Airport Reporters

IATA UNVEILS KEYAMO IN ADDIS ABABA AS ONE OF AFRICA’S TOP FOUR FOREMOST AVIATORS At a special session at the ongoing IATA Focus Africa Conference holding in Addis Ababa, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) unveiled Nigeria’s Honourable Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo SAN, as one of Africa’s top four most prominent aviators. The announcement which was made by IATA’s Regional Vice President for Africa and the Middle East, Kamil Alawadhi underscored the continental recognition of the Minister’s leadership and reforms. Alawadhi, in his remarks, cited Keyamo’s cutting-edge policy direction, strategic reforms, and unwavering commitment to global aviation standards as the basis for the recognition. He specifically highlighted Nigeria’s effective administration of the Cape Town Convention and IDERA framework, as well as the country’s impressive 91.4% score in ICAO safety oversight, positioning Nigeria among the leading aviation nations in Africa. “T...

  Airport worker returns passenger's lost  purse with  $1,700 , travel documents  .Frank Omorojie  By Kelvin Osa Okunbor  A casual worker attached to Environment Department of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Mr Frank Omorojie has returned a lost purse containing $1,700 , a British passport , Nigerian passport and a credit card he found at the departure hall of Terminal 2 of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos. The discovery happened on Wednesday at the Rwanda Air check-in counter.  For many, that amount of money could have been life-changing. For Frank, it was simply someone else’s lifeline. Without hesitation, Frank handed over the purse to Aviation Security (AVSEC) officials.  Following standard procedures, the items were documented and passed to the Customer Service Department, where an urgent announcement was made. Within minutes, a female Nigerian passenger, who had already resigned herself to the worst,...

  Keyamo advocates  collaboration to enhance Africa's  flight connectivity  The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo  has called for stronger collaboration among African nations to advance aviation safety, enhance connectivity, and improve operational efficiency across the continent. Delivering a goodwill message at the IATA Focus Africa Conference holding in Addis Ababa, the Minister emphasized that Africa stands at a defining moment in its aviation evolution, with vast untapped potential despite its relatively small share of global air traffic. Addressing  participants, including representatives of the International Air Transport Association, aviation leaders, policymakers, and industry stakeholders, Keyamo commended IATA for convening the conference under the theme: “Elevating Aviation Safety, Connectivity and Operational Efficiency in Africa.” He noted that the theme aligns with the critical priorities required to unlock sustain...

 FAAN Targets Next Generation to Bridge Aviation Skills Gap The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has launched a strategic initiative aimed at cultivating a new pipeline of talent for the aviation industry, focusing on secondary school students and gender diversity in technical roles. The programme, spearheaded by Dr Oluwatoyin Akinlade, FAAN’s General Manager, Training and Human Resource Development, aligns with the International Civil Aviation Organisation’s (ICAO) Next Generation of Aviation Professionals (NGAP) objective.  The initiative seeks to address a critical shortage of professionals in specialised fields such as piloting, aeronautical engineering, aviation security, and firefighting. Speaking of bridging the gender and professional gap, Akinlade emphasised that the aviation industry is often viewed strictly through a technical lens, which can sometimes discourage young students or result in gender imbalances. "We are bringing awareness to the young gener...

 NDLEA EDO INTERCEPTS 748.02KG OF TRAMADOL, OTHERS The Edo State Command of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has intercepted a large shipment of controlled pharmaceutical drugs, including tramadol, on the Benin-Lagos Expressway. The NDLEA Edo State Commander, Mitchell Ofoyeju,  stated this while presenting the latest operational breakthrough to journalists in Benin City on Monday. Commander Mitchell noted that the operation is a positive result of the tasking order by the Chairman/Chief Executive Officer, Brig. General Mohamed Buba Marwa (RTD)  to take proactive measures in preventing inter-state drug trafficking in the country. On Thursday, April 23, 2026, the command’s ongoing painstaking efforts to combat drug trafficking culminated in the interception of a Mercedes-Benz truck branded with the Nigeria Labour Congress insignia and bearing the registration number Federal Capital Territory NLC 146 FC.  The truck was found with ninety-five cartons cont...

 FAAN Celebrates Aviation Icon Kunle Soname at 60 .....A Visionary Who Redefined Private Air Travel in Nigeria    The Managing Director/Chief Executive of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Mrs Olubunmi Kuku, on behalf of the entire management and staff, extends hearty congratulations to renowned Nigerian entrepreneur, sports enthusiast, and founder of ValueJet, Mr. Kunle Soname, on the occasion of his 60th birthday today. In a press release signed by the Authority’s Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection,  Mr Henry Agbebire, the FAAN MD/CE described Mr. Soname as a trailblazer whose contributions to Nigeria’s aviation sector have left an indelible mark. Through the establishment of ValueJet, one of the country’s leading private airlines, Soname demonstrated uncommon courage, resilience, and a steadfast commitment to safety, efficiency, and customer satisfaction. “Mr. Kunle Soname is not just a businessman; he is a visionary who saw what ma...

