Category: Aviation

The launch of Nigeria Air by the Muhammadu Buhari administration was said to be a fraud done in secrecy. This was made known by the House of Representatives Committee on Aviation, yesterday. It specifically accused the outgone Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika, of not carrying the National Assembly along in the whole process of establishing the national carrier. Chairman of the committee, Nnolim Nnaji, stated this during a rescheduled investigative hearing on the controversial launch of the airline in Abuja. At the meeting, major stakeholders in the deal involving the…

Operations of domestic flights were disrupted in Lagos, yesterday, as aviation union members made good their threat to picket Murtala Muhammed Airport Terminal II (MMA2), operated by Bi-Courtney Aviation Services Limited (BASL). The action, which began at 2:30 a.m., with cordoning of the two access gates into MMA2, caught airlines unawares, disrupting plans scheduled for the day. With hordes of passengers stranded and losses in millions already incurred, Azman Air and United Nigeria Airline (UNA), by midday, migrated operations to the nearby General Aviation Terminal (GAT). The aviation workers’ union,…

Federal Government of Nigeria, yesterday, dared foreign airlines operating in the country to make good their threat to shutdown operations, saying they should remain grateful for doing business in Nigeria. The government also berated the airlines for failing to employ a good number of Nigerians, noting that other nationals are more in the employment of the foreign carriers than Nigerians. Minister for Aviation, Hadi Sirika, who spoke during a stakeholders’ meeting with key players in the industry, insisted International Air Transport Association (IATA), which issued the threat cannot blackmail government.…

Emirates Airlines, United Arab Emirates, UAE, flag carrier operating in Nigeria, has announced the reinstatement of its flight operations in Nigeria. The airlines had earlier announced suspension of flight operations into the country from September 1, 2022, following its inability to repatriate over $85 million of its tickets sale. But, in response to the development, the Federal Government through the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, released part of the outstanding ticket sales fund. However, in an email to customers yesterday, the airline noted that starting September 11, 2022, it will…

Emirates Airlines has announced the suspension of its flight operations in Nigeria from September 1, 2022. It said the suspension became necessary following its inability to repatriate its funds from Nigeria. International carriers operating in Nigeria have repeatedly complained about their inability to repatriate funds to their home countries. They have raised this concern on many occasions with officials of the Federal Ministry of Aviation, as well as those at the finance ministry. Blocked funds belonging to these airlines have risen to about $600m, as this is due to the…

10 Arik air pilots have been dismissed by the management of the airline for embarking on industrial action without due notice. It was learnt that the aggrieved pilots began strike this week in protest against protracted wage disparity between expatriate and Nigerian pilots that has still not been resolved by Arik Air. The management, in a memo, yesterday, described the protest as an act of “indiscipline and callous,” especially at the peak period of festive travels and its attendant high demands. Spokesperson of the airline, Banji Ola, said though the…