Travel News

The domestic wing of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos, known as the General Aviation Terminal One (GAT) recorded over five million passengers between July and December, 2020.

This was disclosed by the Terminal Manager, Mr. Adekunle Aderibigbe, who said passenger traffic was low during the period, but picked up during the Yuletide celebrations despite the effects of the pandemic.

He added that the airlines were up to their game in deploying more aircraft to handle the passenger upsurge.

Aderibigbe explained that safety, security and comfort of passengers remained the priority of FAAN, especially in compliance with the COVID-19 protocols. He, however, stated that the major challenge faced by the airport staff was dealing with travellers who refuse to comply with the protocols, saying despite the evidence of deaths caused by coronavirus, some people still believe the virus can’t kill Nigerians.

He added that a team had been constituted to enforce compliance to ensure that passengers abide by the COVID-19 protocol at the terminal.

Aderibigbe said the airport had been cleared of unwanted visitors especially to avoid bottlenecks on the access roads, stressing that arriving passengers board their vehicles at the terminal car park.

He also applauded airlines for their insistence on passengers buying their tickets online, adding that this had led to a reduction in touting in the terminal, a development he said was welcomed.

The Lagos State Government has said that it would close the Apapa Dock Road temporarily for level cross construction of the Nigerian Railway Modernisation Project of Lagos-Ibadan. 

The Commissioner for Transportation, Dr Frederic Oladeinde, made this known in a statement on Friday, saying that the closure would commence between 5:00 pm to 5:00 am on Sunday, Jan. 17 and Jan. 24. 

Oladeinde explained that the tracks of the standard and narrow gauge would be laid during the temporary closure, adding that this would allow the contractors to work without any interruptions to meet set deadlines. 

“Motorists heading towards Naval Dock Yard from Ajegunle are advised to go through Marine Bridge to link Ijora Bridge and descend to Under Bridge at Ijora 7up, to connect Forte oil/Conoil Depot to access the Western Naval Gate.

“Those coming from Ijora Olopa are to link Ijora Oloye through Under Bridge (7up). “Traffic heading to the Naval Dock Yard from Ijora Badiya would be directed to ascend Total Bridge, make a u-turn under the bridge and reconnect the bridge again to descend Under Bridge (Ijora 7up) and access the Western Naval Gate. 

“Other Motorists coming from Iganmu are advised to link the Naval Dock Yard from Under Bridge (7up) as well. “Also motorists whose movement would be disrupted by the closure have been advised to utilise the provided alternatives,”. 

Oladeinde said. He urged motorists to follow the directives of the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority personnel to minimise inconveniences along the corridors. Oladeinde said the state government had appealed to the motoring public to cooperate and embrace the measures put in place to ensure ease of movement, which would benefit the nation’s economy in the long run.

(NAN)

All travel corridors will close from Monday, meaning everyone arriving in the UK will have to self-isolate.

The tighter border restrictions announced by Boris Johnson are aimed at protecting the progress made with the rollout of vaccines in the face of new coronavirus variants being found around the world.

Everyone will also need to have proof of a negative COVID-19 test, as was previously announced.

Mr Johnson told the Downing Street news briefing: "It's precisely because we have the hope of that vaccine and the risk of new strains coming from overseas that we must take additional steps now to stop those strains from entering the country.

"Yesterday we announced that we're banning flights from South America and Portugal and to protect us against the risk from as-yet-unidentified strains we will also temporarily close all travel corridors from 4am on Monday.

"Following conversations with the devolved administrations we will act together so this applies across the whole of the UK."

BY  Joseph Olaoluwa

A passenger with disability, Dr Chike Okogwu, has sued Dana Air for alleged unlawful infringement of his fundamental human rights on December 20, 2020.

In a letter by the passenger’s solicitor, Wahab Egbewole & Co. dated January 11th, 2021, he sought N1bn damages for alleged unprofessional conduct of the airline that allegedly worsened Okogwu’s underlying health conditions.

The letter addressed to the airline’s managing director titled ‘Discriminatory and unprofessional conduct of Dana airlines against Dr Chike Churchill Okogwu’ outlined how the passenger’s flight was rescheduled on the morning of his flight to 9:15pm.

