Nigeria Writes UAE, Netherlands Govts On Air Passengers’ Ill-Treatment
The Federal Government of Nigeria through its civil aviation regulator, the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) would have written to governments of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and the Netherlands over ill-treatment by Emirates and KLM concerning Rapid Antigen Test for passengers four hours prior to the flight.
The Director-General of NCAA, Captain Musa Nuhu at the last Presidential Task Force (PTF) on Covid-19’s briefing at the Federal Capital Territory in Abuja, has said that the federal government will write a protest letter to the governments of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and the Netherlands over the ill-treatment of Nigerians by Emirates Airline and KLM Royal Dutch Airlines. Read more
FG Pledges Movement Aides for Challenged Air Passengers
Equipment and facilities that will help the movement of persons with disability at the airports will be provided at airports across the country, the Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika, has said.
He also stated that no form of discrimination and mistreatment of persons with disabilities at the nation’s airports would be tolerated henceforth.
Sirika gave the assurance when the Executive Director, Centre for Citizen with Disabilities, David Ayaele, and his team paid the minister a courtesy visit in Abuja.
A statement issued in Abuja on Tuesday by the aviation ministry’s spokesperson, James Odaudu, stated that the minister further directed all airline operators to ensure that persons with disabilities were accorded all rights and support in the course of their travels. Read more
IATA Says RwandAir To Become First African Airline To Trial IATA Travel Pass With Three-Week Trial In April
The International Air Transport Association, IATA has announced that RwandAir will become the first African airline to trial IATA Travel Pass to enable safe and seamless international travel. The airline will begin a three-week trial in April for customers traveling between Kigali and Nairobi in Kenya.
It is becoming inevitable that the way out of the Covid-19 pandemic is vaccination. With this trend in lifting the global community out of abrupt travel restrictions here and there by governments, the global airline body has proactively put forward the ‘IATA Travel Pass’ initiative to give both governments and air transport patrons confidence.
IATA Travel Pass is a digital platform to help passengers easily and securely verify that they comply with COVID 19 test or vaccine travel requirements, in turn giving governments the confidence to reopen borders.
Developed by the International Air Transport Association (IATA), the trade association for the world’s airlines, the platform is designed to be incorporated into airlines’ own apps, so travelers by air easily understand what they need before they fly. Read more
ICAO, World Customs Body Want Govts’ Maximum Flexibility On COVID-19 Vaccine’s Border Clearance and Supply Chain
The International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) and the World Customs Organization (WCO) have jointly called on governments to demonstrate maximum flexibility with respect to border clearance and air transport supply chain operations essential to the effective distribution of COVID-19 vaccines and related medical supplies.
According to ICAO in a statement: “In a separate but related development, the two agencies have also developed new guidelines to help countries achieve better alignment of their customs and security procedures.
“Signed by ICAO Secretary General Dr. Fang Liu and WCO Secretary General Dr. Kunio Mikuriya, the joint statement on vaccines urges the rapid establishment of the infrastructure needed to support end-to-end vaccine storage and logistics for public supplies.
“Improved open collaboration between the aviation and customs communities and partnering organizations is also strongly emphasized.”
ICAO and the WCO are furthermore encouraging countries to designate required aviation staff as ‘key workers’ providing an essential service, in alignment with the WHO’s Roadmap for Prioritizing Uses of COVID-19 Vaccines. Read more
Delta, Consortium Sign Asaba Airport Concessioning Agreement
A 30-year concession agreement on the Asaba International Airport, Delta State, was yesterday signed between the state government and the Asaba Airport Company Limited, as the state Governor, Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa, described the bidding process leading to the final agreement as “very transparent.”
The Asaba airport concession deal, which is worth over N28 billion, is for 30 years with N100 million payable to the state per annum and a possible escalation at five percent every five years, the governor disclosed.
“The bidding process was rigorous but transparent, and the state government was convinced that the final outcome was what was best for the people and the economy of the state in the long run, as the state government was realistic about its inability to operate an airport to the desired international standards,” the governor said at the signing ceremony. Read more
Cabin Crew, Pilots Among Thousands of Air NZ Staff to Get First Covid-19 Vaccination Tomorrow
Around 3800 Air New Zealand workers are set to get their first jab of the Covid-19 vaccine tomorrow as part of the priority group to be vaccinated.
