Travel News

NEW DELHI (AP) — Personal data of an unspecified number of travelers has been compromised after a company that serves India’s national carrier was hacked, Air India said.

The hackers were able to access 10 years’ worth of data including names, passport and credit card details from the Atlanta-based SITA Passenger Service System, Air India said in a statement Friday.

It disclosed the scale of the breach nearly three months after it was first informed by the IT provider.

The breach that happened in late February had compromised the data of some major global airlines, too. SITA at that time had said that Singapore Airlines, New Zealand Air and Lufthansa were among those affected.

Air India said almost 4.5 million passengers globally were affected in the “highly sophisticated” attack but did not specify how many of them were its travelers. It said no password data was breached during the attack and that the company was investigating.

The company said it recommended in an email to its customers that they should change their account passwords as a precaution.

Air India started as a mail carrier in 1932 before gaining commercial popularity. It has been incurring losses since its 2007 merger with a state-owned domestic carrier, Indian Airlines. The debt-laden carrier is currently in the process of finding new buyers.

The Associated Press

Green Africa has announced its launch route network ahead of entry into service. With plans to commence operations from its Lagos base at the General Aviation Terminal (GAT), Green Africa will launch flight operations to connect seven cities after completing its ongoing Air Operator Certificate (AOC), currently at advanced stages at the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA).

Plans are already underway to establish two more operational bases outside Lagos to stimulate air travel and provide more options to customers.

To facilitate increased economic and trade activities within Nigeria, Green Africa will offer new direct connections from the commercial hub of Lagos (LOS) into Akure, Ilorin, Abuja, Enugu, Owerri and Port Harcourt.

Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Green Africa, Babawande Afolabi, said they are crafting a network plan that will allow more customers to pursue their economic interest or simply spend more time with family and friends.

Patel unveils digital visa to help ‘count people entering and leaving UK’

Priti Patel has unveiled a US-style digital visa system that she claimed would help the government to count numbers of people entering and leaving the UK accurately for the first time.

People coming to the UK without a visa or immigration status would in the future need to apply for an electronic travel authorisation (ETA), the home secretary said, which automatically determines the eligibility of visitors in advance. The Home Office anticipates about 30 million ETA applications each year.

The proposals to “digitise the border” are to be officially launched on Monday as part of Patel’s widely derided plans to change the UK’s asylum and immigration system. Critics have called her plans to deport asylum seekers back to other European countries incoherent and inhumane.

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The digital system is being introduced after recent evidence suggesting that long-held estimates of migration data were significantly wrong.

It was widely accepted that 3 million Europeans lived in the UK and would apply to the government’s EU settlement scheme. By the end of last month, however, more than 5.4 million applications to the scheme had been received, with 4.9 million granted settled status.

Government figures show an estimated 144.7 million passenger arrivals in the year to June 2019, including returning UK residents. About 40 million were from the European economic area and Switzerland; those from elsewhere numbered 20 million.

Patel said: “Our new fully digital border will provide the ability to count people in and out of the country, giving us control over who comes to the UK.”

As well as launching her latest immigration plans, Patel will again stress failings in the asylum system and the need to crack down on people smugglers. On Wednesday she accompanied police as they arrested suspected ringleaders of a people smuggling gang that used minicab and lorry drivers to move migrants in and out of the UK.

However, her asylum reforms have drawn widespread criticism, with the UN among many organisations that believe they are legally unworkable and so damaging they risk Britain’s global credibility.

EU countries have already stated that they will not strike bilateral agreements to facilitate the deportation of refugees from the UK.

The strategy also sets out how the government will make it easier for highly skilled people to come to the UK by simplifying the application process and revamping how people are sponsored by employers.

The Home Office hopes to make entry to the UK fully digital by the end of 2025.

BY  Melissa Cheok, Bloomberg News

(Bloomberg) -- Singapore’s Changi Airport will impose stricter measures at its terminals in a bid to safeguard against further coronavirus transmissions after concluding investigations into an earlier outbreak, Today reported.

The airport will separate staff handling both incoming and outgoing travelers into various zones and will implement stringent movement controls between these areas, Changi Airport Group Singapore Pte. Chief Executive Lee Siow Hiang was cited as saying. The new measures are targeted to be fully in place by June 13, according to the report.

Singapore currently has 32 active virus clusters with the one at Changi Airport being the country’s largest with 108 linked cases as of Sunday, according to the ministry’s data.

Here are more details about the new safety measures, which will apply to about 14,000 workers at the airport’s terminals:

• All arriving passengers will be separated from departing travelers in respective zones.
• Staff working in each zone will be prohibited from mingling with staff in other zones.
• Workers in the highest-risk zone, Zone 1, must wear protective personal equipment at all times.
  • Only fully vaccinated staff will be rostered for duty in the highest risk zone.
• Routine rostered daily testing for staff in the highest-risk zone will be shortened, with one polymerase chain reaction test every seven days and one antigen rapid test every three days.
  • The group will work toward conducting daily non-invasive tests for all airport workers in Zone 1, which yield test results in minutes.