It read in part, “We are reliably informed by our client that on December 17, 2020,  he booked two business class tickets for his carer and himself for a flight from Abuja to Lagos scheduled for Sunday, December 20, 2020. However, in the morning of the scheduled flight, he received an email from Dana Air notifying him of a rescheduling of the flight to 9:15 pm on the same day.”

The solicitor explained that while his client arrived the airport by 7pm in anticipation of the flight, he was informed by a Dana staff that he could not travel after being earlier issued a boarding pass.

The staff allegedly added that a policy forbade the carrying the passenger in a wheelchair at night.

The letter stated that Okogwu did not plan for a night flight and that it was forced on him by Dana. It also added that it was not communicated to him before he was issued a boarding pass, noting that the policy was discriminatory. This forced the passenger to reach out to the duty manager. However, it was a futile effort.

The letter read, “Though, the duty manager asked our client to return the next day by 7pm in a very rude manner, she failed to give further assurance whether this would not happen again, and the demand by our client to be accommodated for the night in a hotel in line with Nigerian Civil Aviation Authorities regulations was bluntly turned down.

“Our client views the conduct of the duty manager as not only unprofessional, unconscionable but also a violation of his rights to freedom.”

When contacted, the spokesman for Dana, Mr Kingsley Ezenwa, promised to revert to our correspondent. At the time of filing this report, he was yet to respond to revert as promised.

However, in a press statement by the airline in December, the airline described the passenger’s conduct as violent, noting that he hurt the airline’s staff and destroyed their booking system in Abuja.

It also warned the passenger to be civil in his engagements as the airline would not tolerate any act of violence against any staff.

Including U.S. citizens returning to the country. 

BY MEREDITH CAREY

Ten months into the coronavirus pandemic, the U.S. will begin requiring all international travelers—including returning U.S. citizens—to show proof of a negative COVID-19 test in order to a board a flight to the country. The move will go into effect on January 26, according to a new order from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 

Travelers coming into the U.S. from international destinations will now need to get a viral test within three days of departure and share their negative results with their airline before a flight (antibody tests are not accepted). The CDC says that documentation showing that you've recovered from COVID-19 will also suffice for those who continue to test positive after recovery. Airlines will be in charge of verifying this documentation, and if you decide not to test or provide your results, “the airline must deny boarding,” according the the CDC.

The CDC also recommends getting tested again three to five days after arriving in the U.S. and quarantining at home for seven days post-travel.

“Testing does not eliminate all risk, but when combined with a period of staying at home and everyday precautions like wearing masks and social distancing, it can make travel safer, healthier, and more responsible by reducing spread on planes, in airports, and at destinations," said CDC director Dr. Robert R. Redfield in the announcement. 

First reported by the Wall Street Journal, the CDC's announcement on universal testing for travelers entering the U.S. expands the recent U.K.-specific passenger testing that was announced in late December in an effort to slow the spread of a more contagious variant of the virus. (The new strain has since been found in at least six states in the U.S.) Non-U.S. citizens and non-permanent residents coming from Europe, the U.K., and China will still be barred from entry, with or without a negative test. 

Earlier this month, Airlines for America, which represents all major U.S. airlines, urged the U.S. government to institute “a global program to require testing for travelers to the United States,” in lieu of the current travel restrictions for international travelers, Reuters reported. "We believe a well-planned program focused on increasing testing of travelers to the United States will further these objectives in a much more effective way than the blanket travel restrictions currently in place," Airlines for America stated in its letter.

This testing protocol has already been implemented by a few U.S. states for domestic travel, allowing for shortened quarantine times with a negative result ahead of flight. Hawaii requires negative COVID-19 results from a test taken with 72 hours of departure by an approved testing partner, and some islands require additional testing on arrival, while travelers to Alaska must arrive with proof of a negative COVID-19 test taken within 72 hours of departure. New York now requires travelers to test within three days of departing for New York and quarantine for three days upon arrival before taking a second test. The CDC's announcement makes this the first country-wide testing policy for international travelers in the U.S. 

