Green Africa Begins Tickets Sale Via Website On Nigeria CAA’s Approval…Flights’ Commencement Date Draws Closer
Nigeria’s Green Africa has commenced flight tickets sales with offerings as low as N16,500 on its website (greenafrica.com). The ticket purchase activities begin due to the pre-sales approval of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA).
he airline had earlier announced cities to be served as: Lagos (LOS) connecting Akure (AKR), Ilorin (ILR), Abuja (ABV), Owerri (QOW), Port Harcourt (PHC) and Enugu (ENU).
According to the carrier: “Flights as low as N16,500 are available on the website with flight dates starting from June 24th, 2021. Three products are available – gSaver, gClassicTM and gFlexTM giving customers the flexibility of purchasing the product that suits their travel plans. gFlyers who register on the booking website – greenafrica.com get a unique code that gives 10% off their first booking to celebrate this milestone.”
Elated Babawande Afolabi, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Green Africa said: “Today is a great day for every member of the gTeam and we are thrilled that our customers can now book their trips with us. We are building a value carrier that will connect customers to their opportunities and be a catalyst for positive change across the region.” “The ongoing “gFlyer Special Offer” which takes 10% off ticket prices will last till 11:59pm WAT on June 23rd, 2021. Corporate package known as “gBusiness” is planned for roll out within the coming weeks to cater to SMEs and corporate travels,” said the airline.
Air Transport’s Contribution to GDP Slumps by 11.8%
Air transport’s contribution to Gross Domestic Product for the first quarter of 2021 sunk by 11.78 per cent.
A quarterly report published by the National Bureau of Statistics on Sunday showed that air transport under services GDP contracted by 11.78 per cent compared to 51.69 per cent in the last quarter of 2020.
According to the NBS, air transport GDP for the first quarter of 2020 contracted by 5.68 per cent.
Experts have attributed the slump in the quarterly report to the decline in air passenger traffic.
Chief Executive Officer, Mainstream Cargo Limited, Seyi Adewale, said the contraction in the GDP could be attributed to the reduction in passenger traffic.
According to him, the suspension of Emirates airline by the Federal Government was also a contributing factor.
He also noted that the suspension of Azman Air contributed to the slump, explaining that the routes could not be easily replaced. Read more
Price War: Green Africa, Air Peace Airlines Slash Airfares As Competition Thickens
This is an exciting and rewarding time for flight passengers in the Nigerian aviation sector, as airlines have begun to slash airfares from Lagos to Abuja, Port-Harcourt, Ilorin, and Owerri.
In what appears to be a reaction to Nairametrics‘ report, which found that airfares to the cities listed above rose by 100%, some airlines have now slashed their fares to these destinations and this price slash is being championed by Green Africa, a new entrant in the sector.
Here are the different airfare slashes that the airlines are offering their existing and potential passengers.
Green Africa Airways
Though the Nigerian start-up airline won’t begin its flight operations earlier than June 24, 2021, it has started selling tickets to passengers.
Contrary to the projections of some experts, who had said that airlines would not reduce fares due to some operational challenges, Green Africa broke the jinx as it slashed its prices by over 50%. For instance, its airfares for Lagos and Abuja and vice-versa are between N16,500 and N23,000. Read more
Aviation Ministry Begins Assessment of Nigerian-made Helicopter
The Federal Ministry of Aviation on Tuesday commenced assessment of a made-in-Nigeria helicopter as part of measures to ensure the smooth inauguration of the project.
Officials of the aviation ministry and its agencies visited NASENI Solar Energy Limited where the helicopter hanger and helipad were housed in Abuja for on-site assessment and evaluation of the helicopter.
The Assistant Chief Information Officer, NASENI, Chinyere Ekwuazi, said in a statement issued in Abuja that the Federal Government’s target was to inaugurate the helicopter before the end of the current administration.
The Executive Vice Chairman, NASENI, Maiwalima Haruna, who was represented during the assessment programme by the Managing Director, NASENI Solar Energy Limited, Mahmoud Jaffaru, said the agency was ready to accept suggestions and support from the aviation ministry.
He said such support would lead to the successful completion of the project within the timeframe given to the agency by the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.). Read More
Air Force Raises Committee to Audit Aircraft’s Safety
The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) yesterday set up a committee to conduct a safety audit of its operational and engineering units.
The committee is coming three days after the crash of one of its aircraft in Kaduna that killed the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. General Ibrahim Attahiru, and 10 military officers and personnel.
The Kaduna aircraft crash, the third such incident in the last three months involving the NAF fleet, has raised concerns about the airworthiness of the aircraft the NAF has.
Three NAF aircraft were involved in fatal crashes in Abuja, Borno and in Kaduna in the last three months, claiming the lives of a total of 21 personnel of the air force and the army.
