differences still exist in the current exchange realities.

Travel agents lamented that some of their clients going for summer vacation have cancelled their bookings due to the high cost of airfares.

But in fairness to the foreign airlines operating in Nigerian airspace, the current exchange rates could be blamed for the 'hiked' fares.

Repatriating fund at the current market rate of about N285 per dollar, as against N199 former official rate, amounts to about 40 per cent loss of value.

At least two foreign airlines that have now withdrawn their funds on Tuesday confirmed the 40 per cent loss.

It would be recalled that the airlines have waited for 12 months to repatriate about $600 million stuck in the Nigerian economy with several threats to quit flying Nigerian route. The operators were, however, excited with the new flexible forex regime announced by CBN, without foreseeing the huge loss that would come with it.

An official of one of the airlines that has repatriated over $5 million till date said that their worst fear was outright devaluation of the naira but the flexible policy doused their tension.

The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said it was expected that the exchange rate would be "slightly" on the high side to start with, but the current rate was beyond them.

He said: "We (foreign airlines) are losing money and it doesn't make anyone happy. The money is long overdue to return to United Kingdom (UK) but the exchange rate is crazy. That is why the fares appears increasing; not that we hiked fares," he said.

But as the cliché often run, one man's meat is another man's poison. The current development appears to be beneficial to local airlines that are trying to flex some muscles on the international front.

Besides the gulf carriers like Emirate, the likes of Arik Air and Medview - the two national flag carriers - have in fact seen rise in demand given their patronising fares.

A Lagos-London return ticket on Arik Air ranges between N350, 000 and N400, 000. It's counterpart, Medview, also to same destination, costs about N398, 672. Emirates and Ethiopian Airways still provide 'cheaper fares', compared to other airlines.

A keen observer of the aviation sector, Emmanuel Adebajo, said that the situation had a lots of positives for the country's carriers, if only they would maximise the opportunities.

"Patronage has swollen in the last couple of weeks. It is an avenue for us to support our own and help them succeed. After all, it is cheaper to fly Arik or Med-view. The problem is just that a lot of us (Nigerians) have already cultivated a taste bud for everything foreign. It is time we tell ourselves the home truth that those over-priced services on foreign planes are also possible on our own carriers and at a price that will not tear your pocket," Adebajo said.

Managing Director of Omni-Blu Aviation Services, Akin Olateru, said it was high time the Federal Government had exercised political will to support the local airlines to ensure that they flourish.

Specifically, Olateru said government needed to exempt airlines from Value Added Tax (VAT), adding that it is only in Nigeria's aviation industry that such negative taxes are introduced as if the authorities are out to killing the carriers.

He said: "Government should provide easy access of foreign exchange to our local airlines. They must devise ways to help. We are the only country that still charges VAT on leisure travel, which makes airfares to be expensive."

He pleaded that government should give the airlines tax holiday, stressing that the $50 international travellers from Nigeria pay that goes to the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) should be done in Naira at an agreed rate.

NIGERIA: Balafon Awards

Cross River State governor, Ben Ayade, Ethiopian Airlines and Transcorp Hilton Hotel, Abuja are among winners in various categories of the keenly contested Balafon Awards powered by organisers of the Accra Weizo event in Ghana.

Gov. Ayade won Tourism man of the year as Ethiopian Airlines as well as Arik Air and Emirates won the award Top interanational airlines in Ghana, and Transcorp Hilton Hotel, Abuja; Eko Hotel and Suites Lagos; Sheraton Lagos Hotel, Oriental Hotel and, Intercontinental Hotel Lagos won in the Top 5 Hotels in Nigeria category.

The Balafon Awards, according to organisers is an award targeting people in travel business in West Africa.

Mr. Ikechi Uko told Arts & Ideas that the competition is based on the fact that there is need to encourage travel business in West Africa. He said judges - comprising journalists from Nigeria and Ghana - presented a shortlist of contenders in the various categories to public voting through which winners eventually emerged.

The series, whose name originates from a francophone traditional xylophone, had previously held in Lagos as part of the annual travel and tourism fiesta, Akwaaba.

