Category: Aviation

COVID-19 has been ‘very devastating’ for many African airlines

Correspondents

  A “new baby” was born with the revival of Uganda Airlines, the country’s president announced last year. But now its four new jets sit idle, business suspended indefinitely because of coronavirus-related travel restrictions. Questions are swirling in Africa and elsewhere over the financial wisdom of sustaining prestige carriers that often have a tiny share of an aviation market that sees no recovery in sight, reports The Associated Press. African airlines had been piling on debt long before the pandemic but government bailouts allowed them to limp on for years. Now, as sub-Saharan…

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US bans Chinese passenger airlines in new spat with Beijing

Correspondents

    Washington on Wednesday ordered the suspension of all flights by Chinese airlines into and out of the United States after Beijing failed to allow American carriers to resume services to China. The move adds to a growing friction between the world’s two largest economies amid the coronavirus crisis and in the wake of a two-year trade war that has not been fully resolved, reports France24. The US action takes effect June 16 but could be implemented sooner if President Donald Trumporders it, the Department of Transportation (DOT) said. The suspension applies to seven Chinese civilian…

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NCAA approves five airports for flights as domestic operations resume June 21

Wole Shadare

*Aero MD cautions airlines, says distancing not feasible The Director General, Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Captain Musa Nuhu has said only five airports will be allowed to open for operations on June 21, 2020. This is coming on the heels of the announcement by the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 on the easing of and restart of the second phase of the COVID-19 lockdown and restart of flights on June 21. In a letter to Accountable Managers of all domestic and foreign airlines in the country, dated June 1,…

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Lockdown: Reps ask FG to reopen six airports

Philip Nyam 

The House of Representatives on Tuesday urged the Federal Government to immediately reopen six local airports in the six geo-political zones for the operation of local flights across the country in view of their economic importance to nation’s survival in this era of economic meltdown due to COVID-19. The resolution was consequent upon the adoption of a motion co-sponsored by Hon. Mohammad Tahir Monguni (APC, Borno) and seven of his colleagues. Leading debate on the motion, Monguno noted that government closed its airports to international traffic on March 23 and…

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Boeing to resume production of ill-fated 737 MAX planes  

Correspondents

Boeing has resumed production of the 737 MAX at a “low” rate following two deadly crashes that led to the aircraft’s global grounding by regulators, the company said Wednesday. The jet hasn’t flown commercially since March 2019 and is still a number of key steps away from being cleared for service by the US Federal Aviation Administration and other regulators, reports France24 Boeing said work on the MAX had resumed at the company’s Renton, Washington factory as it implements initiatives to enhance workplace safety and product quality. “We’ve been on a continuous…

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S’African Airways aims to resume domestic flights in mid-June

Correspondents

South African Airways (SAA) aims to resume domestic flights between Johannesburg and Cape Town from mid-June, the cash-strapped airline said on Tuesday, as coronavirus lockdown restrictions ease. SAA, which is under a form of bankruptcy protection, suspended all commercial passenger flights in late March, when the government imposed one of the strictest lockdowns on the African continent, reports Reuters. But President Cyril Ramaphosa said in an address to the nation on Sunday that domestic air travel for business purposes would be phased in after June 1, when the country moves…

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COVID-19: Violent fight breaks out on plane after ‘one passenger touches another’

Correspondents

  A disturbing video shows how an ugly air rage fight broke out on a Russian flight. The punch-up came soon after the aircraft landed in Moscow having flown from the Black Sea resort Sochi. It was triggered when one male passenger got up from his seat and rushed towards the door, reports mirror.co.uk. Witnesses said he crashed into seated passengers on the Ural Airlines Airbus A320, where social distancing measures were in place. “Almost immediately after landing, he jumped up and headed for the exit,” said passenger Marina P.…

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Arik Air prepares for post-COVID-19 operations

Correspondents

Arik Air, one of Nigeria’s indigenous airlines said on Saturday in Abuja that it was preparing to resume operations after the COVID-19 crisis, assuring that the airline would offer better services. The Manager, Public Relations and Communications of the company, Mr Adebanji Ola, announced in a goodwill message to customers of the airline that the company was collaborating with other aviation stakeholders to offer better service delivery. “No doubt, the post COVID-19 lock down will entail lots of sacrifices, changes and new thinking. “We assure that your favourite airline, Arik Air…

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US accuses China of blocking flights, demands action

Correspondents

  The U.S. government late on Friday accused the Chinese government of making it impossible for U.S. airlines to resume service to China and ordered four Chinese air carriers to file flight schedules with the U.S. government. The administration of President Donald Trump stopped short of imposing restrictions on Chinese air carriers but said talks with China had failed to produce an agreement, reports Reuters. The U.S. Transportation Department, which is trying to persuade China to allow the resumption of U.S. passenger airline service there, earlier this week briefly delayed…

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Report: Delta, United to restart China passenger flights in June

Correspondents

  Delta Air Lines and United Airlines are planning to restart passenger flights to China in June, according to a report by Metropolitan Airport News this week. Delta intends to offer daily service to Shanghai Pudong from both its Detroit and Seattle-Tacoma hubs, subject to government approval, said the report. OAG Schedules Analyser data shows flights from Detroit will begin on June 1 using Airbus A350-900 aircraft, with Seattle resuming the same day on board A330-900neo. The network additions mean the SkyTeam alliance member will operate 7,350 two-way weekly seats…

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