TheNewsGuru

Tag: Airport

  • COVID-19: Domestic flights resume at Lagos Airport

    COVID-19: Domestic flights resume at Lagos Airport

    Some domestic airlines on Wednesday resumed operations following three months of COVID-19 lockdown.

    A News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) correspondent who monitored resumption of the airlines at both GAT Alpha and MM2 terminals in Lagos, reports that few passengers were seen boarding, while social distancing and other precautionary measures were observed.

    NAN recalls that the Federal Government had directed the resumption of domestic flights on July 8, after the March 30 lockdown of the airlines.

    As at 6.30 a.m. on Wednesday, Arik Air passengers had started boarding for the first flight from Lagos to Abuja, scheduled to depart at 7 a.m.

    NAN also observed that passengers complied with the COVID-19 preventive screening measures before boarding, but stores within the airport were all locked.

    A check by NAN revealed that there had been a significant increase in airfares, as some airlines resumed operations (today) Wednesday.

    The airlines raised their fares in all classes of tickets for one-hour flights from Lagos to Abuja.

    Air Peace sold its Economy-Flexi Domestic plan for N33,001 for a one way Lagos-Abuja trip, while the business class ticket was sold for N80,000.

    Arik Air’s economy plan was sold for N29,189, while the business class was N78,532 for a one-way Lagos to Abuja trip.

    However, one of the airline official, who preferred anonymity, told NAN that prices of the tickets were driven by extra costs factored into the base fare.

    The source said that taxes and other fares increased by the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) was also responsible for the hike in fares.

    Mr Adebanji Ola, the Public Relations and Communications Manager of Arik Air, commended government agencies for putting adequate measures in place for airlines to commence operations.

    Ola said that Arik Air commenced three daily flight operations from Lagos to Abuja, in the first phase of the aviation restart.

    According to him, it is a new beginning in the aviation sector and prays that the COVID-19 pandemic will be fully addressed in Nigeria.

    He said that “for us in Arik Air, protection of passengers and cabin crew remain paramount and we have put effective measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

    “We commend government at all levels in ensuring effective synergy and support for the aviation sector toward combating the pandemic.”

    Some of the passengers who spoke to NAN commended the measures put in place by government at the airport to prevent the infection of COVID-19.

    Mr Kola Balogun, the Chairman of Momas Electricity Meters Manufacturing Company Limited, who was boarding to fly with Arik Air, commended the managment of FAAN on the preventive measures put in place at the aiport.

    He said “I am highly impressed with the level of compliance and processes I am seeing here today.

    “I commend FAAN for making lives more comfortable and sticking to the social distancing methodology.

    “I urge the Federal Government to support the airlines’ operations through interventions for them to bounce back in business.”

    Mr Tayo Ojulari, an aviation stakeholder, said that he did not subscribe to leaving the centre seats in the aircraft as directed by government.

    “The cost of operations and FOREX is affecting airlines, reducing passengers capacity to 50 per cent, which is another economic implication for the airlines,” he said.

    The Director of Aviation Security of the Federal Airports Authority of a Nigeria (FAAN), Retired Group Capt. Usman Sadiq, said that adequte security measures had been put in place at the airport.

    Sadiq said government had also increased the security manpower at the aiport for effective measures.

    “There is effective synergy between the various security agencies across airports in the country to tackle the numerous security breach incidents.

    “All security agencies are on ground to ensure law and order at the airports, and today, we can see that Nigerians are well behaved from what was demonstrated,” he said.

    He also expressed gratitude to the management team of FAAN for their support in carrying out their responsibilities.

    He added that “I am excited to add that the highest level of the authority’s management, an enviable leadership, commitment and support, has been displayed again and again in an unequivocal manner.

    “For this, we are grateful and rededicated to achieving the core mission of developing and profitably managing customer-oriented airport facilities for safe, secure and efficient carriage of passengers and goods at world- class standards of quality,” Sadiq said.

    However, security personnel at the MM2 terminal refused NAN correspondent into the terminal, claiming it was a management directive.

  • Murtala Muhammed Airport achieves milestone

    Murtala Muhammed Airport achieves milestone

    The Murtala Muhammed Airport in Lagos State, operated by the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has achieved a milestone.

    TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports the airport has joined the community of climate smart airports within Airport Carbon Accreditation as the first in Nigeria.

    The airport received a level 1 ‘Mapping’ recognition for creating a complete and independently verified carbon inventory, and outlining plans on how to reduce the emissions.

    In June 2008, the annual assembly of ACI EUROPE adopted a landmark resolution on Climate Change when its member airports committed to reduce carbon emissions from their operations, with the ultimate goal of becoming carbon neutral.

    One year later, at the 2009 annual assembly, ACI EUROPE launched Airport Carbon Accreditation, allowing the assessment and recognition of participating airports’ efforts to manage and reduce their CO₂ emissions.