Cabin crew and pilots are among those at the front of the queue, as well as airport, cargo and line maintenance crew in Auckland and Christchurch, the airline says.
The frontline workers are among the Kiwis prioritised to get the first batch of the Pfizer vaccine, which requires two separate doses several weeks apart for full immunity.
In a statement today, Air New Zealand says the people due to get their jabs are part of the group “which has played an important role in protecting New Zealand’s borders and community”. Read more
Nigerian Eagle Airline Acquires 2 Arik Aircraft
The Nigerian Eagle has taken possession of two aircraft from Arik Air, a previously large scale commercial airline in Nigeria.
The two aircraft are Boeing 737-700 with registration number 5N-MJG and Boeing 737-800 with 5N-MJF; they arrived at the Murtala Muhammad Airport, Lagos last week from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, it was learnt.
This confirmed speculations about converting Arik Air assets to the newly established airline by the Assets Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON).
The establishment of the Nigeria Eagle by AMCON earlier drew suspicions that the federal government’s debt recovery agency had planned to acquire some Arik aircraft which was taken over earlier by AMCON over debts. Read more
Damage to United Boeing 777 engine consistent with metal fatigue: NTSB
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Damage to a fan blade on an engine that failed on a United Airlines Boeing 777 flight is consistent with metal fatigue, based on a preliminary assessment, the chairman of the U.S. air accident investigator said on Monday.
The Pratt & Whitney PW4000 engine failed on Saturday with a “loud bang” four minutes after takeoff from Denver, National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) Chairman Robert Sumwalt told reporters following an initial analysis of the flight data recorder and cockpit voice recorder.
There was minor damage to the aircraft body but no structural damage, he said.
He said it remained unclear whether the incident is consistent with an engine failure on a different Hawaii-bound United flight in February 2018 that was attributed to a fatigue fracture in a fan blade. Read more
Boeing: US Federal Aviation Administration Orders Immediate Engine Inspections
US aviation regulators have ordered airlines to closely inspect the Pratt and Whitney jet engine model used on the Boeing 777 that failed after takeoff last week.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued a directive Tuesday that requires US operators of aircraft using “certain Pratt & Whitney PW4000 engines” to inspect these engines before flying.
“The FAA is taking this action as the result of a fan-blade failure that occurred Saturday on a Boeing 777-200 that had just departed from Denver International Airport,” the agency said in a statement.
Pieces of an engine on a United Airlines flight from Denver to Hawaii broke off the aircraft shortly after takeoff and damaged property on the ground. The plane was able to land safely. Read more
Digital Health Checks Vital to Travel Recovery, Heathrow says
LONDON (Reuters) – Digital health checks will be vital to a recovery in foreign travel from the COVID-19 pandemic, Britain’s Heathrow airport said on Wednesday, after a collapse in passenger numbers saw it plunge to a 2 billion pound ($2.8 billion) loss last year.
The UK government said on Monday trips abroad could restart in mid-May as its vaccination campaign kicks in, sparking a surge in holiday bookings.
It is also looking into a digital health passport or app to help ease restrictions, while conceding the benefits have to be weighed against potential risks to civil liberties.
But Heathrow chief executive John Holland-Kaye said digital technology, and international agreements, would be vital to reviving a travel industry on its knees. Read more
Lawmakers Demand Warri Airport Reopening
The House of Representatives has called on the Federal Government and its agencies in the aviation sector to reopen the Warri Airport, also known as the Osubi Airport, in Delta State.
The House especially asked Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria, the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency and Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority to reopen the airport, originally owned by Shell Petroleum Development Company but later taken over by the Federal Government.
The call was based on the unanimous adoption of a motion moved by Mr Anthony Afe from Delta State.
The motion was titled ‘Matter of urgent public importance on the need for the Federal Government to reopen Osubi airport for operations’.
Following the adoption, the House urged “the Federal Government, through the Ministry of Aviation and other relevant agencies of the government to ensure that Osubi Airport is reopened for operations as soon as possible.” Read more