Airport Reporters

  WHEN A NATION RESPONDS WITH SENSE: THE ARIK AIR ENGINE FAILURE AND THE CASE FOR FAIRNESS TO AIR PEACE By Fred Chukwuelobe Nigeria did something refreshingly right this week. Following an engine incident involving Arik Air’s Boeing 737-700 (registration 5N-MJF) operating Flight W3 740 from Lagos to Port Harcourt, the crew detected a fault mid-flight and executed a precautionary diversion to Benin City. The aircraft landed safely with about 80 souls on board. No injuries. No loss of life. The Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) promptly announced a formal investigation. That is the kind of news every passenger, every family, and indeed the entire nation, prays for. Even more commendable was the public response. There was no hysteria. No lynch-mob outrage on social media. No instant calls for heads to roll. The regulators did what they are paid to do: moved in calmly and professionally. The flying public trusted the process. That is how mature aviation cultures behave. We sh...

  United Nigeria Airlines mulls flight to New York in second quarter  ....To acquire  additional 11 aircraft  United Nigeria Airlines (UNA) said on Thursday it will begin its international operations with the launch of New York flights by the end of the second quarter of 2026. Speaking at a press conference to mark the fifth anniversary of the airline in Lagos, its Chairman, Prof. Obiora Okonkwo said  the airline has ordered 11 aircraft, including two A330-200 and six 737-800 aircraft in preparation for the operations. Okonkwo said one of the aircraft, A330-200 will be delivered to the airline by the end of the second quarter of this year while the others will be delivered later in the year. “We are starting some regional and international routes by the end second quarter of this year, one of the A330-200 will be delivered to us by July 26, the second one will come in by October and by the end of the second  quarter, we will fly direct to New York. ” We pla...

Nigeria’s healthcare future depends on seeing illness earlier Radiology is “the eye of medicine, according to General Godwin Ogoh, Chief Medical Director of the Nigerian Army Reference Hospital. Nigeria is no longer a country planning for growth. It is a country already living inside it. In 1960, Nigeria’s population stood at just over 45 million. Today, it exceeds 230 million, making it Africa’s most populous nation and one of the fastest-growing large countries in the world. By mid-century, that number is expected to approach 400 million. As Nigeria urbanises and life expectancy gradually rises, the country is experiencing an epidemiological shift. Infectious diseases remain a challenge, but non-communicable diseases, including cancer, are becoming more prevalent. Oncology care is particularly unforgiving of delay. The difference between early and late diagnosis is often the difference between manageable treatment and irreversible progression. In practical terms, earlier diagnosis is...

  Arik Air explains aircraft diversion to Benin Airport  Air Air has offered clarifications on the circumstances sorounding the diversion of its Boeing 737-700  :  5N MJF  aircraft operating flight W3 740 from Lagos to Port Harcourt to  divert to Benin Airport after the operating crew heard a loud bang on the left engine. According to a statement by the airline's spokesperson , Mr Adebanji Ola, the  aircraft was on its decent to Port Harcourt International Airport, Omagwa when the incident happened. The Arik Air Public Relations &  Communications Manager , said as and as a precautionary measure, the crew had to make a safe diversion to Benin. He said :" There were no injuries to passengers and crew as all 80 passengers on board were safely disembarked. Arrangements have been made to transport the affected passengers to their final destination. "We sincerely apologise to the affected Port Harcourt passengers whose journey has been disrupted. Th...

   NDLEA, Army recover tradamol , loud in Benin  ....Arrests 5 suspects  The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Edo State Command, in a joint operation with the Nigerian Army, has recorded significant breakthroughs in the fight against illicit drug trafficking and abuse within the State.  The operations, which underscore a strengthened inter-agency collaboration, led to the arrest of a patent medicine vendor, a supermarket owner and three suspects with the seizure of 11,297 capsules of tramadol, among other controlled substances. NDLEA Edo State Commander Mitchell Ofoyeju, PhD, listed the drug exhibits recovered to include 11,297 capsules of tramadol, 400 tablets of diazepam, 108 tablets of Swinol and 22 tablets of Danabol, also known as 'Molly'.  Others are 3.685kg of cannabis, 181 grammes of Loud, 7 grammes of methamphetamine and 10 bottles of codeine cough syrup. He gave the name of the suspected patent medicine vendor as Akam Theophilus (46)....

                                                                           FAAN , cargo agents reach truce on port  tariff at MMIA  The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has reached an agreement with Customs Licensed Cargo Agents operating at the Murtala Muhammed Airport, Lagos, on the proposed review of cargo port charges. The agreement was achieved at a stakeholders’ meeting held yesterday at the MMIA Terminal 2 Conference Room, chaired by FAAN's  Director of Cargo Development and Services, Mr. Lekan Thomas. After constructive deliberations, both parties agreed on a revised port charge of ₦15.00 per kilogram, representing a compromise from the earlier proposed ₦20.00/kg and an upward review of the existing ₦7.00/kg.  The outcome, according to a statement signed by FAA...