Airport Reporters

  SITA ,  FRAPORT ENABLE A CONTACTLESS TRAVEL EXPERIENCE   SITA and Fraport are enabling all airlines at Frankfurt Airport to jointly use face biometrics as identification from check-in to boarding the aircraft. Frankfurt is the first airport in Europe to offer biometric touchpoints to all airline passengers, enabling streamlined, frictionless passage throughout the airport. Using SITA’s Smart Path biometric solution, powered by NEC, your face becomes your boarding pass. Passengers can securely register in advance on their mobile device through the Star Alliance biometric app or directly at the check-in kiosk with their biometric-enabled passports. The whole registration process only takes a few seconds. Once registered, passengers pass through the facial recognition-equipped checkpoints without showing any physical documents. The new technology is already in use by more than 12,000 passengers at check-in, boarding pass control, and boarding gates.  Dr. Pierre Domini...

  BRITISH AIRWAYS BRINGS AFROBEATS TO FLYERS THROUGH PARTNERSHIP WITH DJ CUPPY British Airways is bringing Nigerian-born musician Cuppy's Afrobeats to flyers, with an exclusive playlist available onboard from November 1. Londoner Cuppy, whose DJ skills have taken her to over 30 countries across the globe, has curated her top tracks for the airline’s inflight entertainment system. To celebrate the increase in the number of flights between Africa and London with the launch of British Airways’ new route from Accra to London Gatwick - in addition to its daily services to London Heathrow - Cuppy has created a playlist that transports travellers to a far-away paradise before their flight has even touched down. Customers across British Airways’ entire long-haul network will be able to enjoy tracks including “Jollof On The Jet” and “Feel Good”, blending spicy African beats with hip hop and reggae. Musician, frequent flyer and philanthropist, DJ Cuppy, said: “Like British Airways, music has...

  Emirates now offering Inflight Meal Pre - ordering Service across 92 destinations Emirates Inflight Meal Preordering Service is now live across 92 routes globally, with 30 new routes including Riyadh, Jeddah, Delhi, Mumbai and Kuala Lumpur offering the service from today. More than 10,000 preorders have already been delivered on over 3,000 flights, and more than 600 meal preorders are made by Emirates customers daily. The new service allows passengers in Business Class to preselect their main course between 14 days and 24 hours in advance of their flight departure, ensuring they get their preferred choice every time as well as helping to reduce food wastage. The most popular preorder dishes so far are pan-fried beef tenderloin with thyme jus, roasted new potato wedges and steamed asparagus, as well as the grilled beef tenderloin with creamy wild mushroom sauce, Kenya beans and potato gratin, and finally Suffolk roasted chicken with black garlic and potato fondant. The most popula...

  Ethiopian Airlines is waiting for Nigerian Government Decision on Nigerian Air L-R: Retta Melaku, COO; Mr. Daniel Abebe, VP Strategic Alliance; Mr. Mesfin Tasew, Group CEO; Mr. Genanaw Assefa, VP Legal The Group Chief Executive Officer of Ethiopian Airlines, Mr. Mesfin Tasew has said that the East African carrier never had any plan to set up an airline in Nigeria but was invited by the federal government to partner with it to establish a national carrier, Nigeria Air. Tasew who spoke to selected journalists from Nigeria in Addis Ababa yesterday disclosed that because of the pedigree of Ethiopian Airlines it was invited by the federal government to help it set up a national carrier in a partnership arrangement and because of the airline’s engagements it at first resisted the invitation but later agreed due to long relationship it has with Nigeria. But while Ethiopian Airlines and the Nigeran government were preparing the shareholding, it received message that some companies and ai...

