Aviation
Ethiopian Airlines defies Nigerian Govt, set to resume flights to London
LAGOS-THERE were indications on Wednesday that some international airline operators may have been violating the ban on international commercial flights as Ethiopian Airlines indicated that it would fly the Lagos-London route on Friday Punch Newspaper has reported.
Federal Government had imposed a ban on both domestic and international flights in March as a measure to contend the spread of coronavirus pandemic.
Domestic flights, however, resumed on July 8 while the Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika, recently announced that international flights would resume from August 29.
However, ahead of the resumption from August 29, Ethiopian Airlines is scheduled to operate a commercial flight from Muritala Mohammed International Airport on Friday, August 21.
Checks by one of our correspondents showed that the airline would operate two commercial flights to London from Lagos on Friday.
As of the time of checking the website of the airline www.ethiopianairlines.com on Wednesday, one of the flights was said to have only one seat left.
The first flight will leave Lagos Murtala Mohammed International Airport at 11.40 for London Heathrow Airport, with a stopover at Addis Ababa airport. The ET 553 Boeing 787-8 flight will leave Lagos and stop over at Ethiopia, switching to an ET 700 Airbus A350 flight for the remainder of the journey. Its cost was quoted as from N619, 561. The duration was put at 19hrs 20 mins.
The second flight is scheduled to leave Lagos Murtala Mohammed International Airport for London Heathrow Airport at 16:30 with a stopover at Addis Ababa airport. The ET 509 Boeing 787-8 flight will leave Lagos and stopover at Addis Ababa, switching to an ET 700 Airbus A350 flight for the remainder of the journey. The cost was put at from N390,269 with only one seat left. The duration of the flight is 14hrs 30 mins.
When asked why the airline was running the commercial flight before the reopening of the international flights, Ethiopian Airlines media consultant, Mr Ikechi Uko, said he was not aware of the status of the flights.
He said, “I do not know which website you saw. I do not have a clue. I do not know if they are doing evacuation flights to London.
“I know the Nigerian government hired them to do evacuation flights from America. Nigerian government uses Air Peace and other private airlines. This one, I have no clue.
He added, “The Nigerian government is the one doing evacuation flight and if it is a private company, they will advertise. If you saw one and it is not the government, maybe you find out from the company.
“What I know ET is doing is on behalf of the Nigerian government from America. I have no clue. I know Nigeria has not opened an airport.”
The airline also scheduled to fly from Lagos to London on both August 29 and 31, subject to approval by the Nigerian government.
When contacted, the Director, Public Affairs, Federal Ministry of Aviation, James Odaudu, said no commercial flight had been cleared to lift passengers.
He insisted that commercial international flights would only resume operations on August 29 as earlier announced by Sirika.
Odaudu said, “I don’t have the details of that (Ethiopian Airlines) flight, but if it is on August 21, then it is likely to be an evacuation flight. Commercial flights on international routes are to begin August 29.
“All evacuation flights are to end on August 25, but before then there is no commercial flight that is cleared to carry out commercial international operations.”
Sunday PUNCH had on August 2 exclusively reported that some charter airlines had began offering services to members of the public despite the ban on international flights by the Federal Government due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Stakeholders, however, had stated that the special/evacuation flight plan of government had been abused.
The Secretary-General, Aviation Safety Round Table Initiative, and an aviation security consultant, Group Capt. John Ojikutu (retd.), had stated that there was a need to define what the government meant by special flights.
Ojikutu said, “Evacuation needs to be done by government or an internationally recognised organisation such as the Red Cross, United Nations, who pay for the flight while moving people.”
He added, “But when an individual is now paying for his or her flight, I wonder what kind of evacuation that is, because such individual is now a passenger of that airline he is paying to.”
Meanwhile, the Overseas Security Advisory Council in its August 11 Health Alert said that the U.S. Consulate General in Lagos scheduled two evacuation flights from Lagos to Washington, D.C., via Addis Ababa, on Ethiopian Airline flights.
It set August 13 and 21 as the departure date, discounting its announcement August 9 that all evacuation flights would end August.
Punch
In a bold step to strengthen Akwa Ibom’s position in Nigeria’s aviation industry, Governor Umo Eno announced the addition of two new Bombardier CRJ900 aircraft to the fleet of the state-owned airline, Ibom Air, on Friday.
The two aircraft, registered as 5N-CED and 5N-CEE, mark a milestone in the state’s commitment to strategic investment, with the governor stressing that the acquisitions were fully funded by state resources without loans from financial institutions.
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At a welcoming ceremony attended by local officials and residents, Governor Eno emphasized his administration’s mission to drive revenue-generating ventures for Akwa Ibom rather than relying on debt.
He called the move a step toward breaking the cycle of government investments that only serve to pay off loans, vowing that the state’s funds would go towards projects that bring returns to the people.