 Ibom Air may reduce operational capacity over aviation fuel hike  ....Spends N7.6m per flight Ibom Air Ltd has hinted of a possible reduction in its flight capacity following its inability to cope with the astronomical increase the price of aviation fuel. The Airline in a statement by it's group manager, marketing and communication, Aniekan Essienette, disclosed that it spends N7.6million on fuel per flight.   According to the company, the cost of fueling its aircraft has tripled between January and April representing 350% increment since the beginning of March. The statement reads in parts, "The fuel price situation is an unprecedented crisis for Nigeria’s domestic airlines. At Ibom Air, the cost of fueling our aircraft has more than tripled between January and today.  "From an average of N2.1m per flight in January, as at today, the 27th of April, we are paying approximately N7.6m to fuel every flight. This is a more than 350% increase since the beginning of March...

 Aviation Fuel Crisis : Industry group prescribe recovery pills for govt, airlines  Air transport think tank group and safety advocate : Aviation Safety Round Table Initiative (ASRTI), has prescribed a bouquet of interventions in resolving the escalating cost of aviation fuel, saying the Federal Government needs to urgently establish a National Energy Price Protection Program (NEPPP). The establishment of the body, the safety group said has become compeling because Nigeria’s aviation sector stands at a critical inflection point with the  Jet A1 crisis,which has occasioned  liquidity strain on airlines. The ASRTI said  the cascading financial pressures across airports, concessionaires, and ground handlers have converged into a systemic emergency , creating a distortion that threatens the survival of our airlines and, by extension, the entire aviation ecosystem. In a letter of appeal to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and members of the National Assembly and the Minis...

  Its Time! Emirates’ iconic A380 returns to Dubai with world-first Starlink Wi-Fi onboard Emirates’ flagship A380, long celebrated as one of aviation’s most iconic aircraft, is set to reach new heights as the first installation of next-generation Starlink Wi-Fi onboard has just been completed. The Emirates A380 was one of the first commercial aircraft in the world to offer internet to its customers, with first generation systems offering a total aircraft bandwidth of less than 1 Mbps.  Emirates’ installation of three Starlink antennas on each A380 will improve the Wi-Fi available onboard a thousand-fold - offering a ‘better than at home’ connectivity experience for customers, while flying at 40,000 feet. The first Emirates A380 aircraft equipped with Starlink made its return to Dubai this week, after its installation and certification was accomplished in Newquay, UK. With more A380s scheduled for accelerated installation throughout 2026, Emirates customers will soon enjoy a t...

 NMDPRA pegs jet fuel price at N2,037 per litre for  Abuja ....... Fixes price band for  Lagos The Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) has pegged aviation fuel prices as high as ₦2,037 per litre in Abuja. The regulator disclosed this in a statement on Monday.  The regulator also set a Lagos price  band between ₦1,760 and ₦1,988 per litre. The intervention, according to the statement, is aimed at stabilising supply and pricing amid persistent volatility in Nigeria’s aviation sector. In addition, the NMDPRA has directed energy marketers to sell directly to airline operators. The  move, the regulator said, is designed to cut out middlemen and reduce inflated costs within the supply chain. The regulator expects improved efficiency, transparency and quicker access to fuel across airports. NMDPRA price benchmark anchors aviation fuel stability According to the authority, the benchmark reflects Platts average prices recorded b...

  Impact of aviation fuel crisis on our operations  By ...Aniekan Essienette The fuel price situation is an unprecedented crisis for Nigeria’s domestic airlines. At Ibom Air, the cost of fueling our aircraft has more than tripled between January and today. From an average of N2.1m per flight in January, as at today, the 26th of April, we are paying approximately N7.6m to fuel every flight. This is a more than 350% increase since the beginning of March, a space of just 7 weeks! And our aircraft are some of the most fuel efficient in the domestic market.  At this point, domestic airlines are baffled at why the price of aviation fuel in Nigeria has ballooned to this level, way above the rest of the world, while the fuel marketers obtain 95% or more of their aviation fuel from Dangote Refinery. The situation is exacerbated by the fact that a combination of competitive pressures and patriotism have prevented a commensurate increase in our fares, meaning that we and our fe...

  Institute canvass roadmap for economic development  The Institute of Safety Professionals of Nigeria (ISPON), has canvassed a roadmap for the country's economic development insisting that employers of labour in both public and private sector place higher premium on the r psycho- social elements of the working environment. The safety regulatory body said the roadmap has become imperative in line with the global trends where employers are increasingly shifting from traditional physical hazard mitigation toward the more complex, pervasive, and often invisible challenges of the psycho - social working environment. Chairman of the ISPON's  Lagos Branch , Mr Olusola Ogunleye , who disclosed this at a briefing at the weekend said , there is an call to action for the organized private sector, the public sector, the informal industry, and all key stakeholders to institutionalize psychosocial safety as a fundamental pillar of sustainable economic growth. He said  the psycho ...