· Best Airlines in West Africa

Arik, Asky, Air Peace

· Top 10 Hotels in West Africa

Eko Hotel and Suites Lagos ,Transcorp Hilton Hotel Abuja, Intercontinental Hotel Lagos, Labadi Beach Hotel Accra, La Palm royal Beach Hotel Accra,Kairaba Hotel Gambia, Radisson Blu,Hotel Lome, Wheatbakers Lagos, Lou Moon Ghana ,MovenPick Ambassador Hotel Accra.

· Top 10 Hotels in Ghana

Labadi Hotel, LaPalm Royal Beach Hotel, Movenpick Ambassador Hotel, Golden Tulip Hotel Accra,Holiday Inn, African Regent, Kempinski Gold City, Tang Palace, Royal Senchi Resort Akosombo, Lou Moon,

· Top 5 Hotels in Nigeria

Eko Hotel and Suites Lagos, Transcorp Hilton Hotel Abuja, Sheraton Lagos Hotel, Oriental Hotel and Intercontinental Hotel Lagos

· Top International Airlines in Ghana

Emirates, Ethiopian, Arik Air

· Tourism Man of The Year in Ghana

Hon. Elizabeth Ofosu- Adjare, Minister of Tourism , Ghana; Kwame Ofosu Bamfo, Swiss Spirit Alisa Hotel Accra and Tourism Ambassador, Abeku Santana

· Tourism Man of The Year - West Africa

Gov. Ben Ayade, Cross River State; Obinna Ekezie, CEO Wakanow and Elizabeth Ofosu- Adjare Minister of Tourism, Ghana

· Aviation Man of The Year in Ghana

NIGERIA: Federal Government To Save N4bn Annually From Travel Costs

Nigeria’s government said it is to save about N4 billion annually from travel costs as the Efficiency Unit (E_UNIT) of the Ministry of Finance enters discussions with local and international airlines to secure travel discounts for government officials.

The discussions, the ministry said in a statement, are yielding positive results.

According to the statement issued by the Special Adviser, Media, to the Minister of Finance, Mr. Festus Akanbi, a review of government overhead expenditure between 2012 and 2014 showed that travel was the largest single expenditure item. “A cumulative total of N248 billion, equivalent to about 18% of total overhead expenditure, was spent on travel during the period. This translates to N83 billion per annum.

At a conservative discount of 5% on ticket prices, the estimated savings per year is approximately N4 billion,” the statement added. The ministry explained that given the large amount spent on travel, and consequently the significant potential for savings, it was imperative that the E-UNIT prioritises travel as a key focus area for cost cutting and generation of savings. “To this end, the Efficiency Unit has engaged in negotiation discussions with local and international airlines for discounts commensurate with the large number of ticket purchases made by Government annually.

The savings generated will increase funding available to the government for capital investment. After a meeting with senior Arik Air officials on Tuesday, the ministry reiterated its commitment to cut costs and promote fiscal prudence.

NIGERIA: 4 Nigerian Airlines To Get IOSA As IATA Queries CPC

The International Air Transport Association had awarded its Operational Safety Audit certificates to Arik Air, Aero Contractors and FirstNation for enforcing safety regulations during their operations.

IATA’s newly appointed Regional Director for Africa, Tanja Grobotek, said this when he led a team to pay a familiarisation visit to Captain Muhtar Usman, the Director- General of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, in Lagos on Sunday.

Grobotek said that those on the verge of attaining their IOSA certifications include Allied Air and Cargo Services, Overland Airways and Dana Air.
Grobetek added that Air Peace had done its last workshop but the carrier was about to be audited.

The News Agency of Nigeria reports that IATA Operational Safety Audit certificate is issued to airline after a successful assessment and demonstration of compliance to safety regulations as specified by the body.

However, Grobetek condemned the Consumer Protection Council’s incursion into aviation regulatory responsibilities of the NCAA with reference to the recent issue of passengers’ complaint with Turkish Airlines.

She said IATA was taking up the matter with the Minister of State for Aviation, Captain Hadi Sirika, for proper delineation of agency roles to avoid a breach of aviation protocols in Nigeria.

“A situation whereby our member airlines that are by international conventions answerable to NCAA are now being questioned by another body in Nigeria is confusing and needs to be addressed,” she said.