  Qatar Airways Group Announces Appointment of New Group Chief Executive Qatar Airways Group confirms after 27 years of remarkable service, Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive - His Excellency Mr. Akbar Al Baker, will be stepping down from his current position as Group Chief Executive effective 5 November 2023, and will be succeeded by Engr. Badr Mohammed Al-Meer as Group Chief Executive for Qatar Airways.     Under H.E. Mr. Akbar Al Baker's leadership, Qatar Airways has grown to become one of the most recognisable and trusted brands globally, synonymous with customer service quality and the highest of standards. The national carrier of the State of Qatar has achieved an unprecedented seven-times win of the “World's Best Airline” award, and its state-of-the-art Hamad International Airport, which is under its management and operation, has also been recognised as the "World's Best Airport".   The Qatar Airways Group’s contribution to helping deliver the best ever FI...

 Business experts inspire sales professionals to break limits at Sales Pro Conference A rich collection of sales frontliners and thought leaders have tasked sales professionals to never stop reaching for their targets, as their opportunities were limitless. The experts said this, among others, at the inaugural Sales Pro Conference in Lagos State, which brought together a diverse community of sales professionals who gathered to chart a new course for their professional growth through knowledge sharing. The conference, which held recently in Alimosho, was a testament to the resilience of the sales community in Nigeria, hosting a hybrid attendance which recorded in-person and virtual participants of over 500 persons. The host of the event and co-founder of Pertinence Group, Dr Sunday Olorunsheyi, adjudged as a revered name in the world of sales, set the tone for the event by delivering a keynote address centered around his 5-Ps principle, including: Product, Planning, Promotion, Passi...

Ethiopian Airlines to Resume Four Weekly Services to Madrid Ethiopian Airlines Group, the fastest-growing global airline brand and the continent’s largest airline, is pleased to announce that it will resume four weekly passenger services to Madrid, Spain's capital and a city of elegant boulevards and extensive, starting from December 9, 2023. The four-time weekly services will be operated per the below schedule on Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday. Regarding the resumption of the flight, Ethiopian Airlines Group CEO Mr. Mesfin Tasew said, “We are delighted to reinstate our Madrid flights. The new services will continue to be vital in linking Africa with Spain’s arts and financial center creating a critical link to the socio-economic relationships between Madrid and more than 60 African cities where Ethiopian Airlines flies to. Once again, we are glad to offer this connection between the two regions. Ethiopian Airlines suspended its Madrid flights back in 2020 due to the pandem...

 Platform unveils solutions to resolve  travel  challenges  A technology - driven outfit  , SettleQuick, has unveiled a platform offering  solutions to  travel-related challenges for new immigrants seeking to  secure  temporary and permanent accommodation, study consultation, local employment, automobiles, and credit reference  for Nigerians and other Africans trying to relocate and  pursue  opportunities in foreign lands. The company said it is driving the initiative  to ease the burden of new immigrants using  reliable service providers in many countries across the globe. Speaking at the official launch of the platform yesterday in Canada, its Co- Founder and Chief Executive Officer,  Dr. Sunday Olorunsheyi, said the  initiative will cater to the travel-related difficulties of new immigrants, who are   managing uncertainties as they move  from one country to another. With the resolve to brid...

  SAHCO to provide ground handling services to Uganda Airlines  ...... Handles Ibom Air regional operations  The Skyway Aviation Handling Company (SAHCO) PLC, has won the contract of providing Passenger, Baggage and Ramp Handling services to Uganda Airlines at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos. Uganda Airlines which is the flag carrier of the Republic of Uganda would be flying from Entebbe International Airport in Uganda thrice a week to Lagos, Nigeria. The airline that is rated at the top of the list of the youngest fleets of the world airlines is also known as the Uganda National Airlines Company. Mr. Patrick Ziwa, the Ugandan Country Manager said concerning the partnership between SAHCO and Uganda Airlines that they are happy and blessed to be in Nigeria starting from the 19 th of October, 2023. He went on to say that Uganda Airlines is excited about working with SAHCO, partnering with SAHCO and also supporting SAHCO during this novel journey. SAHCO ha...

