Airport Reporters

  FAAN MD Reaffirms Commitment to Emergency Preparedness, Seeks  Stronger Collaboration with LASEMA The Managing Director of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Mrs. Olubunmi Kuku, has reaffirmed the Authority’s commitment to strengthening its collaboration with the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA) in the areas of emergency preparedness, disaster management and coordinated response operations. Mrs. Kuku gave the assurance during a courtesy visit by the Permanent Secretary/Chief Executive Officer of LASEMA, Dr. Olufemi Damilola Oke-Osanyintolu, to the FAAN Headquarters in Lagos. The FAAN MD commended LASEMA for its continued support and cooperation during emergency situations at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, noting that the relationship between both agencies has played a key role in improving emergency response coordination and incident management in Lagos State. She described the partnership between FAAN and LASEMA as strategic, espe...

  NCAA adopts digital platform for technical personnel  applications The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) is migrating from paper applications for technical personnel to a digital platform. The platform would cover technical certification processes such as aircraft registration, airworthiness certification, aircraft maintenance programme approvals, export and import certification of airworthiness, supplemental type certificates and monitoring of airworthiness directives. Speaking yesterday at the unveiling of Modern Personnel Licensing and Certification (MPLC) NCAA Digital Transformation Initiative PEL/MED Stakeholder Engagement, held at the Murtala Muhammed Airport (MMA), Lagos, its Director-General Civil Aviation (DGCA), Chris Najomo, said the new regime would become  effective  July 2, 2026. According to him, the digital platform would further reduce the timeline to 90 days. The NCAA boss stated that the digital transformation initiative would ...

  ValueJets Airlines  expands connectivity with new routes ValueJets  Airlines has announced the launch of two new routes as part of its continued commitment to expanding connectivity, enhancing passenger convenience, and strengthening regional integration across West Africa. According to a statement by the airline,  the new service will begin May 18, 2026,  with daily flights between Owerri and Abuja, creating a direct and efficient link between the South-East region and Nigeria’s Federal Capital Territory.  The route, the airline said  is expected to serve the growing travel needs of business professionals, government officials, families, students, and leisure travelers who require dependable and comfortable air transport between both cities. The introduction of the daily Owerri–Abuja service, the statement added will further reinforces ValueJet’s growing domestic network and its dedication to improving accessibility within Nigeria throu...

 No Passenger Was Abandoned In London by Air Peace, NCAA Boss Insists ......Condemns Demarketing of Nigerian Airline The Director-General of the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Capt. Chris Najomo, has strongly defended Air Peace against allegations that the airline abandoned passengers in London without accommodation following a flight disruption caused by a bird strike. Speaking to journalists in Lagos, the NCAA boss dismissed viral claims that passengers were “stranded” in the United Kingdom, insisting that the airline acted responsibly and in full compliance with aviation safety protocols. According to him, all affected passengers were promptly accommodated at the Hilton Hotel near Gatwick Airport after the operating aircraft suffered a bird strike that was discovered during post-landing inspection procedures. “There was no case of abandonment,” the DG said emphatically. “The passengers were taken care of. In fact, my wife was on that flight and they were all accommodat...

 Why Darkening efforts against Air Peace will fail By Dan Onwukwe Always setting its mind on higher things, last Friday, May 8, Air Peace, Nigeria’s leading indigenous  and largest carrier in West Africa, had a cherished passenger aboard its flagship international service – Boeing 777-200ER – from Lagos to London Gatwick. Make no mistake, the high-profile passenger was former President and elder statesman Chief Olusegun Obasanjo. He was warmly received at the airline’s Premium Lounge at Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos by the airline’s CEO, Chairman, Chief Allen Onyema. The occasion wasn’t just a great privilege to host and fly Nigeria’s former President to the United Kingdom.                         It was much more than that. As Chief Onyema puts it, it demonstrates Air Peace’s unflappable commitment to “delivering safe, reliable, and world-class air travel experiences while connecting people acros...

 Peter Obi Praises Air Peace London Experience ... Commends Complimentary SIMPLAA Ride Service Former Anambra State Governor and presidential candidate, Mr. Peter Obi, has applauded Air Peace for delivering what he described as a seamless and impressive travel experience on its London route.  Speaking upon arriving in London aboard Air Peace, Obi commended the airline’s service delivery and encouraged Nigerians to support the indigenous carrier. “Since the inception of Air Peace’s London flights, each one of these experiences with Air Peace have been very smooth and very exciting, and I believe that we should all patronize Air Peace,” he said. Obi also highlighted the airline’s complimentary drop-off ride service in partnership with SIMPLAA, noting that the added convenience further enhanced the travel experience. “The whole experience of having even the complimentary drop-off ride makes it even more fascinating,” he added. The complimentary ride service, introduced as part of...