Passengers from “very high-risk countries” will also be escorted to remote gates in Terminal 2 for immigration clearance and transport to their quarantine facilities, without passing through the other terminals, according to the report.

Singapore has been racing to contain a new wave of infections in recent weeks and has pledged to increase testing and surveillance in a bid to ring-fence transmissions. The country preliminarily confirmed 24 new cases of locally transmitted Covid-19 infection as of 12 p.m. on Monday, two of which are untraceable.

By Lawani Mikairu 

Air Peace airline Monday said it will commence flights to Ilorin from Lagos and Abuja. This is as the airline has also increased Accra flight frequency. Spokesperson of the airline, Stanley Olisa, who disclosed this today, said that the airline is set to “kick off daily Abuja-Ilorin-Abuja and Lagos-Ilorin-Lagos flights on June 17, 2021.”

According to Olisa, “the new route further exemplifies the airline’s unwavering determination to interconnect various cities across Nigeria while filling the gaps in Nigeria’s air travel connectivity. The flying public can start booking on our website and mobile app”. READ ALSO: Covid-19: Air Peace pilots, cabin crew, others receive vaccine.

He further said Air Peace will continually reviews its current route network, assess  ” the air travel needs of Nigerians and consequently develops strategic action plans to meet those needs by launching new routes and connections for Nigerians at affordable fares, with its signature hospitality.” Meanwhile, the airline has also announced increase in its Accra flights to two daily “in line with popular demand”. 

Air Peace currently services 16 domestic routes, 5 regional routes and 2 international destinations including Johannesburg, and  has  a mixed fleet of 28 aircraft, including 2 brand new Embraer 195-E2 jets delivered earlier this year, with 11 more lined up for delivery Read more at: https://www.vanguardngr.com/20...

…buy dollar for 500 naira at parallel market

By Lawani Mikairu

Domestic airlines have attributed the current astronomical high airfares being charged to different routes to non-availability of foreign exchange needed for operations. This has compelled the airlines to source forex from the open parallel market. 

According to the airlines, they have been buying dollars from the parallel market at  N500 naira per dollar. 

Vanguard investigation revealed that from N28, 000 hitherto charged for one hour flight, the average cost of one hour ticket has now risen to N60, 000 for one way ticket and could rise as high as N120, 000 if a passenger buys ticket on the day he is travelling. 

The airlines are also saying that there are clear ” indications that the fares would continue to soar, unless the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) provides  us forex or creates special window for aviation.” Speaking about the high airfares, the Chief Operating Officer of Air Peace airline , that currently control more than the 50% of the domestic market,  Mrs. Toyin Olajide, said that airfares are high because of forex.

She also revealed that airlines currently buy dollars from the parallel market to source spares, which they use to maintain their aircraft. According to Mrs Olajide ,“Airfares are high because of forex. We buy dollars from the parallel market because we cannot source from the CBN. 

When you look at the prices of tickets, they don’t reflect the actual cost of operation; if they do they will be higher than what we sell tickets now, but competition has kept the fares relatively low.” ” 

We need dollars for most of the things we do in aviation. We buy spares in dollars and we source dollar at N500 per dollar. Just imagine the cost if you want to import aircraft engine.

So the high cost of fares is because of forex,” she  emphasised. She further revealed  that currently there is limited capacity because airlines are operating less number of aircraft in their fleet, disclosing that Air Peace has most of its aircraft overseas where they were ferried for maintenance but they got stuck because of COVID-19 pandemic lockdown as maintenance facilities overseas are engaging in skeletal operations . “Our aircraft that were ferried for maintenance overseas have not returned due to the lockdown. The maintenance facilities cannot meet delivery time.

Few people are allowed to work on the aircraft and because of the lockdown so many things are not working the way they should.” ” For example, we have some of the aircraft in Israel, if you order spares from another country it takes time before it will be delivered because Immigration services may not be working in some countries, some companies may not even be operating optimally. So these are some of the challenges that we have”. “We have 21 airplanes that are under maintenance or due for maintenance but we have not got slot for those due for maintenance in facilities overseas. 

They have to push out the ones that have completed their checks before they will take in more. So the aircraft have to queue and wait,” Olajide said. She ,however ,said that the good news was that the brand new Air Peace aircraft, Embraer E195-E2 would soon start operation, as NCAA is about to complete its certification on them. 

