Travel News

The Federal Government has said seven local airlines received a N2.84bn COVID-19 stimulus package.

It said the target of N2.3tn estimated to be spent under the Economic Sustainability Plan had not been achieved.

According to a statement issued in Abuja on Monday, the Federal Government appropriation part of that total, being N500bn, had been released completely by the end of May.

The Federal Government said the funds released had made attaining several objectives of the plan possible.

Speaking on the allocation of funds to the aviation sector, the Minister of State for Budget and Planning said N5bn had been released to support local airlines, ground handlers and other aviation allied businesses.

He said, “Seven scheduled operators, comprising Dana, Overland, Air Peace, Azman, Aero, Arik, and Max Air, received N2.84bn.

“20 non-scheduled operators, comprising cargo and private jet services received N949,909,000; five ground handling operators, including the Nigerian Aviation Handling Company of Nigeria Plc, Skyway Aviation Handling Company Plc, Presion Aviation, Batuke Resources Ltd and Swissport Intl Ltd, received N233,333,000; the National Association of Nigerian Travel Agencies received N196m.

“Airport Car Hire Association of Nigeria received N196m; seven in-flight catering services operators received N233,333,000 and aviation fuel operators received N233,333,000.”

by Victor Enengedi

Four years ago, when Nigeria first suffered a major currency crisis, Chukwuemeka decided it was time to invest in Nigeria. Following the devaluation that occurred in 2016, his $50,000 savings when converted to naira is worth N19 million much higher than the N9.8 million it was worth just two years earlier.

He plunged his savings into real estate investments in the country acquiring a slew of rental properties that helped generate income from his motherland. By the time he was done in 2017, he had sunk in over $100,000 or about N36 million in Nigeria as investments.

READ: Nigeria records lowest remittances from abroad since 2008

This is the same investment motivation for most Nigerians in the diaspora looking to invest back home. Work hard, save money and invest some of the savings in Nigeria. Real Estate investments such as hotels and rented properties have been the mainstay for diaspora Nigerians for obvious reasons. It is the easiest form of investment for those not savvy with doing business in Nigeria, and a convenient choice for those weary about the intricacies that come with manufacturing, farming, or trade. However, this perception is changing more noticeably as the economic situation in the country deteriorates.

Trustfund Pensions Limited The Covid-19 Pandemic and the ensuing fall in oil price has dealt a serious blow to the economy forcing massive depreciation of the currency and triggering a spike in inflation rate. As Nigerians wallow in economic despair, so is the fortune of diaspora Nigerians who see the value of their investments erode. Real Estate, the investment of choice is a poster child for the erosion of purchasing power.

READ: Diaspora remittances are down 61% YoY highlighting need for CBN’s Naira4Dollar promo

According to Chukwuemeka his N36 million investment is now worth much less when converted to dollars. Rather than get back the $100,000 he brought into Nigeria he is likely to get much less should he decide to flip the property. This situation has made several others like him reconsider their investment options.

Nigerians in the diaspora are increasingly aware of the effect of exchange rate devaluation on their investment returns, especially from real estate, and are reconsidering their moves. Now, they are delving into areas previously viewed with caution and trepidation for fear of losing their investments.

A diaspora Nigerian, Olayinka James, who is also the CEO CyberGuard Global Consulting explains his rationale for diversifying away from real estate.

READ: FG states reason for $100 charges, others imposed on Nigerians in diaspora

“Although there is profit from real estate investments in Nigeria due to the massive population growth, the instability of exchange rate makes it less desirable as an investment vehicle for wealth accumulation. For instance, if you had invested $1M in real estate about 6yrs ago when the dollar was exchanging for N280, that same investment including possible appreciation would be worth around 70% using today’s exchange rate.”

The alternative for him is FinTech, which he believes, provides a lot more returns if the right deal is on the table.

Konga “Fintech has a lot of room to grow in Nigeria. Globally, the overall Fintech market proved remarkably resilient in 2020 despite a broad array of uncertainties. Aas an investor, I believe that investing in Fintech has the potential for quick returns in the magnitude comparable to what the early investor in pay stack just cashed out. Over 400% return in a few short years,” he says.