While commending NCAA for a long-standing collaboration with IATA on operational safety, she expressed optimism in seeing more airlines obtain IOSA certification which would be a boost to the industry.

She also said that there were round table conferences on the impacts of environment on aviation under the leadership of the International Civil Aviation organisation.

Grobetek disclosed that Kenya and Nigeria had been tipped in Africa to host the next conference scheduled for March 10.

NAN reports that teams from both aviation agencies discussed the proposed meeting with upcoming operators in order to raise their safety level.

They also discussed the need for transition from Aeronautical Information System to Aeronautical Information Management.

IATA Area Manager for South West Africa, Samson Fatokun, who accompanied the visiting Regional Director, also stated that there were training programmes lined up for NCAA personnel by IATA for the year.

Usman, in his response, thanked the IATA team for its visit and expressed NCAA’s leadership willingness to partner IATA on issues of safety, security and training.
The D-G said the regulatory authority had already transited from AIS to AIM, adding that its staff had also undergone training on implementation.

He said: “Safety is not by accident but a product of sufficient planning.
“Hence, NCAA is ever committed to work with IATA on training, which is key to safety and security.

“These trainings will be domesticated where necessary for cost effectiveness.”
NAN.

NIGERIA: First Nation Airways Secures IOSA Certification

First Nation Airlines, one of the few surviving domestic airlines has secured the International Air Transport Association (IATA) Operational Safety Audit (IOSA) Certification.

This achievement by the airline brings to three the number of Nigerian domestic airline that have passed IOSA certification.
The other two airlines that had earlier secured IOSA certification are Arik Air and Aero.

However, there are still four domestic airlines that have not secured IOSA certification. They include Azman, Dana Air, Air Peace and Overland Airways.

The attainment of the feat by the airline was disclosed in an online statement signed by the Director, Flight Operations, Capt. Chimara Imediegwu and made available to journalists in Lagos.

Imediegwu stated that First Nation is now the first out of the 10 airlines across the African continent, chosen by IATA in 2014 to undergo the prestigious IOSA certification, to successfully complete the certification process and achieve IOSA registration within the timeline.

First Nation, he stated has joined the elite group of airlines across the globe holding IOSA certification, adding that the fact that the airline was able to attain this certification within record time attested to the airline’s robust structure.

First Nation from launch has assembled young crop of dynamic and motivated professionals which has resulted in the airline building a strong brand with respectable market presence within a relatively short period.

The airline, he said was currently working on aircraft fleet expansion that would see the airline grow aircraft fleet and route network.

Recalled that the 22nd Ordinary Session of the African Union (AU) Executive Council held on January 25th-26th, 2013 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia endorsed the Abuja Declaration and Associated Plan of Action on Aviation Safety in Africa, making it a requirement for all African Airlines to successfully complete IATA Operational Safety Audit (IOSA) certification by end of 2015.

IOSA programme is an internationally recognised and accepted evaluation system designed to assess the operational management and control system of an airline.

IOSA certified airlines have the highest safety standard worldwide in 2014 and as such IOSA has become a global standard recognised well beyond IATA membership.

The certification will help to enhance African airlines safety and operational standards to world class and in line with industry best practice.

Meanwhile, as at the time of compiling this report, it was not clear if the remaining four airlines would be able to beat the 2015 deadline.

NIGERIA: Arik Air Introduces New Timings, More Baggage On Lagos-Johannesburg Route

Arik Air, Nigeria and West Africa’s largest carrier has introduced new summer timings on the Lagos- Johannesburg route. Additionally, the baggage allowance on the route has been increased for both Premier and Economy Class passengers.

With the new timings which came into effect on June 15, 2015, outbound daily flights now depart the MurtalaMuhammed International Airport, Lagos at 1:30 pm (local time) and arrive into the OR Tambo International Airport, Johannesburg at 8:40 pm (local time). Inbound flights leave Johannesburg at 11:15 pm (local time) and arrive into Lagos at 4:30 am the next day.

For the new baggage allowance, Premier and Economy class passengers from Lagos to Johannesburg can carry three pieces of luggage each with Premier passengers allowed a maximum weight of 32kg per piece and Economy passengers 23kg per piece.

The advantage of the new timings is that it offers better connections from Arik Air’s regional and domestic points to Johannesburg. Abuja and Port Harcourt passengers have multiple daily connection options via Lagos to and from Johannesburg.

