ICAO Advises ECOWAS To Embrace Liberalization & Innovation To Enhance Aviation Pandemic Recovery…Rains Accolades On Regional Collaboration On SAATM, YD & Legal Instrument On Air Cargo

At the conclusion of  the virtual Ministerial Meeting on Enhancing Air Transport Connectivity and Growth in West Africa, ICAO Council President Salvatore Sciacchitano and Secretary General Dr. Fang Liu emphasized how liberalization and innovation remain key to the region’s optimized and sustainable air connectivity.

On the topic of liberalization, President Sciacchitano highlighted in his keynote address to the participants to the event, which was hosted  by Nigeria’s Federal Ministry of Aviation and the International Partners for Aviation Innovation and Sustainability (iPADIS), that “the restoration of air connectivity is nothing short of vital for the 15 Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) member countries’ 308 million people, and for their many businesses which rely on cross-border travel.”

Mr. Sciacchitano also emphasized the excellent collaboration towards the enhancement of system performance and the operationalization of the Single African Air Transport Market (SAATM) which all West African States have joined in line with the Yamoussoukro Decision, and the adoption of multilateral legal instruments to maximize air cargo’s role in national and global recoveries. Read more

Nigeria Resumes In-Flight Catering On Domestic Flights Says Sirika

…Kano, Enugu And PH International Airports To Open Soon

Catering services suspended in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic are to resume on domestic flights immediately in Nigeria, as pronounced by the country’s Minister of Aviation, Sen. Hadi Sirika.

Sirika disclosed this at the weekly media briefing of the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 on Monday.

“According to the Minister, the decision was taken in consideration of the businesses involved in the provision of in-flight refreshments who have been adversely affected by the suspension,” said James Odaudu, the Director of Public Affairs to the Ministry of Aviation, in a statement after the briefing by the minister.

“He however said that modalities and protocols for the resumption of the services would be worked and rolled out by the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) which will be in line with international practices.”

Sirika also reiterated the plan to resume international flight operations at the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport, the Akanu Ibiam International Airport Enugu, and the Port Harcourt International Airport.

According to him, members of the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 will be visiting the airports for simulation exercises to ascertain their readiness for international operations.

The Minister also informed that a technical working group comprising of agencies involved in the facilitation of passengers has been set up to ensure that all standards required for seamless operations at the airports earmarked for resumption of international flights.

On the suspension of Emirates Airlines operations in Nigeria, Senator Hadi Sirika said discussions were on to resolve the issues involved, even as he restated the country’s position on the impropriety of the extra Covid-19 tests the airline was demanding of Nigerian travelers.

West Africa Aviation Ministers United, Working With iPADIS On Mapped Out Air Transport Recovery Plan

With a unity of purpose, the West African aviation policymakers have come together to work on a mapped out strategies in partnership with the International Partners for Aviation Development, Innovation and Sustainability (iPADIS) on air transport recovery in the region. This is a fallout from the recently organized high-level ministerial meeting of Western African States concluded with a 15-point post-covid recovery plan for air transport in the region, including strategies for the long-term sustainable development of the industry.

“The two-day virtual event on enhancing air connectivity and growth in West Africa was organized by the Federal Ministry of Aviation of Nigeria, in cooperation with the International Partners for Aviation Development, Innovation and Sustainability (iPADIS). Also, participating were Central African and Caribbean States, international and regional financial and regulatory organizations, as well as industry stakeholders from air transport, tourism, trade, public health, and related sectors,” said iPADIS in a statement.

“Senator Hadi Sirika, Nigerian Minister of Aviation, stated that “Nigeria’s determination to host the High-Level Ministerial Meeting is borne out of the desire to find a lasting solution to the challenges of this sector in our sub-region, especially at a time when the industry is unprecedentedly being impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic, resulting in depressed travel demands and disruptions of businesses globally.” Read more

Customs Clarifies Duties Payable by Airlines

The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) says airlines registered in Nigeria and providing commercial air transport services are entitled to duty-free importation of their aircraft, engines, spare parts and components, purchased or leased.

Mr Joseph Attah, Public Relations Officer of the service, made the clarification in a statement issued to newsmen on Tuesday in Abuja.