    Airport Carbon Accreditation is an independent, voluntary programme administered by WSP, an international consultancy appointed by ACI EUROPE to enforce the accreditation criteria for airports on an annual basis. The administration of the programme is overseen by an Advisory Board.

    As of November 2011, Airport Carbon Accreditation has been extended to airports in the Asia-Pacific region, in cooperation with ACI Asia-Pacific. The programme was also extended to the African region of ACI in June 2013.

    In September 2014, Airport Carbon Accreditation took off in North America and it went global in November 2014 with its extension to airports in Latin America and the Caribbean.

    Airports applying to become accredited must have their carbon footprints independently verified in accordance with ISO14064 (Greenhouse Gas Accounting). Evidence of this must be provided to the programme administrator (WSP) together with all claims regarding carbon management processes which must also be independently verified.

    The definitions of emissions footprints used by Airport Carbon Accreditation follow the principles of the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) and the World Resources Institute (WRI) “Greenhouse Gas Protocol” Corporate Accounting and Reporting Standard.

    When considering the emissions from aircraft within the airport perimeter and on final approach and initial departure, Airport Carbon Accreditation uses the International Civil Aviation Organisation’s (ICAO) definition of the Landing-Take Off cycle and requires airports to comply with these definitions.

  • Child found dead in plane at airport

    Child found dead in plane at airport

    A child stowaway was found dead Wednesday in the undercarriage of a plane at a Paris airport, officials said, having probably frozen to death or asphyxiated on the flight from Ivory Coast.
    The child, aged around 10, had clambered into the underbelly of the Air France Boeing 777 in Abidjan, Ivory Coast.
    It took off on Tuesday evening and landed at Charles de Gaulle airport, north of the capital, early Wednesday morning.
    The corpse, not warmly dressed, was found in the plane’s undercarriage cavity after landing, in what Air France described as “a human tragedy”.
    Sources close to the investigation told AFP the boy was about 10 years of age, and that he had “died either from asphyxiation or from the cold”.
    Temperatures drop to about minus 50 degrees Celsius (-58 degrees Fahrenheit) at altitudes of between 9,000 and 10,000 metres at which passenger planes generally fly.
    The undercarriage is neither heated nor pressurised.
    In recent years, several clandestine passengers, notably adolescents from Africa, have been found frozen to death or crushed in the undercarriage of Western-bound planes.
    “Aside from the human drama, this shows a major failing of security at Abidjan airport,” an Ivorian security source told AFP, asking how a child, alone, could gain such access.
    The last such case in France dates to April 2013, when the body of a boy, likely a minor, was similarly found in the undercarriage of a plane from Cameroon.
    Laure Palun, director of an association helping migrants, told AFP this type of drama was the inevitable result of the “closure and control of borders”.
    “It questions the logic of European migratory policy: As soon as there is no route for legal migration, people have to hide to reach the country they wish to go to, and this results in such tragedies.”
    Ivory Coast is a comparatively vibrant economy in Africa with an annual growth of eight percent since 2012. But illegal immigration to Europe has skyrocketed in recent years.
    In 2017, 8,753 migrants aged between 14 and 24 arrived in Italy from Ivory Coast, including 1,474 unaccompanied minors, according to the CEVI NGO.

  • BREAKING: 14 persons killed, others injured as plane crashes near airportn

    A Kazakhstan plane with 100 people aboard crashed shortly after takeoff early Friday, killing at least 14 people while at least 35 others survived with injuries, officials in Almaty said.

    The Bek Air aircraft hit a concrete wall and a two-story building after takeoff from Almaty International Airport. It said the plane lost attitude at 7:22 a.m. (0122 GMT).

    In a statement on its Facebook page, the airport said there was no fire and rescue operation got underway immediately following the crash.

    The plane was flying to Nur-Sultan, the country’s capital formerly known as Astana.

    The aircraft was identified as a Fokker-100, a medium-sized, twin-turbofan jet airliner. The company manufacturing the aircraft went bankrupt in 1996 and the production of the Fokker-100 stopped the following year.

  • JUST IN: EFCC picks up ex-AGF Adoke on arrival from Dubai

    The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has picked up a former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr. Mohammed Adoke( SAN) upon arrival from Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

    Adoke is being probed alongside others over $1.06billion Malabu Oil Block ( OPL 245) deal.

    The ex-AGF was arrested in Abu Dhabi on November 11 after being watch-listed by the EFCC.
    But after a month in the custody of the International Police( INTERPOL) in the UAE, Adoke voluntarily offered to return to the country for interrogation by the EFCC and trial.

    Spotting a white Kaftan with a white cap, Adoke arrived at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja aboard Emirates flight (Boeing 777 -300ER) at 3.45pm.