 Jet A-1 Crisis: Stop Scapegoating Air Peace for a Global Aviation Problem By Fred Chukwuelube  There is a renewed and rather orchestrated onslaught against Air Peace over the current shortage of aviation fuel (Jet A-1). Let’s be clear from the outset: this is not a crisis created by one airline, nor is it peculiar to Nigeria. It is a global aviation challenge driven by supply constraints, price volatility, and persistent disruptions in the fuel value chain as a result of the Middle East crisis. In Nigeria, airlines are contending with limited access to Jet A-1, escalating costs, and unpredictable supply cycles. Smaller carriers, with fewer aircraft and limited schedules, may be able to secure just enough fuel to operate select flights. Air Peace, as the largest airline in the country with a far wider network and significantly higher daily operations, inevitably feels the strain more intensely. Scale, in this case, is not an advantage; it is a vulnerability. What is both baffl...

 Union leader condemns presidential waiver to airlines  .. Says airlines are debtors  The recent grant of 30% debt relief to airlines in the country by President Tinubu has been condmned by a front line labour leader in the country's aviation industry accusing the airlines of violating the remittance Act  Reacting to the debt relief, the General Secretary of the Association of Nigeria Aviation Professionals (ANAP) Comrade AbdulRasaq Saidu, accused domestic airlines of non remittance of 5% passenger ticket sales charge collected from travelling passengers on behalf of the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority but failed to remit to the agency.  Saidu said it is criminal to hold on to the fund haven collected it from passengers saying that the union will never support any waiver that all money being fraudulently owed NCAA from the 5% must be paid "Aviation Workers shall protest and resist any waiver of public funds to any Airline. How should money of 5% of ticket sold ...

 ValueJet Wins Most Passenger-Friendly Domestic Airline Award at 15th NIGAV Awards ValueJet has been honoured with the Most Passenger-Friendly Domestic Airline Award at the 15th edition of the Nigeria Aviation (NIGAV) Awards, reinforcing its growing reputation for customer-focused service and operational excellence within Nigeria’s aviation industry. The prestigious NIGAV Awards ceremony, held in Lagos, brought together key stakeholders across the aviation ecosystem, including regulators, airline operators, airport authorities, and industry professionals, to celebrate outstanding contributions to the growth and development of the sector. ValueJet’s recognition in the passenger-friendly category reflects its consistent commitment to delivering a seamless travel experience, with a strong emphasis on comfort, reliability, affordability, and service quality across its expanding domestic and regional network. Speaking on the achievement, the Managing Director and Accountable Officer of ...

  Stakeholders launch N500 million endowment fund to secure aviation finance professionalism  Stakeholders in the aviation sector have launched a N500 million endowment fund to secure the future of aviation finance professionalism. The launch was part of the digital  transformation , which took centre stage as catalyst for revenue optimisation in Nigeria's aviation sector as the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria ( ICAN) Aviation chapter marked its first anniversary. Chairman of the occasion, Amb. Comfort Eyitayo, described the Chapter’s one-year milestone as a clear sign of purpose and growing influence, stressing that the intersection of aviation and accounting demands precision, accountability and strict adherence to standards.  Speaking on the theme: "Digital transformation as a catalyst for revenue optimisation in Nigeria's aviation sector", she noted that digitalization is no longer optional but central to modern aviation operations, urging professio...

  Tinubu approves 30% debt waiver for local airlines  President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has approved a 30 percent  discount on outstanding statutory fees owed by domestic airlines to aviation agencies. The intervention , which has received industry wide commendation has been described  as a  decisive move aimed at alleviating operational pressures within Nigeria’s aviation sector. The relief, which is contained in a statement by the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development,Mr Festus Keyamo covers accumulated debts including parking charges payable to the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), navigational charges owed to the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA), as well as other regulatory obligations. The  intervention, Keyamo said  comes as part of the Federal Government’s broader efforts to cushion the impact of the ongoing Jet A1 fuel crisis, which has significantly increased operating costs for domestic carriers. Keyamo, disclosed tha...