Attah explained that Section 39 of the Second Schedule of the Finance Act as amended, did not grant concession on ECOWAS Trade Liberalisation Scheme (ETLS) and Comprehensive Imports Supervision Scheme (CISS).

According to him, the act grants exemptions to Customs duty and VAT only.

He said such imports were, therefore, still required to pay appropriate charges on ETLS and CISS.

“The attention of Nigeria Customs Service has been drawn to deliberate misinformation of the public, regarding payments of Customs duty, VAT and other charges like ETLS and CISS, on imported commercial aircraft and spare parts.

“Some sections of the media quoted the Chairman of Air Peace Airline to have stated that NCS is still collecting duty and VAT in defiance of the Federal Government’s Executive Order, on commercial airplanes and spare parts. Read more

Customs and the Indigenous Airlines

Governments all over the world have been working round the clock to minimize the negative effects of the Covid-19 pandemic on the aviation industries. In March, 2020, American government gave out over $25 billion as bailout funds to airlines to help absorb the shock created by the pandemic. In the same vein, Germany bailed out Lufthansa, the country’s biggest airline, with $10 billion.

The United Kingdom, following the same trend, gave over £1.8 billion pounds to four biggest airlines in the country—British Airways, EasyJet, Ryanair and Wizz Air to cushion the fallout of the lockdowns orchestrated by Covid-19. Ironically, in Nigeria—with weak airlines, the aviation industry received paltry sum of N4 billion. This is like a drop of water in the desert. The amount is equivalent to the cost of one engine of Boeing 777!

Taking into consideration the fact that Nigeria is not as rich as those countries mentioned above and its recessed economy could not afford such humongous bailout funds, the stakeholders in the aviation industry came together and made a proposal for waivers on Customs duties and VAT, etc., in the form of a bill to the National Assembly. After painstaking deliberations cum legislative scrutiny, it was passed to provide lifeline for airlines in the country. President Buhari, in his wisdom, and sound advice of Minister of Aviation, Hadi Seriki, signed it into law on 29th December, 2020 Read more

Azman Suspension: Fares Rise By 100% On Northern Routes

Following the suspension of Azman flights on some northern routes, airfares to these routes have increased by over 100 per cent.

Checks by our correspondent showed that Lagos-Kano flight one-way is N56,500 on Max Air while it’s N73,000 on Air Peace for a second day flight. A similar flight used to be less than N35,000 on the same route before Azman stopped its services last week.

Also, the Kano-Lagos flight for Tuesday has been fully booked when our correspondent checked.

Following the development, many passengers have continued to inundate travel agents with an enquiry on when Azman Air would resume operations.

Prior to the suspension of Azman Air by the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) last Tuesday, the carrier operates 15 daily flights to most destinations in the North comprising Kano, its operational base; Maiduguri, Kaduna, Kebbi; Yola, among others.

With its suspension, some airlines have increased frequencies on the routes. Read more

Sweden Plans Climate-Adjusted Airline Take-off and Landing Fees

STOCKHOLM (Reuters) – Sweden plans to rejig take-off and landing fees for aircraft so that they correspond to the amount of greenhouse gas emissions from different types of plane and fuel, the government said on Monday.

The plan would mean lower fees for newer, more efficient aircraft or those using bio-fuels and would cover both passenger and freight flights to and from Arlanda airport in Stockholm and Landvetter in Gothenburg, the government said, adding the move would be a world’s first.

“The airline industry has to show that it is taking the climate issue seriously and this is a way for politicians to push them and say that it is time they do their bit,” Environment Minister Per Bolund said in daily Dagens Nyheter. Read more

Boeing Enters Into $5.28 Billion Revolving Credit Agreement

Boeing Co said on Monday it had entered into a $5.28 billion, two-year revolving credit agreement, as the U.S. planemaker contends with a prolonged slowdown in commercial air travel fueled by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Earlier this month, Reuters reported that the company had approached a group of banks for a new $4 billion revolving credit facility and had the option to raise the size to as much as $6 billion. (reut.rs/3rbbe5p)

“We have no current plans to draw on our credit revolvers, as we continue to be confident that we have sufficient liquidity and are not planning to increase our debt levels,” said Chief Financial Officer Greg Smith.

Citigroup, JPMorgan Chase Bank, BofA Securities and Wells Fargo Securities are the joint lead arrangers and joint book managers, the planemaker said here on Monday. Read more