Similarly, the new timings offer Dakar, Banjul and Luanda passengers same day connections in both directions while passengers travelling to Cotonou and Douala via Lagos have same day connection off inbound Johannesburg flight.

The domestic and regional South African markets are also benefiting from the new timings as they can now connect same day to the Johannesburg-Lagos service.

Arik Air Executive Vice President/Managing Director, Mr Chris Ndulue commented on the new timings and increased baggage allowance:

“Times are changing for passengers flying from West to South Africa. Their request for better connecting times has now been addressed. We are a customer oriented airline and we go the extra mile to ensure that our guests have value for money.”

NIGERIA: Arik Air Strengthens Dakar Route With Abuja Plus Accra Connections

Arik Air, West and Central Africa’s largest carrier is extending its Abuja-Accra service to Dakar.

Similarly, the Lagos-Dakar service will be strengthened to six weekly flights with a new thrice weekly Lagos-Accra-Dakar service.

The Abuja-Accra-Dakar service which was first introduced in February 2014 was suspended in the wake of the Ebola disease outbreak in July 2014. Though the Abuja-Accra service is a daily service, the extension to Dakar will operate thrice weekly on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays.

The Lagos-Accra-Dakar service departs Lagos at 7.50 pm (local time) and arrives in Accra at 7:50 pm (local time). The flight continues on to Dakar, departing Accra at 8:35 pm (local time) arriving in Dakar at 11:50 pm (local time). The inbound flight departs Dakar at 2:15 am (local time) and arrives in Accra at 5:30 am (local time). At 6:15 am, the flight departs Accra and arrives in Lagos at 8:15 am.

The Abuja-Accra flight retains its original schedule of 5:00 pm (local time) departure out of Abuja and 5:30 pm (local time) arrival in Accra. The inbound flight departs Accra at 6:00 am (local time) and arrives in Abuja at 8:50 pm (local time).

As a result of these developments, Arik Air will be creating a scissors hub in Accra where passengers from Lagos and Abuja can connect direct to Dakar, Senegal. Also, Arik Air will be only carrier offering non-stop service to Dakar from Accra.

Arik Air Deputy Managing Director/Senior Vice President, Operations, Captain Ado Sanusi commented:

“As the dominant commercial airline in West and Central Africa, Arik Air is always seeking to strengthen its services in the region to give guests comfort and value for money. We are ready to provide greater choice and a convenient, accessible network to our valued guests in the West Coast of Africa.”

NIGERIA: Arik Air Increases Frequency On Warri Route

Arik Air, Nigeria and West Africa’s largest carrier, has increased flight frequency on the Lagos-Warri and Abuja-Warri route, due to the temporary closure of Benin Airport by the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN).

Arik Air started, last Monday, to increase the frequency on the Lagos-Warri route to make three daily (Monday-Friday) flights.

Weekend (Saturday/Sunday) schedule has been increased from one to two flights. Similarly, the five weekly Abuja-Warri service has been increased with the addition of Saturday and Sunday flights.

The new schedule will be operated from June 22 to July 10, when the Benin Airport would be closed for repair works.

The additional Lagos-Warri flight will depart Lagos daily at 11:30 am and arrive in Warri at 12:30 pm. The inbound flight leaves Warri at 1:00 pm and arrives in Lagos at 2:00 pm. This is in addition to the early morning and late afternoon flights between Lagos and Warri

NIGERIA: Arik Air Resumes Flight Services To Monrovia

Flights to Monrovia were suspended in July 2014 in the wake of the outbreak of Ebola virus disease in some West African countries.

Arik Air will be operating three weekly flights from Lagos to Monrovia via Accra, Ghana on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. Outbound flights will depart the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos at 7:20 am (local time) and arrive in Accra at 7:20 am (local time).

The flight leaves Accra at 8:05 am (local time) and arrives in Monrovia at 10:05 am (local time). Inbound flights will leave Monrovia at 10:50 am (local time) to arrive in Accra at 12:50 pm (local time). The flight thereafter departs Accra at 1:35 pm (local time) to arrive in Lagos at 3:35 pm (local time).

