PRESIDENT of the Institute  of Tourism Professionals, ITP, Mr Abiodun Odusanwo, has called on the Federal Government to empower agencies handling the development of the tourism sector in the country to carry out their role in line with global best practices.

NIGERIAN travellers on Turkish Airways with more than 20 hours of connection time in Istanbul now have the opportunity of discovering the beautiful city of Istanbul under the airline’s Stopover services. ‘Stopover’ services offer passengers complem-entary accommo-dation and a great opportunity to discover the unique beauty of Istanbul during their transit.

TWENTY TWO members of staff of the Accident Investigation Bureau, AIB, would soon leave for on-the-job-training in accident investigation at the United States National Transportation Safety Board, NTSB.

DANA Air was the  official air partner of the just concluded Nigerian Economic Summit scheduled that held from October 10 to 12, 2017, in  Abuja. As part of its support to the Nigerian Economic Summit 23, Dana Air provided the Nigerian Economic Summit team with complimentary tickets while delegates enjoyed special fares on the airline

NIGERIAN Airspace Management Agency, NAMA, is to entrench a more effective digital accounting system that would meet the growing demands of the agency. This was disclosed by the Managing Director of NAMA, Capt. Fola Akinkuotu, while speaking at a two-day NAMA Accountants Retreat in Lagos.

THE recent certification of  Murtala Muhammed International Airport, MMIA, Lagos, by the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, NCAA, after many years of operating flight operations without International Civil Aviation Organisation, ICAO, certification is a sign that the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, FAAN, is making efforts to make travellers in and out of Nigeria  experience improved services at the nation’s airports. The airports authority was established in 1976 as the Nigerian Airports Authority (NAA) and later became Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, FAAN. FAAN was set up by the Nigerian government with Decree 45 of 1976, to oversee the operations and maintenance of all Federal airports.

Mr Akin Olateru, the Commissioner, Accident Investigation Bureau (AIB), has emphasised the need for members of the National Association of Aircraft Pilots and Engineers (NAAPE) to discharge their duties professionally.

The aviation industry in Nigeria is not at the level we should have expected it to be, but it is still growing. There is a lot of improvement needed in the industry. When I was coming in, I was warned about the harsh environment under which Nigerian airlines were operating. I dismissed such warnings with a wave of the hand, but now I have seen it all.

The Accident Investigation Bureau, AIB, yesterday released a report on the Accident involving Nigeria Police Force (NPF) Bell 427 helicopter with registration 5N-POL at Kabong, Jos South LGA, Plateau State, Nigeria on the 14th of March, 2012 that killed a serving Deputy Inspector General, Operations, and said the flight crew, including the pilot, were not qualified to fly the aircraft.

The Acting Managing Director of the Nigerian Aviation Handling Company Plc (nahco aviance), Mrs. Folashade Ode has enjoined the company’s staff to be  dedicated to their duty as that is the only way to ensure efficiency.

The Director General of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority ,NCAA, Captain  Muhtar Usman has said  that Nigeria  will join C02 Emissions Mitigation Measures and Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA) implementation when  the pilot phase takes off in 2021as  the International Civil Organisation ,ICAO, has been duly notified.

Aviation experts have expressed surprise that the deployment of the Director of Human Resources in the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, FAAN, Hajia Salamatu Umar Elumah to the Accident Investigation Bureau, AIB, by the Minister of State, Aviation, Senator Hadi Sirika in the recent reorganisation in the aviation industry, could generate controversy.

Former Vice-Chairman of Arik Air, Senator Anietie Okon  yesterday, alleged that the Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria, AMCON, forestalled the plans by some interest groups in government  to take over Arik Air and sell it cheaply to themselves. AMCON is currently managing the airline.

CHAIRMAN of Air Peace Airline, Chief Allen Onyema, has said his airline’s decision to go to Akure with a very low fare of  N10,000 was  part of Air Peace’s drive to contribute to the unity and development of the country. He said the airline believes there is a lot of human and mineral resources in Ondo State, “so we want to help investors go into the state and Ekiti State”.

THE American Federal Aviation Administration, FAA, is to visit Nigeria later in August to assess the country’s civil aviation industry, three years after it carried out similar assessment of the sector. The FAA team is led by Louis Alvarez, Louis Vanstroy (Operations Specialist), Benjamin Garrido (Airworthiness Specialist) and Jeffrey Klang (Attorney).