KEY POINTS

• Prime Minister Boris Johnson made the announcement during a news conference when he praised the country’s vaccination program.
• But he also warned: “What we don’t want to see is all that hard work undone by the arrival of a new variant that is vaccine busting.”

Britain’s Prime Minister Boris Johnson speaks during a press conference in 10 Downing Street. (Photo by Alberto Pezzali-Pool/Getty Images) WPA Pool | Getty Images News | Getty Images

Britain is tightening border controls to prevent new strains of Covid-19 coming into the country, suspending all the ‘travel corridor’ arrangements that had meant arrivals from some countries did not need to quarantine.

The change comes into force at 0400 GMT on Monday and means all passengers must have a recent negative coronavirus test and transfer immediately into isolation upon arrival. The isolation period lasts for 10 days, unless the passenger tests negative after five days.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson made the announcement during a news conference when he praised the country’s vaccination program, but he also warned: “What we don’t want to see is all that hard work undone by the arrival of a new variant that is vaccine busting.”

On Thursday, Britain banned arrivals from South America, Portugal and some other countries over fears about a strain of the virus detected in Brazil.

Britain has already felt the effects of mutations in the virus first hand. A strain first discovered in England has proved to be more transmissible and a major factor behind a spike in cases across the country.

Passengers of Azman Air on Friday evening unleashed anger on officials of the Kano based airline over flight cancellation at Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport, leaving a female staff collapsed and others with injuries.

Confusion ensued at the departure lodge of the domestic wing when the airline announced cancellation of two flight scheduled to depart for Lagos and Abuja.

The enraged by sad announcement, the passengers who could not hide their disappointment faced off against the officials of the airline, leaving bloody mouths and swollen faces on both sides.

It took the timely intervention of the airport security to calm the charged atmosphere.

The Guardian learnt the collapsed female staff was later resucitated sooner after she received first aid treatment.

One of the passengers, who was supposed to depart for Abuja confirmed the development to The Guardian on telephone, lamented disappointment over the cancelled flight.

Abubakar, said the cancelled flight was initially scheduled for 6 am Friday to depart Kano-Abuja before it was shifted to 6pm, only to be rescheduled for Saturday morning without prior notice.

Another passenger, who do not want his name mentioned also revealed that Kano-Lagos flight was also shifted from Thursday evening to Friday morning and later rescheduled for Friday evening before the final cancellation.

The passengers are worried the Saturday rescheduled may not be realistic due to restriction of movement imposed by Kano state government due to local government election.

The police had announced restriction of human and vehicular moment between Friday 12 midnight and Saturday 6pm due to the council poll.

” It was really unfortunate that Azman will treat passengers with disdain,” the passenger said. Our flight was shifted from Thursday to Friday morning and later to Friday evening and now they just cancelled the flight and rescheduled for tomorrow. This is absolute nonsense and it will not be accepted.”

Efforts to speak with officers of Azman air was not successful as the airport manager, Rabiu Zarina, was not reachable to respond.

But a reliable source who wanted his name not mentioned because he was not authorized to speak attributed the cancellation to technical fault.

“The situation is beyond our control,” the Azman Air official said.

“The flight that was scheduled to flight from Abuja to Kano, Kano to Abuja and then to Lagos developed technical fault. The management are already aware and they are working on resolving the matter.”

An official assures of speedy completion of all ongoing works in Lagos and the rest of the South-west.

Funsho Adebiyi, Nigeria’s Coordinating Director, Highway Construction and Rehabilitation has said that the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway will be completed and totally opened to traffic in December.

Mr Adebiyi, who spoke against the backdrop of an inspection tour of the ongoing Lagos-Ibadan Expressway rehabilitation and reconstruction project, said the dual carriageway would be completed, but the bridges would be completed in April 2022.

He reaffirmed the completion figures earlier presented by Adedamola Kuti, the Director, Federal Highways, South-west who said that by December the entire carriageway would be completed.

Mr Kuti said that the project had reached 49.6 per cent completion on the first section being handled by Julius Berger and 56.8 per cent on the section handled by RCC.

He said that 32 out of 43.6 kilometres of work had been completed and section two which is 84 kilometres has more than 50 kilometres completed on both carriageways.