The route will be serviced with a Boeing 737-700 Next Generation (NG) aircraft configured to seat 12 passengers in Business Class and 112 passengers in Economy Class.

Arik Air’s Deputy Managing Director/Senior Vice President Operations, Captain Ado Sanusi commented:

“We are pleased to welcome back our passengers on the Lagos-Monrovia route and want to assure them that their safety and security is always our top priority.”

NIGERIA: Arik ,Aero And Dana Most Popular And Preffered Airlines In Nigeria

A recent survey by a Nigerian business and management consulting company, Phillips Consulting Limited has revealed that out of the 20 domestic airlines operating in Nigeria to major cities such as Lagos, Calabar, Abuja and Enugu- Aero Contractors, Arik Air and Dana Airlines are the most preferred airlines.

This survey was done between May and August 2015 in order to determine the perception and expectations of domestic travellers. Despite flight delays and safety concerns of these airlines Aero contractors ranked first with 39 percent, followed by Arik Air with 34 percent and Dana Airlines with 10 percent.

Aero Contractors, which is the oldest airline in Nigeria and operates 50 daily flights across Nigeria and other West African countries was the most preferred airline by Nigerians. According to the survey, then this is because of its affordable ticketing price.

Airline fares are as low as N10, 000 and passengers enjoy discounts for booking their flight ahead of time with added incentive for paying online and booking on hold.

In August 2015, Aero Contractors won the Exceptional Safety Culture Award. Domestic routes flown by Aero include Abuja, Accra, Benin, Calabar, Enugu, Kano, Lagos, Port Harcourt(Omagwa Int’l Airport), Port Harcourt (NAF Base), Owerri, Warri and Uyo.

In view of the numerous plane crashes, which have plagued the country over the past years, Arik Air which is West and Central Africa’s largest carrier has continued to lead in terms of its safety standards. As a reult of this 23 percent of the respondents chose Arik as their preferred airline.

Arik air has won several awards such as the Best Safety and Security Conscious Airline in West and Central Africa for four consecutive years (2010-2014) and the Best Airline in Africa, 2014.

Domestic routes flown by Arik in Nigeria include Lagos, Kano, Abuja, Port-Harcourt, Benin, Enugu, Warri, Uyo, Yola, among others.

Despite the Dana plane crash in June 3, 2012 , which is the second deadliest crash in Nigeria, Dana is still a preferred airline by domestic travellers in Nigeria. Dana Airline is preferred by domestic travellers in Nigeria for its prompt flight departures as well as good quality service. Respondents from the survey commended the appearance and courteousness shown to passengers by Dana’s air crew, their meals, cabin cleanliness and seat comfort.

During the 2015 edition of Nigerian Customer Service Award (NCSA) held at Sheraton Lagos, Dana Airline beat all Nigerian airlines to emerge as the best customer service airline in Nigeria and Most Efficient Airline in 2014. Dana Airline’s domestic routes in Nigeria include Lagos, Abuja, Port-Harcourt and Uyo.

Following an appeal from the Minister of Defence, Dan Ali Mohammed that the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) should prolong the duration for the registration of Biometric Verification Number for officers of the Nigeria Armed Forces, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has approved the extension to enable them access to their salaries.

Alhaji Suleiman Barau, Deputy Governor Operations, CBN revealed this to the Senate Committee on Appropriation when he appeared before them in Abuja. He also said that the bank understood the plight of military officers.

The Minister of Defense, Dan Ali Mohammed solicited support from the Senate Committee, pleading that the committee intervene and ensure that BVN registration for military operatives especially in the war front be extended. He explained that considering the circumstances, most soldiers and their families had it rough as they were unable to access their salaries before the deadline.

Dan-Ali said it was highly impossible for soldiers to leave the war front to go for the registration, as such they shouldn’t have to be punished further by being denied access to their accounts.

“Our soldiers in the field cannot access their money because of the BVN: our soldiers should be given extension so that they and their family can access their salary. “We need to appeal to the CBN governor if that can be done as it will enhance the morale of our soldiers,” he said.

The compulsory registration was extended by three months from June 30, 2015 to October 31 to provide ample time enough for millions of Nigerians to participate in the exercise. But as of the beginning of October, data from the Central Bank of Nigeria showed that only 20 million out of the 52 million active bank accounts had been enrolled on the BVN network.