 Soaring jet fuel price threatens flight connectivity , economic activities  …Airlines rework business model  Soaring aviation fuel  price is  creating unease in the air transport ecosystem forcing local carriers  to cut flights frequencies and routes they fly into in order to remain in business. The spike in the price of jet fuel is putting pressure in the cost component of airline operations as airlines now spend more money, almost tripping the value it took three months ago to keep airplanes in skies. The development  is raising fresh  concerns about the sustainability of air transport services. Aviation fuel prices  surged from approximately N900 per litre in late February to over N3,000 per litre by April, according to the Airline Operators of Nigeria. Nigerian airlines had threatened a nationwide operational shutdown from April 20, 2026, citing unsustainable fuel expenses. To assuage the operators, President Bola Tinubu approved a 30 pe...

  Enhancing stiffer sanctions for unruly passengers' behaviour at airports  Rising demand for air travel across the globe is fueled by time saving , comfort, protocol - driven safety ,standards, processes , procedures as well as other  characteristics differentiating  this  transportation mode  from road , water , rail and pipeline.  But, this lure  is now threatened by  growing incidence of unruly behaviour of passengers , triggering unease  among regulators, operators ,  security personnel and others professionals overseeing safety  jurisdictions at airports. Enforcing sanctions such  as higher fines, flight bans  in the broader implementation of the full weight of relevant laws , experts say  could turn the curve, writes,  KELVIN OSA - OKUNBOR  The desire to cover long distances , measured in thousands of kilometres  in shorter time ,  leveraging speed , comfort and safety is pulling more p...

NAAPE cautions on implications of aviation fuel shortage ....Says development put passenger safety at risk, as crew fatigue mounts  Fresh concerns have emerged over the growing impact of Nigeria’s Jet A1 aviation fuel shortages, with the National Association of Aircraft Pilots and Engineers, NAAPE, warning that prolonged supply disruptions now pose serious risks to flight safety, airline sustainability, and workforce stability across the country’s aviation industry. The union, which represents licensed pilots and aeronautical engineers, said the persistent scarcity of aviation fuel has triggered widespread operational disruptions, including flight delays, extended crew duty periods, and route adjustments by airlines already struggling with rising operating costs. The development comes at a difficult period for Nigeria’s aviation sector, where airlines continue to contend with foreign exchange volatility, high maintenance costs, airport infrastructure challenges, and fluctuating fue...

 Delta Grounds Lagos Flight, Passengers Stranded — But Where Is the Social Media Fury? By Fred Chukwuelobe Passengers scheduled to travel aboard Delta Airlines flight DL055 from Lagos to Atlanta were left stranded at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, after the American carrier abruptly cancelled the flight scheduled to depart at 11:45 a.m. According to information gathered from some of the affected passengers, the airline attributed the cancellation to a technical issue involving the operating aircraft in Atlanta, United States. In aviation, such situations are not unusual. Airlines across the world routinely delay or cancel flights whenever there are concerns about the airworthiness or safety of an aircraft. Safety, after all, remains the cornerstone of global aviation practice. No responsible airline is expected to operate equipment considered unsafe for passengers, crew, or cargo. However, beyond safety, there is another critical obligation airlines owe passenge...

  Air Peace and the dangerous culture of social media demarketing By Fred Chukwuelobe In recent weeks, social media has been awash with videos attacking Air Peace, Nigeria’s foremost indigenous airline. Some of the videos openly call on Nigerians to boycott the airline, while others portray the carrier as incompetent, insensitive, or incapable of managing its operations. Curiously, however, many of these viral videos tell only one side of the story. A closer look reveals that some of the clips currently making the rounds are not even recent incidents. They are old videos recycled and repackaged to create the impression of an airline perpetually in crisis.  Others involve high-profile personalities such as reality TV star Tacha and Nollywood actress Funke Akindele, whose public frustrations naturally attract widespread attention and emotional reactions online. But beneath the outrage and sensational headlines lies a deeper question Nigerians must ask themselves: are we being fa...

  Obasanjo boosts Air Peace with London flight  Former Nigerian President ,Chief Olusegun Obasanjo on Friday validated Air Peace's status as a leading global brand in the transport ecosystem by flying  the airline's Boeing 777-200ER from Lagos to London Gatwick on Friday, May 8, 2026. The presence of the former president on board the airline was yet  another confirmation of high-profile nod to Nigeria’s top homegrown airline. At Murtala Muhammed International Airport’s Air Peace Premium Lounge, Chairman and CEO Chief Allen Onyema, gave the elder statesman a warm welcome. Chief Onyema described  it as a  profound honor to host and transport Nigeria’s former leader on the airline’s premier UK route.  He reaffirmed Air Peace’s dedication to safe, dependable, and top-tier travel that links people, cultures, and destinations from Nigeria to the world. Chief Onyema later personally accompanied President Obasanjo to the aircraft before departure for London Ga...