Business

Finally, Nigeria Air to Get Operating Licence Today

Published

2 years ago

June 6, 2022

Hadi Sirika, Minister of Aviation

The proposed national carrier for Nigeria, Nigeria Air will receive its Air Transport Licence (ATL) from the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) today in preparation for it to start operation after it has obtained its Air Operator Certificate, (AOC).

The licence would be presented to the interim management of the airline at the headquarters of the aviation regulatory body in Abuja.

This was made known on the Instagram handle of the Ministry of Aviation @fmaviationng which read: “The @NigerianCAA will on Monday, June 6th, 2022 present the Air Transport License (ATL) to the interim management of the #NigeriaAir, Nigeria’s national carrier at the NCAA’s Corporate headquarters, Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.”

The ATL is issued as authorisation to airlines to provide scheduled and non-scheduled services. It is one of the licenses received by airlines before they can commence operation just as they await the AOC that fully guarantees them the right to begin air services.

Nigeria Air Limited had in April 2022 applied to the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) for a licence to operate scheduled and non-scheduled passenger and cargo services.

The company had disclosed this in a public notice as part of the requirements for granting an AOL.
The notice stated that any person or organisation with objection should make it known before 28 days expire.

“This is to inform the general public that Messrs Nigeria Air Limited has applied to the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority for the grant of an Air Transport License to operate scheduled and non-scheduled passenger and cargo services within and outside Nigeria,” the notice read.

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Director-general of NCAA said the promoters of Nigeria Air have applied for AOC and that the process was still ongoing.

Nuhu said he has no assurances yet on when the license would be issued because, like all other airlines that had applied for AOC, there are some issues that are not completely under the purview of the NCAA such as seeking security clearance for the applicant.

Nigeria Air had been expected to start operation since it was identified as one of the major projects of the President Mohammadu Buhari administration in the aviation industry.
Sirika had promised that the airline would start operation in June/July. 2022 and the obtaining of ATL is a positive step to actualising that objective.

The Ministry of Aviation recently reiterated that the airline would be driven by the private sector but it is the responsibility of the government to midiwife the national carrier but would only have 5 per cent stake in the company, the technical partner would have about 49 per cent, while the rest would be acquired by local investors.
However, industry analyst and former Commandant of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos (MMIA), Group Captain John Ojikutu (retd) expressed doubt about the planned national carrier.

He said his worry was that it might go the same way like the defunct Nigeria Airways Limited (NAL), saying there was nothing being done differently from the way the former national carrier was run.

“My fear about the national carrier is that it will go the same way as Nigeria Airways. I am not in support of it. How many African countries have national carrier now? South African Airways, Kenya Airways which are national carriers are having problems. It is only Ethiopian Airlines that is doing very well, but other national airlines are not doing well. Ghana, Congo, Cameroon don’t have national carrier, but they had in the past. If you say that the private sector will have 95 per cent, why not put the bidding out so that the private sector will drive it? Why are you midwifing it?” he said.

Also the President, Sabre Network West Africa, Dr. Gabriel Olowo, said it was only the Minister of Aviation and his team who could correctly tell if the airline was ready to take off as planned.
Olowo who is also the President, Aviation Round Table (ART) also noted that national carrier for any country was no longer in vogue, describing it as a “mere nomenclature.”

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Appeal court takes over NURTW case as NIC withdraws

Published

1 day ago

May 1, 2024

Trends Admin

Appeal court takes over NURTW case as NIC withdraws

The National Industrial Court has withdrawn from a case involving Alhaji Najeem Usman Yasin, Board of Trustees chairman of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), and Alhaji Tajudeen Ibikunle Baruwa’s ambition to return as president of the union over lack of jurisdiction.

The industrial court’s decision was made to avoid conflict with the Court of Appeal, where the matter is already being heard.

Before the NIC announced its decision to hands-off the case, the defendants’ counsel, Mr. O.I. Olorundare SAN, had informed the court that the matter is currently before the Court of Appeal, Abuja division, and that the industrial court could not continue to adjudicate on the same matter.

The counsel cited authorities to support his claim, adding that the National Industrial Court does not have concurrent jurisdiction with the Court of Appeal.

The presiding judge, O.O. Oyewunmi, struck out the case, stating that the Appeal Court had taken over the matter and that the Industrial Court must respect the hierarchy of courts.

Alhaji Yasin and six others took the case to the Appeal Court, challenging the decision of the industrial court recognising a delegates’ conference held on May 24, 2023, where Baruwa was proclaimed as President of the union for a second term in office.

With the latest NIC judgement, both parties will now proceed to defend their positions at the Court of Appeal and await the final judgement.

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Multichoice shuns court order, proceeds with increase of DSTV, Gotv packages

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May 1, 2024

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Multichoice shuns court order, proceeds with increase of DSTV, Gotv packages

Despite the intervention of the CCPT, Multichoice Limited has proceeded to increase packages price for DSTV and GOTV as announce on Wednesday last week.

Newstrends had earlier reported that the corporation announced that the new rates will go into effect on Wednesday, May 1, 2024, in a statement.

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As controversy over Maersk-FG port investment rages, Onanuga says no $600m deal signed

Published

1 day ago

May 1, 2024

Trends Admin

As controversy over Maersk-FG port investment rages, Onanuga says no $600m deal signed

The Nigerian government and a shipping giant, Maersk, have not signed any investment agreement, Bayo Onanuga, special adviser on information and strategy to President Bola Tinubu, has said.
Onanuga was reacting to the controversy surrounding the reported sealing of a $600 million deal for the development of the nation’s seaports.
He said there was only talk “of possible investment in Nigeria” by Maersk.
Interestingly Onanuga had hinted about the deal in a tweet said to have been pulled down after the social media backlash.
After President Tinubu’s discussion with Maersk’s Chairman Robert Uggla on April 28, on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum Special Meeting in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, the presidency had released a statement announcing that the shipping company had pledged to inject $600 million into the Nigerian seaport industry.
“Danish shipping company, A.P Moller-Maersk plans $600m investment in Nigeria. Danish shipping and logistics company A.P Moller-Maersk has disclosed a planned investment of $600 million in Nigeria to accommodate more container shipping services in Nigerian ports,” Onanuga wrote on X.
In a statement, Tinubu’s spokesperson, Ajuri Ngelale, also said “President Tinubu meets Chairman of Danish shipping giant Maersk, secures $600 million investment in Nigerian seaport infrastructure.” He quoted Uggla as saying, “We believe in Nigeria, and we will invest $600m in existing facilities and make the ports accommodating for bigger ships.”
In response to this. Maersk officials have denied any such agreement and stress no deals have been signed.
Onanuga in a new report by TheCable, an online news platform admitted no agreement on investment had been reached by the two parties.
“I think the statement issued by Maersk did not talk about a deal. There was no deal according to that statement that I read.
“However, there was talk of investment,” the special adviser said.
“No document or agreement was signed, so there was no deal. But there was talk of a possible investment in the country.
“So, go and read the statement again. They never said any deal was signed between the Nigerian government and the Dutch company. There was nothing like that.”
Onanuga however said the shipping company did not expressly deny that there was an investment talk.
He said people are “unnecessarily giddy over nothing.