 FAAN MD Projects Strong Export Growth as Nigeria-UK Trade Hits £8.1bn Nigeria’s export potential to the United Kingdom is set for significant growth as the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) highlighted rising trade volumes and new market opportunities within the aviation sector. Speaking at a forum hosted by the Nigerian-British Chamber of Commerce, The Managing Director/Chief Executive, Mrs Olubunmi Kuku, represented by the Director of Cargo Development and Services, Lekan Thomas, highlighted encouraging trade figures and policy support driving the aviation corridor. According to him, Nigeria-UK trade reached £8.1 billion, recording an 11.4 per cent year-on-year increase, while UK imports from Nigeria stood at £2.4 billion. He noted that even a modest 1–5 per cent increase in exports could generate an additional $25–125 million in revenue. Thomas also pointed to the United Kingdom’s decision to grant duty-free or reduced tariffs on over 3,000 Nigerian products as a maj...

Nigeria scores 91.4 % in in ICAO  safety audit The Nigerian aviation industry has recorded an impressive 91.45 percent  Effective Implementation (EI) score at the just-concluded International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Coordinated Validation Mission (ICVM), held between April 15 and 22, 2026. Speaking during the closing briefing held at the Authority's Corporate Headquarters in Abuja on April 22, 2026, the Director-General Civil Aviation, (DGCA), Capt. Chris Ona Najomo, noted that the ICVM audit is an independent platform that identifies Nigeria's internal strengths and weaknesses, as well as the external opportunities and threats that may impact on its statutory mandate of safety oversight responsibilities, safe aircraft operations and public safety. While acknowledging that the validation results will be subjected to a different validation by the Safety and Air Navigation Oversight Audit Section, Capt. Najomo expressed firm optimism that the ultimate status of the Pr...

  Inside the Fragile Systems Supporting Africa's Fleet Expansion Derek Nseko  The easiest way to misunderstand African aviation is to look at the airplane. On the continent, the real question begins only after the delivery ceremony is over. Who will maintain it? Who will train the crews beyond the first intake? Where will the spare engine come from when the first one goes off wing? How long will a grounded aircraft sit before it flies again? And when the OEM’s global system is under strain, where do we fit in the queue? Those questions define whether an aircraft becomes an asset or a liability. They are also why so many airlines on the continent struggle not because demand is absent, but because the ecosystem around the aircraft is too thin to sustain the ambition placed on it. Of course, aircraft choice itself still matters. Right sizing remains critical, and routes and networks must be aligned with the realities of demand. But even the most well-matched aircraft will falter ...

Onyema bags fourth honorary doctorate  .Reaffirms commitment to education , national building  The Chairman of West and Central Africa’s largest airline, Air Peace, Dr Allen Onyema, has been conferred with an Honorary Degree of Doctor of Public Administration (Honoris Causa) by Abia State University, marking his fourth honorary doctorate. The conferment was held in alignment with the University’s 32nd Convocation Ceremony, in the presence of a distinguished gathering of academic and industry leaders. Leading the delegation were the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Ndukwe J. Okeudo; the Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the Governing Council, Dr Agwu U. Agwu; and the Registrar, Dr Acho Elendu, alongside members of the institution’s leadership and the airline’s management team. In his remarks, Onyema underscored his unwavering commitment to education and national development, stating: “One thing is certain, I believe in education. Without education, the country is dead and whatever we must d...

 AAAU Ag. VC Honoured at NIGAV  .....Offers Master’s Degree Scholarship to King, Queen of the Air The African Aviation and Aerospace University has reaffirmed its commitment to advancing human capital development in Nigeria’s aviation sector as its Acting Vice Chancellor, Mustapha Sheikh Abdullahi, was honoured with the Aviation Academic Excellence Award while the institution chart award the Most Promising Training Institution Award at the 15th edition of the Nigerian Aviation (NIGAV) Awards and Ministerial Dinner held in Lagos. In a remarkable demonstration of the University’s dedication to excellence and capacity building, Abdullahi announced the award of a fully funded Post Graduate,  Master’s degree (MSc) scholarship on behalf of the Governing Council to two exceptional cabin crew members—Adeyemi Adebote of Arik Air and Ubani Blossom of Ibom Air—who emerged as the King and Queen of the Air at the prestigious ceremony. The scholarship initiative, according to the Actin...

 NDLEA TASKS EDO PATENT MEDICINE VENDORS AGAINST DRUG ABUSE The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Edo State Command, has called for a strategic partnership with patent medicine vendors, with the reinforcement of ethical dispensing practices identifying them as critical agents in the fight against substance abuse.  The call was made by the Commander of Narcotics, Mitchell Ofoyeju, at a one-day anti-drug abuse workshop organised for members of the National Association of Patent and Proprietary Medicine Dealers (NAPPMED), Edo State Chapter. Held on Wednesday at the Indoor Sports Hall, Ogbe Stadium, Benin City, with the theme “Patent Medicine Vendors as Frontline Defenders: Ensuring Safe Medicines, Preventing Drug Abuse”, the workshop aimed to bridge the gap between regulation and community-level healthcare provision. Commander Mitchell, addressing about 2,154 NAPPMED members across Edo South, resource persons, NDLEA officers, and the press, emphasised that the worksho...