  Airspace agency mulls  models for revenue management  The Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA), is exploring sustainability models that will enable it fully utilize the revenue it generates from the services it renders to  operators of state - owned  and private airports, air strips and other platforms , overflyers and other users of advisory air traffic services. Part of the strategies  by the aeronautical navigational service provider (ANSP) is clamour by the Federal Government to exit it from the Treasury Single Account (TSA) window , so that it could superintend over the revenue it collects to intervene in critical air navigation needs at airports and other locations where its equipment are installed and deployed nationwide. Sources close to the agency hinted that the clamour will free the agency from the 40 percent remittance to the Federal Government of funds generated from the TSA window, which is putting the aeronautical authority in dire fi...

 All female air  traffic control personnel take charge at airports  As part of activities to mark the World Air Traffic Controllers Day celebrated globally on October 20th, Nigeria made history by having an all female Air Traffic Control (ATC) Crew taking charge of all its control units nationwide including Area, Approach and Terminal Control. The initiative was the brain child of most of the senior female Controllers with the first female Controller in Nigeria, Mrs. Hauwa Danboyi leading the pack by taking it up to the management to get the approval. Mrs.  Kate Nnanna-Ibemgbo, DGM, Air Traffic Management (ATM), Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) was then charged as the Planning Committee Chairman together with her committee members who saw to it that the epoch-making event was a reality.  The unique event was mooted  with the aim of promoting inclusion and diversity in the ATC profession in Nigeria as well as to celebrate women working in the professi...

  Ibom Air Commences Regional Flights with the Lagos-Accra Route Ibom Air, the Akwa Ibom State-owned airline, has marked a significant milestone with the commencement of regional operations. The airline’s inaugural flight from Lagos to Accra took off at 7:00 am (WAT) on the 17th of October 2023, offering travellers a new gateway to explore the vibrant West African region. This strategic expansion aligns with Ibom Air's vision "to be a world-class African Regional Airline" by offering passengers an industry-leading travel experience that encompasses schedule reliability, on-time departures, and excellent service. Expressing his enthusiasm about the new route, Executive Director and Chief Operating Officer of Ibom Air, Mr George Uriesi, said: "We are thrilled to commence our regional operations today, with the inaugural flight between Lagos and Accra. This is a significant step for Ibom Air as we expand our network out of Nigeria and into the African continent. With th...

  New fleet requirement threatens airlines’ sustainability Domestic carriers are weighing sustainability models to adopt to beat the deadline set by the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), which requires existing and prospective to have a minimum of six airplanes in their fleet before January 2025. The new fleet requirement regime is likely to create some upset in the recapitalization limits for Nigerian carriers.  Some existing carriers that have crossed the minimum airplane may not be perturbed over the new civil aviation regime expected to foster strength through enhanced equipment profile , but prospective investors in airline business consider it a huge disincentive to join the fray in the low yield venture. Though the Federal Government has since 2007 fixed N500 million naira as the  minimum capital base for carriers involved in scheduled domestic operations, N1billion naira  for those involved in regional flight operations and N2...

  BPP trains 400 in standard procurement procedures   Caption of Photos : Right:MD, Lagos State Public Procurement Agency, Mr. Onafowote Fatai Idowu; Rep of the Chairman, ICPC, Mr. Lawrence Abuo, Rep of the DG, BPP and Director, Regulations & Database/ICT, Mr. Aliyu E. Aliyu;Director, Research, Training & Strategic planning, Mr. Adebowale Adedokun; Deputy Director, Administration, Mrs Hauwa Sambo.AD, Energy Infrastructure, Engr. Abubakar R.Salihu and Head, Public Relations & Protocol/Media, Mrs Janet Mcdickson; at the BPP Training for Procurement officers in Federal Ministries, Departments, Agencies, Parastatals & Commissions at Digital Bridge Institute, DBI, Oshodi, Ikeja, Lagos The Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP), yesterday flagged – off a three – weeks Continuous Procurement Capacity Development Training Programme (CPCDTP) for 400 personnel of Parastatals, Institutions, Commissions and Agencies of the Federal Government. The training programme according t...