Also speaking on the high cost of airfares, the former CEO of Aero Contractors, Captain Ado Sanusi said that  ” high demand triggered the increase in airfares and capacity is not growing. ” Dollar is getting scarcer every day; so airlines go to the market where they can buy the dollars at any amount in Naira”. “Also there is no capacity. For example, Azman Air that was grounded by NCAA has three aircraft. 

That number is off from the system until they resume operations. Airlines are also taking advantage of the demand because I cannot understand why economy ticket was selling for N74, 000 from Abuja to Kano, one way, which is less than one hour flight. 

There is a lot of demand for air travel because of security challenges on the roads; airlines are taking advantage of that,” Sanusi said. Corroborating what other airlines CEO are saying, the  Managing Director of Aero Contractors, Captain Mahmoud Abdullahi, said that high fares are caused by scarcity of foreign exchange so airlines are finding it difficult to access dollars ; so they buy from the parallel market.

Captain Abdullahi said , “Airlines are finding it difficult to source dollars, so they are buying it from bureau de change. If we are getting it from CBN it will be better. Then there is this issue with aviation fuel, which prices change everyday. It keeps on going up”. ” For airlines, everything is dominated in dollars. CBN should give airlines special window to access forex. The fares are increasing but there is a limit to what the passengers can afford,” he added.

Read more at: https://www.vanguardngr.com/20...

BY  Ania Nussbaum, Bloomberg News

A ferry leaves the Port of Dover Ltd. in Dover, U.K., on Thursday, Dec. 31, 2020. On the day the U.K. makes its final break with the European Union, the ports are clear of truck backups, goods are moving smoothly and grocery-store shelves are well stocked. Photographer: Chris Ratcliffe/Bloomberg , Bloomberg

(Bloomberg) -- France will likely decide on Wednesday whether additional restrictions are needed at its border with the U.K. to fend off a coronavirus variant first identified in India.

The U.K. is trying to make a case to France that extra curbs aren’t necessary, citing the large share of its vaccinated population, a person familiar with the discussions said. About 70% of adults in Britain have received at least one vaccine dose, and 40% both doses, but a new and potentially more contagious strain of coronavirus is spreading fast.

Tougher restrictions on U.K. arrivals, such as mandatory quarantine or the need to justify travel, could affect the already-struggling operations of the Eurostar International Ltd. high-speed rail service, which shareholders including France have rescued, as well as airlines.

France continues to strongly recommend against international travel. Currently, people traveling from the U.K. to France don’t need to justify the reason for their trip, but must show a negative PCR test and commit to self-isolate for a week, even if they’ve been vaccinated.

On Sunday, French Foreign Affairs Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian told RTL radio that the country was considering stricter measures for passengers arriving from the U.K. because of the variant. Germany also said last week it would impose a two-week quarantine on such travelers, even if they test negative for Covid.

Germany Imposes U.K. Travel Curbs Due to Variant From India

Spokespeople for the French ministry of foreign affairs didn’t return multiple requests for comment. A spokesperson for the U.K. government didn’t immediately respond to calls seeking comment.

France aims to re-open international air travel to some countries by mid-June, in coordination with the European Union. The bloc, which closed external borders in March for non-essential travel, will establish a “green list” of countries whose citizens will be allowed to move around the bloc by June 9, Le Drian has said.

By Wole Oyemade

•Stakeholder faults 60-day suspension order

The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has apprehended some private jet operators for sanction, following their incursion into commercial operations without the mandatory licences.

Indeed, the operators are said to be in clear violation of Part 18.2.3.1 of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Regulations 2015.

It stated: “Air Transport License (ATL) holders and Airline Operating Permit (AOP) holders with valid Air Operators Certificate (AOC) are the only ones authorised to carry out charter operations in the country as no person shall use aircraft in Nigeria for hire and reward without the above requirements.”

Illegal activities of some private jet operators in commercial charter services have been a dominant complaint lately.

The Director-General of the NCAA, Capt. Musa Nuhu, at a virtual session with the African Business Aviation Association (AfBAA), confirmed the illegal practices, saying few operators had been apprehended.

Nuhu noted that one of the unnamed culprits faces a 60-day suspension, with additional sanctions, if found guilty in the ongoing investigation.

He said though regulating “the black market” was tough, the NCAA has not relented in carrying out due investigations and issuing sanctions.

He added that the new Civil Aviation Act, currently at the National Assembly, would fully address the problem, including getting private aircraft registered in Nigeria.

Business aircraft in the country are about 100, out of which 72 are still not registered in Nigeria, in violation of the extant rules.

Nuhu said: “These private operators are required to file monthly reports on the number of flights conducted and with passenger manifest for us to look and determine if they are on illegal charter operations.

“We are actually dealing with one of the Permits for Non-Commercial Flight (PNCF). The enforcement team has recommended 60 days suspension of its certificate in addition to a fine. So, they have a period of 30 days for which to get back to us or protest or bring evidence that we require of them.”