    He was however picked up by EFCC operatives and transferred into a Toyota bus marked RBC 931 BV while reading a book he brought from Dubai.

  • No fire incident at Abuja airport – FAAN

    No fire incident at Abuja airport – FAAN

    The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) said no fire incident has occurred at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja on Saturday.

    The General Manager, Corporate Affairs of FAAN, Mrs Henrietta Yakubu, in a statement in Abuja, said there was only an equipment alarm triggered by high temperature.

    Yakubu explained that the new international terminal was equipped with fire alarm that squarely responds to high temperature.

    She explained that because of the prevailing high temperature in Abuja, the equipment triggered an alarm at the terminal, adding what appeared like smoke was actually the powder from the equipment.

    According to her, the incident was however swiftly curtailed by the in-built fire detection and protection system at the new terminal that triggered automatically.

    “The building was designed and built with this protection system.

    “The system comes up when it senses high ambient temperatures and sprays fire extinguishing agent.

    “The residue of powder sprayed by the system was seen in the cloud, there was no fire at all.

    “The Authority will like to reassure passengers and the public that there is no cause for panic, as the incident has been put under control and our firemen are clearing the remnant of powder after which operations will resume,” she said.

    An eye witness, who pleaded anonymity, told News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that the incident, which occurred at about 3pm was earlier believed to be fire.

    He said the incident also caused a lot of panic that led to suspension of operations at the terminal.

    According to him, it appears the fire alarm is very active which made the situation to be quickly curtailed.

  • Airport Terminals: Aviation minister seeks Senate’s approval for $461.8 loan variation

    …Speaks on FG’s determination to resuscitate national carrier

    The Federal Executive Council (FEC) has approved a loan variation of $461,795,551.02 for building new airport terminals in the country.

    Minister of State Aviation, Hadi Sirika, stated this on Monday when he appeared before the Senate Committee on Aviation to defend his ministry’s 2019 budget proposals.

    The $461.8 million variation, he said, is required in addition to the $500 million loan already received from the China Exim Bank.

    The minister explained that the variation became necessary to deal with some challenges in the building of the terminals.

    According to him: “there are challenges with the new terminals being built with the $500 million loan from the China Exim Bank.”

    He listed some of the challenges to include change in the structural design of the airports, foundation footing and escalators.

    Sirika also listed the need to make provisions for the biggest modern aircraft, change in departure and arrival floors to rhyme with railway station, provision of adequate power supply and relocation of control tower and fire service station, as other challenges.

    He said: “The challenges have resulted in the need for variation and additional works to the tune of $461,795, 551.02, which has been approved by the Federal Executive Council (FEC).”

    The minister told the committee that the China Exim Bank had indicated willingness to consider funding additional works.

    He said he had written to the Ministry of Budget and National Planning to provide for the sum of $73.9 million as counterpart fund in 2019 outside the ministry’s proposed budget.

    The Minister said that the airports where work took place already wearing new looks befitting of modern airports.

    He also told the committee that two of the new terminals, in Port Harcourt and Abuja have already been commissioned, while Lagos and Kano will soon be completed.

    Sirika noted that adequate provision had also been made to complete the new terminal buildings in at Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu.

    He sought the support of the National Assembly and other stakeholders to ensure needed equipment for safety and security were provided to meet the Standard and Recommended Practices (SARPs) as outlined by regulatory aviation bodies.

    The minister noted that more bilateral and multilateral air service agreements would be signed for the benefits of or travellers.

    On the 2019 budget, the minister said the sum of N47.5 billion was proposed for Capital Expenditure at the headquarters.

    The amount, he said, would be used to sustain infrastructural renewal at the airports especially re-modeling of projects to upgrade of air navigational equipment, safety and security infrastructure.

    On the implementation of the 2018 budget, the minister said that N26.9 billion was budgeted for the Aviation sub-sector out of which the sum of N3.12 billion representing 11.6 per cent was released to the sector.

    He said that N2.99 billion representing 96 per cent had been expended as at March 15.

    According to him, the sum of N508.8 million was appropriated for overhead expenditure for the whole Ministry of Transport, which includes Aviation, Marine and Land sectors.

    He said that N296.8 million, representing 58.3 per cent was released, while N296.8 million representing 99.9 per cent was expended as at December 2018.

    The minister said the ministry was funded from national budget, while agencies like Nigeria Meteorological Agency (NIMET), Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA), Nigeria College of Aviation Technology(NCAT) and Accident Investigation Bureau were also funded from Internally Generated Revenue(IGR).

    Meanwhile, the minister also revealed that plans were underway by the Federal Government to revisit the national carrier project.

    He said that the ministry only suspended the project to put adequate measures in place, promising that the project would be delivered soon.

    He said the project, which was President Muhammadu Buhari’s brainchild would not be allowed to die.