However, the air force, last week, inducted three newly procured JF-17 thunder aircraft into its inventory as part of activities to mark its 57th anniversary celebration and is expecting 12 Super Tucano fighter jets from the United State, which delivery is due by 2022.
There were also claims that of the four major Beechcraft planes in the force, notably, NAF 201, NAF 202, NAF 203, and NAF 204, two, NAF 201and NAF 203 had crashed in Abuja and Kaduna, remaining NAF 202 and NAF 204. Read More
FAAN Conducts Aircraft Accident Simulation In Abuja
The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has conducted an aircraft crash and rescue simulation exercise at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.
The operation which happened on Tuesday simulated an aircraft crash scene, the rescue response operations, the family frenzy situation and media engagements in real time.
Our correspondent who witnessed the simulation exercise reports that firefighters, emergency rescue operators, and all relevant stakeholders were deployed.
Speaking after the exercise, the Manager, Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Mr. Mahmud Sani, said all noticed gaps will be closed because that is the real essence of the exercise.
He said the exercise is also a part of the processes that the airport needs for its recertification.
“This was meant to test the safety and emergency plan of the airport in preparation for its re-certification”, adding that, “the exercise was also aimed at examining how the response agencies managed and responded to emergencies at the scene of an accident.”
He also said the exercise is carried out yearly to prepare and test-run the emergency equipment at the airport in case of any emergency. Read More
Zino Aviation Gives Tech-based Flight Training to African Aspiring Pilots
Worried by the challenges faced by aspiring African pilots, an innovative Pilot training, career management, and consultancy firm, Zino Aviation, said it is providing technology-based training solutions for them to pursue their careers. The firm noted that an aspiring pilot may need to pay over $60,000-$100,000 on flight training, spending six to 18 months in flight school, achieve 200-250 flight hours, pass numerous exams and when their licenses are finally obtained, might struggle to land one of the coveted airline jobs because of the tech dynamism of the profession.
Co-founder of the firm, Captain Zino Mario-Ghae, said for lack of knowledge, technical and technological support and guidance needed to pursue a rewarding career in aviation, most aspiring pilots make a lot of mistakes which costs them more time and a lot of money. He said: “Zino Aviation was founded to mitigate the risk of failure and ensure success among aspiring pilots. Read More
Pilot Falls Asleep at Controls, Wakes Up 100 Kilometres Past Airport
Air traffic control diverted other planes close to the Cessna 208B, registration VH-DQP, to try to attract the pilot’s attention as he continued off-course towards Brisbane and the Gold Coast.
The incident started when air traffic control tried to contact the pilot about his planned descent into Redcliffe, but received no response.
The Australian Maritime Safety Authority Joint Rescue Coordination Centre and the Australian Defence Force were alerted to the plane’s loss of communication.
A Royal Flying Doctor Service Beechcraft B200 aircraft, which was departing Brisbane, was asked to intercept VH-DQP. Read More
US Prepares for Summer Air Travel Spike, May Allow More Foreign Visitors
ARLINGTON, VIRGINIA – U.S. airlines and agencies are preparing for increased domestic air travel this summer even as the government continues to debate whether to allow more foreign travelers to visit.
Shares in American Airlines, United Airlines and Delta Air Lines were sharply higher on Tuesday after top executives said that the pace of a leisure travel recovery was increasing.
“We’ve been very, very pleased with the pace of demand recovery,” Delta President Glen Hauenstein told an industry conference. “Bookings have been better than expected.”
As more Americans pass through airports, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) plans to hire another 1,000 officers by July 4, a peak U.S. travel period, after hiring 3,000 officers since Jan 1.
“We have already seen a sharp rise at the nation’s airports and will continue to experience steady increases throughout the summer,” Acting TSA Administrator Darby LaJoye told a news conference at Reagan National Airport outside Washington.
The TSA screened 1.86 million passengers on Sunday, the highest daily total since March 2020.
United said it now expects its adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization to be positive in the third quarter and trimmed its forecast for a decline in unit revenue in the current quarter. Read More
(BREAKING) Multiple Crashes: NAF Sets Up Committee To Conduct Safety Audit
After recording multiple air crashes, the Nigerian Air Force has set up a committee to conduct safety audit of its operational and engineering units, The PUNCH reports.
This was contained in a statement on Tuesday signed by NAF Director of Public Relations and Information, Air Commodore, Edward Gabkwet,
The statement was titled, ‘NAF Sets Up Committee To Conduct Safety Audit Of Its Operational And Engineering Units’.
The PUNCH observed that at least 20 military officers have lost their lives in the last three months in three crashes involving Nigerian Air Force jets.
Details shortly…
Sources: Vanguard Newspaper, ThisDay Live, VOA News, AviationAges