Aviation

Bayelsa airport gets NCAA approval for commercial flights

Published

3 years ago

April 18, 2021

The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority has given approval for Bayelsa airport to commence commercial flight operations.

Director-General of the NCAA, Nuhu Musa, presented the approval letter to Bayelsa State Governor, Douye Diri, on Saturday, after an inspection of the airport and its facilities.

Musa said the airport met all airspace standards and is ready for daytime flight operations.

The NCAA DG said the approval followed the report of the agency’s inspection team which, prior to the visit, had certified that out of 29 gaps, the airport had been able to close 26.

He said other requirements were not safety-related and that work was already in progress to achieve night flight operations.

The DG said the agency had to limit flight operations to daytime, as the runway lights were still being installed.

Musa commended the state government for the quality of work done at the airport.

On his part, the Bayelsa State governor commended his predecessor, Seriake Dickson, for executing the project, after it had been on the drawing board of past administrations.

The governor said his administration was determined to ensure flight operations commenced as he set the machinery in motion to get the NCAA approval.

He said, “This is a dream come true for our state and our people. I thank God Almighty because this journey had been a winding one from my immediate past predecessor and I have been in the saddle for over a year waiting for this licence. Today, God made it possible.

“I also thank my predecessor, Senator Seriake Dickson. This airport had been on the drawing board, but he took the bull by the horns by starting the airport and virtually completing it. May I, on behalf of this government and the people of Bayelsa, appreciate him.

“As I came on board, having seen what he did, my administration had to cross the Ts and dot the Is.

“Having been briefed on certain requirements, I wasted no time in approving what was necessary to ensure that the airport was ready for use. Today, we have the approval for the airport to commence commercial flight operations.”

Diri said that other necessary facilities and equipment were in place and would soon be installed for full flight operations.

Aviation

We expected this earlier – Keyamo responds as Gatwick Airport finally welcomes Air Peace

Published

1 week ago

April 10, 2024

Trends Admin

We expected this earlier – Keyamo responds as Gatwick Airport finally welcomes Air Peace

The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, has grudgingly acknowledged the congratulatory message issued by Gatwick Airport to welcome Nigerian carrier Air Peace to its fold.

Gatwick Airport, in a post on its X account on Wednesday, April 10, 2024, expressed excitement to welcome Air Peace to the Lagos- London route, whose operations commenced on March 31, 2024.

“Exciting news! We recently welcomed Nigerian carrier @flyairpeace to the London Gatwick family, flying daily to Lagos,” the company’s post partly read.

The message comes barely two weeks after the indigenous airline made history by making its inaugural flight from Lagos to Gatwick Airport in the United Kingdom.

We expected this earlier – Keyamo responds as Gatwick Airport finally welcomes Air Peace

Aviation

Foreign airlines conspiring to edge Air Peace out of Lagos-London route – Onyema

Published

1 week ago

April 10, 2024

Trends Admin

Foreign airlines conspiring to edge Air Peace out of Lagos-London route – Onyema

Chairman of Air Peace, Mr Allen Onyema, says foreign carriers operating the Nigeria-UK route are conspiring to send Air Peace out of the international operations.
He said since Air Peace commenced flight operations to London on March 30, 2024 by charging normal airfares, the foreign airlines had been scheming to edge it out of business.
Onyema made the revelation on Tuesday while featuring on Channels Television’s Politics Today programme.
He alleged that there is an “unspoken alliance” among foreign airlines to use lower pricing to eject Air Peace from the Nigeria-London route.

“If they take out Air Peace prematurely, this country will pay dearly for it, 10 times over, billions will be lost, there will be another heavy strain on the naira,” he said.

“It’s a very devilish conspiracy,” said a dissatisfied Onyema.

“All of a sudden, (foreign) airlines are underpricing, below the cost, it’s not up to one month, an airline was advertising $100, another one $305, $350.

“Fill up the entire aircraft and carry people on the wings, it’s not even enough to buy your fuel. So, why are they doing that? Their governments are supporting them because Nigeria has been a cash cow for everybody.

“Their governments are supporting them to do this and take Air Peace out. The idea is to take Air Peace out and the moment they succeed in taking Air Peace out, Nigerians will pay 20 times over again,” he said.

Onyema asked other Nigerian airlines to join the Nigeria-UK route to break the monopoly hitherto enjoyed by foreign carriers operating into the four major gateway airports of Lagos, Abuja, Kano and Port Harcourt.

Aviation

Emirates set to resume Dubai-Nigeria flights, just received its notice – Minister

Published

2 weeks ago

April 8, 2024

Trends Admin

Emirates set to resume Dubai-Nigeria flights, just received its notice – Minister

Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, has announced that Emirates Airlines is prepared to resume flight operations to Nigeria.

He said the notice to resume flights on the route came through a letter by the airline sent to him.

Keyamo spoke during an interview on Arise television on Monday.

Emirates suspended flight operations to Nigeria in November 2022 over its inability to repatriate its revenue from the country.

The Federal Government in September 2023 said the airline would resume services in Nigeria after a meeting between President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Mohamed bin Zayed, President of the United Arab Emirates.

But since that first announcement, Emirates is yet to resume flights operations.

But speaking on the issue during the interview, Keyamo said the first announcement over the proposed resolution between the UAE and Nigeria was hastily done and dismissed claims that it was fake news.

The minister said he had received a letter from the airline confirming that all the issues had been resolved and was ready to resume flights.

“Emirates flight resumption is almost happening. I just received a letter from Emirates. The letter is on my phone now.

“They have gone through all the gamut and they are ready to come back. They will announce the date because to restart a route, they have to get an aircraft for that route.

“I am announcing to Nigerians for the first time that I just received a letter from Emirates now. The letter is with me. I have a hard copy thanking you for all the efforts we made.

“Mr. President was the showman here. He was the one who pushed for it. He made my job easy because he went there, and had a diplomatic shuttle to resolve all the issues. That was why I said the last announcement was hasty and not fake news.

“They will announce the date for their next flight. We have received a letter confirming that all the issues have been resolved and prepared to start coming back. It may be before June.”