    He expressed concern that despite being a huge aviation market, Nigeria could not boast of a national carrier.

    He said ”We have to suspend the earlier plans for the national carrier for strategic reasons. The move was not killed.

    ”Provisions have to be made to continue to fund activities of advisers and so on, to ensure that it is delivered.

    ”The carrier will be delivered within the life of this administration, this I can assure you.

    ”It is not forgotten by government. It will continue and we are doing everything we can to deliver it,” he said.

  • Dublin Airport temporarily suspends flights over drone sighting

    Flight operations at Dublin Airport was temporarily suspended due to confirmed sighting of a drone over the airfield, Ireland’s largest Airport said on Thursday.

    Ireland’s Transport Minister, Shane Ross, announced a review of security at the country’s airports after drone activity caused severe disruption at London’s Gatwick Airport for more than 48 hours in December 2018.

    Thursday’s Times newspaper quoted unidentified sources as saying police were investigating the possibility that a disgruntled employee or someone else with good knowledge of the airport layout could have caused the disruption at Gatwick.

    A drone incursion also disrupted many flights at London’s biggest airport, Heathrow, for several hours on Jan. 8.

    “Passengers should contact their airline’s website for flight updates.

    “We will post updates here when they become available,” Dublin airport said on its Twitter page.

     

  • We have checked touting in Abuja airport – FAAN

    The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), in collaboration with security agencies, have intensified effort to clampdown on touting at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport (NAIA), Abuja.

    The Managing Director of FAAN, Mr Saleh Dunoma, who stated this in an interview in Abuja, on Friday, warned unauthorised persons to stay away from the airport or risk jail.

    Dunoma said that measures had been put in place to ensure that everyone operating in the airport stayed within his or her designated area.

    He added that adequate signage had been provided at the old and new terminals in addition to the security personnel to guide travellers, adding that no passenger should need assistance from unauthorised persons.

    According to him, some persons have been arrested, investigated and charged to court in recent time, but we now have a situation where some unauthorised persons are now fighting back by planting fake stories about touting.

    “We have cowed touting and there are plans in place, and we are totally in control of touting at the airport because of the grand plan. We have started implementing it.

    “Actually, there is no resurgence of touting rather there is a reduction in their activities but we now have a situation where touts are doing their campaign by planting fake stories.

    “But, certainly we are winning because we have our own campaign and it is bad business for them already.

    “Whatever pictures you are seeing are fake in order to discredit our effort, but we are in control,” he said.

    The FAAN boss also travellers to ensure that they would only transact any form of business inside the terminal and not outside to avoid being extorted.

    He explained that the new terminal was well laid out in such a way that passengers would not have reasons to be confused as to how to move, adding that there were also information desks where inquiries could be made easily.

    “My message to those touts is that the law will catch up with them and they will be punished and I want to appeal to passengers also that they should not encourage anybody to assist them in the airport.

    “The new terminal does not require any assistance; it is well laid out, it is simple and there are signage and there are two information desks in case you need any information.

    “Then, we have FAAN uniform people all over the places that passengers can seek assistance from,” he added.

    Also speaking to NAN, Mr Sani Mahmud, Regional General Manager, North Central, FAAN, said that some persons had been apprehended and prosecuted by the airport security team in recent time.

    Mahmud, who is also Airport Manager, NAIA, said that nine persons had been apprehended since the beginning of the 2019, adding that they included hawkers, illegal cab operators and touts.

    “Three had their cases transferred; six were minors and were detained and later released, but their items were destroyed.

    “We are not taking chances and at the same time, we are aware that some taxi operators whose monopoly had been broken are peddling falsehood to discredit FAAN at all cost.

    “Security has been beefed up around the airport and we are ready for them,” he said.

  • Tight security at Lagos airport ahead of Buhari’s visit for campaign

    Tight security at Lagos airport ahead of Buhari’s visit for campaign

    A large number of security operatives were on Saturday deployed to strategic positions at the Murtala Muhammed Airport, Lagos, ahead of the today’s visit of President Muhammadu Buhari to the state.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the security operatives were already at their respective positions at about 6.30 a.m.

    They included officers of the Nigeria Police Force, Nigerian Air Force, Nigeria Customs Service, Nigeria Immigration Service and Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps.

    Also on ground were officials of the Federal Road Safety Corps, who were controlling the traffic situation within the airport and its environs.

    NAN reports that Buhari, the Presidential Candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for the Feb. 16, Presidential Election, is coming to Lagos, the nation’s commercial capital, to campaign for his re-election.

    He is scheduled to visit the Palace of the Oba of Lagos, Rilwan Akiolu, State House, Marina and will later address APC supporters at the Teslim Balogun Stadium, Surulere, in continuation of his Next Level campaign.