After the long awaited BVN deadline approached, registration continued even though CBN earlier stated that there would be no further extension of the exercise. The accounts of Nigerians who failed to meet the deadline were temporarily blocked, with the condition that they would be able to access their accounts upon registration

Small and medium-sized enterprises (SME’s) are currently the main source of job creation in Africa. They account for over 95% of firms and 60%-70% of employment. Despite this massive contribution to the economy, access to finance is still a major obstacle to the growth of the SME’s on the continent.

In view of this problem, an impact-focused equity crowdfunding portal, Malaik has been created to connect investors interested in impact investment opportunities and entrepreneurs raising equity finance. Malaik offers the global community clear and well-documented opportunities for high impact investing in African businesses, a chance to participate in Africa’s growth story.

Following the launch of Africa’s first impact focused equity crowd funding portal, Malaik, Ventures Africa spoke with the Founder and CEO, Uneku Atawodi to learn more about the portal.

Ventures Africa (VA): Why was Malaik founded?

Uneku Atawodi (UA): Malaik was founded because access to finance is a problem for entrepreneurs in Africa. So many inspiring African entrepreneurs that have amazing ideas, that deserve to be scaled don’t have funds because it’s risky for banks to give out loans to start-up businesses. Malaik helps to close that gap by selling equity in start-up businesses to interested investors.

VA: Can you tell us how long Malaik has been operating and how it works?

UA: Malaik is four months old from idea conception until date. We are proud to preview for the first time at the African Leadership network to the crowd fare. So here is how Malaik works, firstly you logon to our website and register as either an investor or an entrepreneur. An entrepreneur can apply to raise funds for their company through our platform while an investor can apply to be an investor. Once the investor is approved he would be able to see the batch of companies that have gone through our due diligence report and then put the amount he wishes invest. Our investment calculator would automatically calculate how many shares in the company that the investor would get for his investment. For example if the company is raising $100 000, and you invest up to 20% equity, you invest $10,000, you get 2% equity in that company.

VA: What makes Malaik different from other crowd funding portals?

UA: First Malaik is an equity crowd-funding portal, though it’s not just for not- for-profit businesses. We are actually helping businesses that are highly comfortable with the potential to provide a lot of impact and raise funding to scale. The difference is that we only put up companies that have a big attraction and are selling equity finance. As opposed to other crowd funding platforms, Malaik finds you a lead investor or you come with your own investor and if your company is open to the crowd on the platform we would have identified the lead investor. The lead investor takes a minimum of 25% of funds that the company is trying to raise and then the crowd can invest in the same deal terms. So, we allow the crowd to get fair value for their money because the lead investor would have invested their own money in and negotiated deal term.

VA: What are the risks involved in investing in Malaik, because as an investor you would want to know the risks involved in investing in a company?

UA: Once you go on the platform, you have to be approved to be a sophisticated investor. A sophisticated investor understands there is the risk of their shares being diluted and the risk of losing your money investing in startups. We also have a full list analysis that a sophisticated investor is required to understand and we don’t open up to people who don’t understand the basic principles of investing in startups.

VA: How much equity do investors get for their investment?

UA: Companies listed on Malaik decide how much money they want to raise in exchange for a certain percentage of its equity, and each investor’s equity interest will be proportionate to the size of their investment. So if a campaign raises $150,000 in exchange for 20% of its equity, and you invest $1,500 (1% of $150,000), you will receive 0.20% (1% of 20%) of the equity of the business.

VA: What are your Know-Your-Customer (KYC) checks and how do you ensure that the identifications given to you are valid?

UA: Before you enter the platform to make investments, you are required to send us a proof of identification, which can be a passport or a driver’s license and your proof of address. We have stringent KYC checks, if they have any doubts that the person is not who they say they are after they have had a conversation with the risk analysis crew then we will not be allowed to give passwords.

VA: So, how much can one invest in a business?

UA: The minimum investment for a company is $1000 except where specified, if the company comes up and say they want to sell their shares at a higher minimum, then that would be written on the company’s page. On Malaik you are allowed to choose what company you want to invest in, and you are advised to spread your investment through and not put all your money in one company but spread your risk in investing in either two or three companies.