“This corridor of the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway apart from all the fly overs by the time we are coming to December this year, I think there will be substantial progress .

“Section one is 49.6 per cent completed, section two is 56.8 per cent, so, we are making progress,” he said.

He assured speedy completion of all ongoing works in Lagos and the rest of the South-west.

Shedding more light, Mr Adebiyi said that the entire dual carriageway would be completed and opened to traffic while work continues on the bridges.

“Our plan is that by the end of this year, the entire stretch of the road will be available, the pavement, carriageway will be completed but you have the interchanges before the end of April next year,” he said.

He said discussions were on with the Oyo State Government on Right of Way recovery for reconstruction works to continue around the toll gate area.

While inspecting section two of the highway being constructed by RCC, he said that a thickness of 300mm materials were compressed on various layer to make the road strong and durable.

He said 55km of work was completed on the Ibadan bound lane and 44 km on the Lagos bound carriageway.

He said measures were on to ensure that the number of houses to be demolished on the alignment on of the section one, adding that, enumeration of properties on the Right of Way were on to pay compensations.

“Compensation issues are sensitive matters, I am extremely careful in talking about it, but no structure can be demolished except we have evaluated correctly the contents of that structure.

”Again, we confirm the ownership, and we have estate surveyors who have been appointed to go round these houses, evaluate them and report back to us,” he said.

Mr Adebiyi who was accompanied on the trip by the controllers of Lagos, Oyo and Ogun states on the trip listed various alternative fundings to fast track the highway linking the nation’s port.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the reconstruction/rehabilitation of the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway was flagged-off in 2013 and was awarded to two firms.

Julius Berger is constructing section one which stretches from Ojota in Lagos to Sagamu Interchange, while RCC is working from the Sagamu Interchange to Ibadan.

(NAN)

More than 8,000 passengers on the Abuja-Kaduna train route have accessed the Nigeria Railway Corporation (NRC) e-ticketing platform three days after its test running.

A statement by Taiye Elebiyo-Edeni, Media Assistant to Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, said the Federal Government on Wednesday announced the commencement of the test run. 

She said that e-ticketing on the route would also officially begin on Jan. 20. READ ALSO: Bandits kill ward head, 80-year-old woman, others in Kaduna Elebiyo-Edeni said that on the first day of the test booking, 1,174 passengers used the p

latform to purchase tickets, on Thursday 3,479 passengers access the platform while on Friday, Jan. 15,  3,398 passengers accessed the platform. She disclosed that Amaechi, who announced the e-ticketing, stated that the government would fully inaugurate the service this week.

The train service which was inaugurated for commercial operations in 2016 had faced the challenge of racketeering which had led to the extortion of passengers. Elebiyo-Edeni said the minister initiated the e-ticketing platform in order to resolve the challenges and eradicate touts at the train stations.

She added that purchasing tickets at the train stations are still in place to enable those who cannot access it online to purchase tickets over the counter.

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

U.S. President-elect, Joe Biden has said his administration will roll back enforcement of a variety of executive orders ratified by his predecessor, Donald Trump when he takes over the office on January 20.

President Trump had in the early days of his administration barred immigrants from Chad, Iran, Libya, North Korea, Somalia, Syria, Venezuela, and Yemen – most of which are majority Muslim.

Citing security concerns, Trump also included Nigeria, Eritrea, Kyrgyzstan, Myanmar, Sudan and Tanzania to the list early 2020.

However, a statement by the incoming White House chief of staff, Ron Klain on Saturday said that among dozens of regulations to be reversed by the President in his first day at the Oval Office include the travel ban placed in Nigeria and other countries which are most Muslim countries, CNN reports.

“President-elect Biden will take action not just to reverse the gravest damages of the Trump administration but also to start moving our country forward,” the statement said.

Recall that the embattled outgoing President of the United States had disclosed that he will not be attending the inauguration of president-elect, Joe Biden.

Mr Trump who has also refused to concede the 2020 election, is currently facing impeachment following the invasion of the Capitol Hill by some of his supporters.

Also, this will be the first time an outgoing President will be absent during an inauguration ceremony of his successor.