Category: Aviation

Aviation News

Make the Corpse Walk: Why De-feathered Air Nigeria Did Not Fly

Uche Mbah

By Uche Mbah Finally, the fear of skeptics have materialized: Air Nigeria has become the latest still-born child of the Muhammadu Buhari-led APC government. Three months after the Logo was unveiled in Faraway London, the Minister of state for Aviation, Hadi Sirika, a former senator who was the chairman Senate Committee on Aviation, announced to a bemused world that the proposed National Carrier has been suspended mid air till further notice. “I regret to announce that the Federal Executive Council has taken the tough decision to suspend the National Carrier…

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Nigeria Air Suspended Indefinitely By FG

Akinwale Kasali

The Minister of State for Aviation, Hadi Sirika, on Wednesday, announced the suspension of the planned national carrier, Nigeria Air. On his Twitter handle, @hadisirika, Sirika tweeted: I regret to announce that the Federal Executive Council has taken the tough decision to suspend the National Carrier Project in the interim. All commitments due will be honoured. We thank the public for the support as always.” Details later….

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“Stolen” Aircrafts: Chevron role in the game

Uche Mbah

By Uche Mbah Topbrass  Aviation Services, a local operator, is said to be in the middle of a scandal involving two Bombadier Aircrafts, Dash 8 Q300. Topbrass has leased the aircraft from Seagold Investment Limited. Headed by Roland Iyayi, an Aviation expert, Topbrass has been having a legal tussle with Seagold , over the ownership status of the two aircrafts with registration numbers 5N-TBB and 5N-TBC). Despite the tussle, the aircrafts were acquired through the Agencies of government allegedly for Aerocontractors, a company that has been taken over by the…

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After fifteen years, Nigeria Unveils New National Carrier

Uche Mbah

By Uche Mbah After fifteen years in limbo, Federal Government resurrects Nigeria Airways with a different name: Nigeria Air. Incidentally, the unveiling of the logo of the new airline was done in London, the international capital of Nigeria. Most policy pronouncements of Nigeria in recent times are usually done in London. The unveiling of the logo as done during the ongoing international Airshow in Farnborough London, Minister of state for Aviation, Hadi Sirika, was elated with the prospect of having a new national Carrier which, according to him, will only…

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Fate of Nigeria Airways Workers May Jeopardize New National Carrier

Uche Mbah

By Uche mbah The war of words between the former staff of the defunct Nigeria Airways and the Finance minister Kemi Adeosun may have sent distressing signals to the general public that the much touted New National Carrier may not take off despite assurances and plans for the later. The Finance Minister had said that there has been no presidential approval for the release of funds for the settlements of arrears of pension and other emoluments, which she put at a total cost of N45billion. But in a swift reaction,…

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First nation suspension by NCAA worsens Local Aviation Crisis

Uche Mbah

With effect from may 11, First nation Airline is expected to suspend all flights, commercial or charter, since the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, NCAA, wielded the big stick over the weekend against the ailing airline. The exit will further deplete local operations, though safety issues also are raised due to continued operations of the airline generally linked to the Nation Group of companies, with alleged connections to an All Progressives Congress national   leader, Bola Ahmed Tinubu. With Air peace and Arik struggling to make inroutes into the African subregion and…

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Local Airlines under threat of extinction

Uche Mbah

Corruption, political interference, bad management decisions, cronyism, tough working environment  and so many other factors have made it almost impossible for local airlines to survive the turbulence that the local aviation industry have run into. Apart from the fact that many of them are struggling with low start up capital and therefore manages to just beat the minimal requirement for airline operational takeoff, so much epileptic services are traceable to the low boarding etiquette by ground handling staff. For example, Aerocontractors started as an airline servicing the rigs and were…

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Again, Airpeace runs into turbulence

Uche Mbah

The Aviation industry has been in the news for all the wrong reasons in recent times. Last week, Dana Air flying from Lagos to Abuja suffered door mishap on arrival to Abuja Airport, a situation that generated controversy with passengers exchanging crossfire with the Airline. Why the Airline insisted that a passenger pushed down the door, passengers claimed that the door was making funny noise during flight. This time, reports indicate that there was a robbery incidence involving an Arik aircraft taxing for take at the off in Lagos. The…

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Dana Air door fall off after landing

Uche Mbah

Reports from passengers who flew Dana Air indicated that the door of the Aircraft fell off on landing. The Aircraft was said to be coming from Lagos to Abuja, and on landing at Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, and taxing on the runway, the exit door reportedly fell off. Not all passengers, however, noticed the fall off, as some though it was an explosion. But a passenger, Ola Brown, took to her twitter page to report the issue. “Flew Dana. Exit door was unstable throughout flight. As we touched down, it…

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