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
The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has taken action by suspending the permits of three private jet operators due to their involvement in commercial flights.
Chris Najomo, the Acting Director General of the NCAA, issued this suspension during a briefing to all airlines on Tuesday.
Additionally, Najomo ordered a re-evaluation of all PNCF permits within a 72-hour timeframe.
The head of the NCAA stated that Festus Keyamo, the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, had instructed the discontinuation of private jets’ commercial use in 2023.
Despite this directive, the operators persisted in their commercial activities.
Najomo said “Subsequently, in March 2024, the NCAA had issued a stern warning to holders of the permit for non commercial flights, PNCF, against engaging in the carriage of passenger cargo or mail for hire and reward.
“The Authority had also deployed its officials to monitor activities of private jets at terminals across the airports in Nigeria.
“As a consequence of this heightened surveillance, no fewer than three private operators have been found to be involved in violation of the annexure provision of their PNCF and Part 9114 of the Nigeria Civil Aviation Regulations 2023.
“In line with our zero tolerance for violation of regulations, the Authority has suspended the PNCF of these operators.”
Minister Festus Keyamo has urged the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology in Zaria, Kaduna State, to create new solutions that can speed up the training of skilled air traffic controllers.
This call comes as Africa anticipates a need for 4,203 new air traffic controllers by the year 2037.
The minister made this statement on Wednesday during the 34th IFATAC Africa and Middle East Regional meeting in Abuja.
Addressing the gathering, the minister noted that the goal of training 4,203 new air traffic controllers aligns with the projection from the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).
He further affirmed the ministry’s commitment to offering full support to NCAT, ensuring it not only meets but surpasses its mandated duties and roles.
He said “ICAO projects that by the year 2037, Africa will require 4,203 new air traffic controllers. The onus rests on the Aviation College of Aviation Technology (NCAT) to develop innovative ideas solutions to accelerate the training of new and proficient air traffic controllers.
The minister, represented by acting director Michael Chiko from Air Safety and Administration, highlighted the rapid evolution of the air traffic control profession.
He stated “The profession of air traffic control has evolved rapidly, transitioning from simple flag signalling to sophisticated technologies. This evolution facilitates management of the surging number of aircraft traversing our
skies daily.
“As a vital, indispensable component of air safety, air traffic controllers are responsible for the safe, orderly and expeditious flow of air traffic. Therefore, I am not unaware of the critical role you play and invariably, the heavy burden you bear.
“This burden is compounded by increased air traffic, workforce shortages, technological shifts; necessitating rigorous training regimes.
“More so, with the emergence of unmanned aerial vehicles, reshaping dynamics and challenging the norm, it is thus paramount to prepare for the future and indeed Nigeria like other countries must prepare for the future.” he added
During the event, Mr. Lawrence Pwajok, representing Engr. Mohammed Odunowo, the managing director of the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA), emphasized the relevance of the 34th IFATCA Africa and Middle East Regional meeting’s theme, titled ‘Shaping the Future: Trends and Insights On ATC Training for Tomorrow’.
Pwajok highlighted the significance of this theme, especially as air traffic control commemorates 100 years since its inception.
He suggested examining the historical perspective of air traffic control, tracing its origins from Croydon airport a century ago to its present form in modern airports like Dubai, Istanbul, JFK, Charles De Gaulle, among others.
This historical comparison aims to provide insights into the potential trajectory of the future air traffic control system over the next century.
He added “It is obvious that the future air traffic management system will be characterised by extensive application of automation, digitization and artificial intelligence.”
Festus Keyamo, the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, underscored the obligation for airlines to provide compensations in cases of flight cancellations and delays.
Festus Keyamo conveyed this directive during a meeting with the heads of agencies affiliated with the ministry on Tuesday.
He said, “We are not deaf to the cries of Nigerians about delays and canceled flights. The law is there and we are looking at how to enforce those laws for compensation of Nigerians who bear the brunt of cancellation of flights and disrupting the activities.
“The process of grounding the airline or taking the airlines to court will create more problems.
“So if the reason for the delay and cancellation of flight is their fault they must pay compensation. And what I am suggesting is that if they don’t get cash back they must get some rebate when they buy next ticket.
“I have set up a committee to look into it such that they can generate a code that they can use when they want to purchase the next ticket.
“We are concerned about the passenger satisfaction and the safety of the air travelers,” he said. The minister directed the Director-General of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority to prepare a weekly catalogue of canceled flights.
He further instructed the Nigeria Safety Investigation Bureau to finalize investigations into all air accidents and mishaps within the upcoming 10 days.
He said: “For the recent incidents that happened recently, some minor, and others classified as serious incidents although there were no fatalities. The NSIB is investigating these incidents and I have directed them that within 10 days from today they must submit their report of the incidents and what actually transpired.” he added
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