The governor challenged Ibom Air to turn a profit by 2025, stating that the airline’s management should ensure routes in and out of Uyo remain dependable to prioritize the needs of Akwa Ibom travelers.
“As long as I remain governor, we will continue to use state funds for the benefit of all, not for private gain,” he said, noting that his administration aims to ensure that public investments deliver real value to the state.
Governor Eno also provided updates on several ambitious state projects, including an 18-story commercial complex underway in Lagos and an upcoming 4-star hotel in Abuja, both designed to generate revenue for Akwa Ibom.
Plans for an international market in Ikot Ekpene and the phased opening of a new terminal at the Victor Attah International Airport were also announced, with the airport terminal set for partial operation by December and full activation in early 2025.
Speaker of the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly, Udeme Otong, commended Eno’s financial management, highlighting that the administration has avoided seeking loans over the past 18 months despite launching significant development projects.
Ibom Air’s Chairman, Pastor Imoabasi Jacob, expressed appreciation for the state’s investment in the airline, which has seen its fleet grow to nine aircraft.
Jacob credited the governor’s support with enabling Ibom Air to boost flight capacity, meeting demand on popular routes such as Uyo-Lagos-Abuja.
Captain Mfon Udom, CEO of Ibom Air, stated that the expanded fleet will improve efficiency and allow the airline to scale up its operations in time for the Christmas travel season.
Udom also noted that the airline anticipates the delivery of nine additional Airbus planes, which will further strengthen Ibom Air’s market presence.
Traditional leaders, including HRM Edidem Ita Edet Okokon III of Okobo Local Government Area, lauded the governor’s leadership, pledging continued support from the traditional institutions.
Anie Essienette, Group Manager for Marketing and Communications at Ibom Air, noted that demand for the airline’s services has surged nationwide, with the new CRJ900 aircraft helping meet this increasing need while the airline awaits further fleet expansion.
Nigeria’s Minister for Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo is of the view that there’s no cause for alarm over the approval of a private airstrip for a religious organisation, which attracted the attention of the House of Representatives.
He took to his verified handle on micro-blogging site, X, on Friday morning to shed light on the subject, and explained that it could be a great source of revenue for Federal Government.
Keyamo asserted that the issue was raised by an honourable member at plenary, out of ignorance, but was “unanimously referred to the Aviation Committee to look into.”
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Keyamo expressed confidence that by the time his Ministry was done enlightening them, “they will be satisfied”.
He added that “the privates air strip owners pay the Federal Government handsomely for these services.”
Keyamo wrote, “I think this is not correct. The House of Reps. as a body did not call on the Minister to revoke the license of any private airstrip.
“I think what happened is that someone moved a motion in that regard and it was unanimously referred to the Aviation Committee to look into it.
“Whilst the intention of the Hon. Member who moved it is very patriotic, it was based on a complete lack of knowledge of the aviation sector.
“By the time we explain to them how private air strips work and the processes they undergo by our agencies before the final approval, they will be satisfied.
“The responsibility of the owners of private air strips is just to build the runway and terminal building. But after they build the control tower in particular, it is completely handed over to the Federal Government through NAMA (Nigerian Airspace Management Agency) which is in complete control of the entire airspace in Nigeria. An MOU is usually signed with NAMA in this regard before the airstrip is approved for operations.
“It is NAMA that provides the Air Traffic Controllers and Engineers in ALL AIRPORTS and AIRSTRIPS IN NIGERIA. And the privates air strip owners pay the Federal Government handsomely for these services.
“No object flies into Nigeria without the prior clearance by NAMA and without filing a clear flight plan, eg, where it is taking off from and where it intends to land.
“And I have recently directed that all aircraft coming into the country MUST first land at our international airports where they would be properly processed and checked before they make their local flights into whatever airport or airstrip they intend to go. So, it is COMPLETELY AND TOTALLY impossible for any private airstrip owner to just jump on an aircraft and fly in and out of the country through that facility. The Federal Government does not permit that. You will not be cleared for take off or landing without prior request and authorisation.
“I thank the Member for his patriotism, but I wish he contacted us first to explain to him before rushing to move such a motion.
“I attach herewith for public consumption the NAMA Act that gives exclusive control of the Nigerian airspace to the Federal Government through NAMA.”
The NNPC Ltd has clarified that beyond the three bodies found in the ill-fated helicopter operated by East Winds Aviation that crashed on Thursday in Port Harcourt, no other bodies have been recovered.
This was contained in a statement in Abuja on Sunday by the Chief Corporate Communications Officer, NNPC Ltd, Olufemi Soneye.
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“The Company further notes that intensified search and rescue operations for the remaining bodies along with relevant authorities is still ongoing.
“Once again, our hearts and prayers are with family members of this unfortunate incident,” the statement added.
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