VA: Is it possible for an investor to cancel an investment?

UA: There is a stipulated time that you are allowed to cancel your investment. You are not allowed to cancel if the company is already hit for funding but prior to that, you can.

VA: Do you have specific sectors which you raise funds for on your platform?

UA: We like raising funds for all sectors. We don’t raise funds for companies we see as illegal businesses or immoral businesses. We raise funds for any high impact business. If you have a business that not only provides jobs for people but if you are going to hit them with the UN Sustainable Development Goals then those are the sought of businesses that we are interested in.

VA: Can you tell us about the impact tracker that you use and why it is unique?

UA: The impact trackers focus on companies that not only can be comfortable but can also provide economic impact to the areas where they operate. We track impact using the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. For example If an entrepreneur comes to us and say she will provide 500 jobs we’ll input that number in our impact tracker and then the entrepreneur is required to report every quarter what impact they’ve been able to have. We target many impact investments and we believe that companies that have trackable metrics can really help Africa hit its growth potential.

VA: In a situation where the company wasn’t able to provide a particular number of jobs as promised, what happens to that company?

UA: If you said you were going to provide 200 jobs by 2018 and you came back and said you’ve been able to provide 20 jobs, we will put that number into your impact tracker and all your investors will see that you have reached 10% of your total aim. So, the impact tracker is the dial that fills up as you hit your aim with what you initially reported to your crowd of investors.

NIGERIA: Arik Air Introduces New Aircraft To Its Fleet

Arik Air, Nigeria and West Africa’s leading commercial airline has increased its fleet to 24 aircraft with the introduction of an Airbus A330-200 twin-engine aircraft. This latest addition to the fleet marks the first of four A330 aircraft due to be delivered over the coming year.

The new A330 aircraft will compliment Arik Air’s long-haul wide body fleet, which currently consists of two A340-500 aircraft. Fitted to offer the very best in-flight comfort and style, the new additions are an environmentally-friendly product that will provide the highest degree of operational flexibility and passenger comfort. The A330s offer a two class configuration with 30 Premier Business Class seats and 187 Economy Class seats, compared to 36 Premier Business Class seats and 201 Economy Class seats in the A340 aircraft. Both aircraft types are fitted with the same on-board product, providing the latest in comfort and style and a consistent product experience across the long-haul fleet. This enables Arik Air the opportunity to upgrade the Lagos – Johannesburg route, replacing the existing B737-800 currently flying between the two cities, as well as to look at opportunities to develop new long-haul destinations, such as in China, UAE, Brazil or more cities in the US and Europe.

The Premier Business Class product is carefully tailored to meet the discerning business traveller’s needs. Passengers will have individual secluded booth areas that contain flat beds featuring an in-built massage system complete with a hand held 3.5” LCD screen unit controlling seat and lighting functions. The very latest in-flight entertainment can be enjoyed on a large 17 inch widescreen monitor installed on the front wall of the booth.

Those flying in Premier Business Class will also be able to enjoy Arik’s on-board bar and lounge facility. The ‘Kira’ bar area is situated in the centre of the cabin and has bar seats as well as a surrounding seating area for passengers to enjoy the complementary bar offering

The Economy cabin is designed for maximum comfort and style. Passengers will enjoy a 32-33 inch seat pitch in the spacious cabin and individual seat back 10.6 inch screens

All passengers will have access to an audio video on demand system, with a wide selection of Hollywood and Nollywood films. In addition, short programs and an audio library provide customers with the very best in-flight entertainment.

Arik will cater to all guests tastes by offering international cuisine and a complete Nigerian on-board experience, with a colloquial Nigerian meal service, offering a blend of traditional dishes such as hot pepper soup.

Commenting on the introduction of the A330s, Dr Michael Arumemi-Ikhide, Arik Air’s Group Chief Executive Officer said:

“We constantly review our fleet requirements to ensure the services we offer to our customers remain competitive and provide the highest quality. The introduction of the new aircraft highlights our commitment to providing our customers with the best product on our long-haul routes.

Arik Air is synonymous with offering a truly unique African experience, from the food to the in-flight products on offer. This, combined with our reputation for providing on-board service and hospitality which is second to none, is what differentiates us from the competition”.