Following the pronouncement of the Federal Government that airline operators must refund the full cost of travel tickets to passengers after a two-hour delay, commercial airlines have listed the conditions for such reimbursement. The airline operators made this known in separate interviews with newsmen. The Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika, had, on Thursday at the weekly State House briefing in Aso Villa, Abuja, read out some of the rights of air passengers as enshrined in Part 19 of the Consumer Protection Regulations of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Regulations (2015) and charged them to demand their rights whenever they were being trampled upon by airlines. “On domestic flights, for delay beyond one hour, carrier should provide refreshment, and one telephone call, or one SMS, or one e-ma...
The Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, on Friday witnessed increased traffic due to huge number of passengers travelling to different parts of the country to celebrate Easter. According to NAN reports, flights from Abuja to other routes were fully booked before Thursday. Also, booking and check-in counters of many airlines were crowded with travelers rushing to board their flights. Many of the airline officials who spoke with NAN in separate interviews said there was upsurge in traffic, but ticket fare still remained same. The Max Air Station Manager, Kehinde Ogunyale, said that more people had chosen to fly home for the Easter celebration than the previous years. Ogunyele further said that Max Air also possibly experienced unique increase in passengers due to reduction in flight...
The Enugu State Government has expressed dismay over malicious and falsehood against it and Enugu Capital Territory Development Authority (ECTDA), by the Enugu zone of the Nigeria Railway Corporation (NRC). The statement was contained in a statement by the State Commissioner for Information, Nnanyelugo Chidi Aroh and copies made available to journalists in Enugu on Saturday. He said “the calculated attempt to bring the state to disrepute is as a result of the state government’s determination to fully implement the request of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) and the resolution of the South East Governors’ Forum (SEGF) by removing all obstructions to the reconstruction and critical infrastructure works at the Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu, aimed at improving the sa...
The government of Adamawa State has denied allegations by the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) that state governor Ahmadu Fintiri had failed to observe COVID-19 public health protocols last Tuesday at Port Harcourt airport, suggesting that the claim was politically-motivated. The Director-General, Media and Communication to Fintiri, Solomon Kumangar, said that FAAN’s allegations were a far cry from the events that took place at the airport, declaring that the governor had observed all the protocols he was asked to follow. The governor’s aide said Fintiri was in Port Harcourt that Tuesday night where he attended a strategic meeting ahead of the Edo election with other PDP governors at the instance of the River State Governor, Nyesom Wike before he (Fintiri) addressed the press o...
The immediate past Governor of Zamfara State, Abdulaziz Yari, has denied reports that he assaulted an airport official last Saturday at the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport (MAKIA), Kano. This was even as Yari demanded that the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), retract its offensive tweets regarding the incidence and tender an apology for the falsehood peddled against him. Yari in a statement by his media consultant, Mayowa Oluwabiyi, said although he did use the airport on the said date, but such incidence never occurred. Recall that FAAN had on Wednesday in a series of tweets, condemned Yari’s action for violating COVID-19 directive at the airport. FAAN further alleged that Yari refused to adhere to the protocols and procedures put in place by the Federal Government th...
The Minister of Aviation, Senator Hadi Sirika, on Saturday in Kano State, said that domestic flights would resume operations across the nation’s airports on July 15, noting that those that are not ready will be given enough time in order not to risk people’s lives. Sirika disclosed this while leading a team from the aviation industry and the Presidential Task Force on Covid-19 from the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport Abuja to Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport Kano on a simulation exercise with MaxAir, VM1644. He said the purpose of the exercise was to see that the airport was opened in accordance with the protocols established by the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 and to assess whether the airport was safe to operate According to him, “I am very glad and I think the civil a...
Akintunde Akinleye/Reuters As the country gears up to restart commercial flights, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria is set to deploy robots in its airports all over the country. It was gathered that the robots would be used for passenger facilitation processes including profiling, check-ins, temperature checks as well as detection of security threats including dangerous goods and arms. Confirming the development, General Manager, Corporate Affairs, Henrietta Yakubu told newsmen over the phone that the test run of the robots was done at the Lagos Airport on Saturday. “It’s a demo that is going on in Lagos. It’s been demonstrated. If it works fine, it will be adopted,” she said. Meanwhile, the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority today conducted a simulation flight ahead of the reopenin...
The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has conducted simulation exercise at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport Abuja to test all the protocols designed to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 at the Airport ahead of flight resumption. The simulation exercise which began around 8am saw passengers go through all the protocols before boarding the Aero Contractor flight at about 11:20am. The flight was operated on a B737 marked NG110 with 51 passengers on board. The Nigerian airports have been shut down in excess of three months to avert the spread of the COVID-19 across the country. But the aviation sector is set to reopen again. Newsmen observed during the simulation exercise a 1.5m physical distance markings, two hand wash areas and bags disinfecting area. Also hand sanitizers we...