Chairman of West Link Airlines, Capt. Ibrahim Mshelia, commended the NCAA for uncovering illegal operators, urging the apex regulator to do more to sanitise the system.

Mshelia observed that some of the illegal operators are “well connected”, but the full autonomy of the NCAA would further empower and embolden it to carry out major reforms to check malpractices.

He affirmed that the current NCAA DG, given his international experience and exposure, was ready and willing to carry out the needed reforms in the sector, but all hands must be on deck to make this work.

Mshelia, however, frowned at the 60 days suspension of the culprit and planned seizure of its PNCF, saying the punishment was too little to guarantee deterrence.

He suggested that the regulatory agency should hand over the culprit to the security agencies for proper prosecution, insisting that such action was an economic crime against the State.

Mshelia also advised that instead of engaging in illegal charter services, some of the private jet operators should change their licences to commercial, airlift clients legally, create more jobs for teeming professionals and pay the appropriate levies and taxes to the government.

He said: “NCAA, in what they are doing at the moment, needs our help. So many of us know the truth and we can help the NCAA. We have a system that is hopeless, but you cannot say the truth in public, otherwise, you are called a radical.

“The real truth is that there are powerful people behind all these illegal actions. If they are not, it would have been easy to flush them out. They want to live big. Some of these people are in a position to stop this in a minute, but they are involved in it. If we dig deeper, we will find them out,” Mshelia said.

BY  Juliana Ajayi

 Green Africa Airways Limited has announced the launch of its website and low discounted ticket sales.

The airline recently announced the unveiling of its new route networks, and the arrival of two aircraft, ATR72-600s with the third one expected soon.

According to the statement issued by the airline on Tuesday, the Lagos based airline has commenced flight ticket sales for as low as N16,500.

Flight bookings are available on greenafrica.com with flight dates starting from June 24, 2021, the company said.

The statement said the website was open to the public for ticket purchase activities following the pre-sales approval of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority.

According to the airline, three products are available – gSaver, gClassicTM and gFlexTM.

The products are designed to give customers the flexibility of purchasing the product that suits their travel plans.

Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Babawande Afolabi, said “Today is a great day for every member of the gTeam and we are thrilled that our customers can now book their trips with us.

“We are building a value carrier that connects customers to their opportunities and be a catalyst for positive change across the region.”

According to the airline, the progressive ‘gFlyer special offer’ which allows 10 per cent off ticket prices will last till 11:59pm West African Time on June 23.

It said corporate package known as ‘gBusiness,’ was planned for roll out within the coming weeks to cater to small and medium scale enterprises and corporate travels.

Cities to be served include Lagos, Akure, Ilorin, Abuja, Owerri, Port Harcourt and Enugu.

By Oghenevwede Ohwovoriole

The Executive Vice Chairman of the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI), Prof. Maiwalima Haruna has disclosed that the dream of President Muhammadu Buhari to launch made-in- Nigeria helicopter before the end of his tenure is gradually coming to fulfillment as the project has entered an assessment stage by the aviation authorities.

Haruna disclosed this when officers from the Ministry of Aviation and its agencies visited the NASENI Solar Energy Limited where the NASENI Helicopter Hangar and in Abuja for on-site assessment and evaluation of the NASENI Helicopter.

The NASENI chief executive, who was represented by Dr. Mahmoud Jaffaru in his opening remarks said that the agency was ready to accept any suggestions and support from the aviation ministry that would lead to the successful completion of the project within the time frame given to the agency by the president.

He noted that it was the desire of the Agency to manufacture made-in- Nigeria Helicopter that is of international standards and help in boosting the nation’s economy.

According to him, NASENI has massive land mass that would accommodate all the operational activities.

“ We have expertise for developing the helicopter and we do things according to laid-down rules. We are ready to work with you to achieve this project “.

In his presentation, the Deputy Director Engineering Infrastructure, Emmanuel Ajani said that NASENI entered into collaboration with Dynali Helicopter Company, Thins Belgium to develop made in Nigeria helicopter and has trained its engineers for the take off of the project in Nigeria.

According to him, the president approved the project on January 26, 2021 and directed NASENI to complete the production of made-in- Nigeria Helicopter before the end of his tenure.

“NASENI engineers and technicians have been trained on helicopter assembly, maintenance and repair at Dynali. More engineers will be sent for training including pilots.

“We are also taking the issue of licencing serious. We are aware that the permit for non-commercial flight must be done before we continue with the process of manufacturing.

“ Our plan is to get the permit before we start. That is why you are here today for the assessment and evaluation of the NASENI Heliport and we pray for your timely consideration and approval of the process,” he said.