Data from the National Bureau of Statistics reveals capital importation into Nigeria between April and December 2020 was just $1.6 billion compared to over $9 billion a year earlier. With the dire economic situation, foreign investors have abandoned investing in Africa’s largest economy. This has turned the attention of monetary authorities to diaspora Nigerians who are thought to remit over $20 billion into the country annually.

The CBN in March launched its naira 4 dollar policy which was aimed at diaspora Nigerians looking to send money to loved ones locally or just repatriate their savings in hard currency into the country. While no official data indicates how successful this scheme has been, the CBN’s indefinite extension of the policy suggests it may be working.

Critics point to the external reserve as perhaps the biggest indication that the policy may not be producing the desired effect required to boost dollar inflows and strengthen the exchange rate. Diaspora Nigerians, it will seem, have other government policies which they see as incentives for investing in the country. An example is the Agriculture sector.

Jaiz bank Ayoola Julius, another diaspora Nigerian who cofounded an Agric-Startup firm, Green Gold Africa, explained why he delved into the sector.

“The government is putting policies in place to support the agricultural sector and there are investment opportunities in this area. You can now actually get into agriculture without owning a farm. There are investment platforms like Green Gold Africa where the diaspora can invest to support agriculture in Nigeria.”

But Ayo has got his fingers burnt in the past when he ventured into the real economy particularly retailing and logistics. “I have dealt with very difficult business people in Nigeria,” he explains.

Everyone tends to look at business opportunities through a rose-tinted glass. No amount of feasibility study or due diligence will save your investment if you deal with people who are insincere. I have lost money not because the business was not viable but because I was defrauded by someone, I thought I could trust. This is not a characterisation of most Nigerians as most people I have met are honest hard-working Nigerians but once you get your fingers burnt once, you tend to be too careful and lose out on good opportunities later.”

He is also worried about the effect of the depreciating exchange rate. “Exchange rate fluctuations are also a major challenge for transactions across borders. The dwindling value of the Naira makes me think what effect the fluctuation will have on my returns on investments and the true value of my capital repatriation.”

There are more investors like Ayoola and Yinka staking their future in the Nigerian economy which they left behind years ago. A promoter of a consortium of investors based in Canada informed Nairametrics they were interested in “big-ticket deals” that can absorb up to $2 million of investors. The consortium is made up of Nigerians living in the Northern American country, looking for high returns on investment in Africa’s largest economy. Like most diaspora investors, they have enough real estate in their portfolio and are looking to diversify into other sectors of the economy.

Increasing adoption of technological tools has also played a major role in boosting confidence to invest in the country. Diaspora Nigerians can now leverage on several options to track their investments, monitor payments, record and view expense journals. According to Emeka, he has had better visibility of his truck business than even his real estate investment.

“I can see when my track is delivering products and even when they are buying fuel,” he excitedly remarks.

Despite the increasing disinterest in real estate, it remains a major destination for diaspora inflows. However, its days of dominance are fast declining.

Indigenous carrier, Ibom Air, has deployed its Airbus 220-300 aircraft to serve the Lagos-Port Harcourt-Lagos route that opened yesterday.

The Airbus, which is a boost to the airline’s fleet capacity, will also drive competition on one of the busiest routes in the country.

The Rivers State government, at the colourful reception of the maiden flight into Port Harcourt International Airport (PHIA), Omagwa, Rivers State, said Ibom’s “grand entry” was a breath of fresh air for local aviation and economy of the region.

Rivers’ Commissioner of Transportation, Osima Ginah, said the Port Harcourt route is a strategic corridor for passenger traffic, yet underserved by operating carriers.

“We are, therefore, delighted to welcome Ibom Air. Ibom will actually increase commercial activities in Rivers State because it is going to make the business economy thrive. Most times when you get to the airport other airlines are not available, but with Ibom Air coming to Rivers, you know you have an alternative.

“Port Harcourt is a business hub and I want to assure Ibom Air that we have enough passengers for them to do business. It is a welcome development. It is going to boost the economy of the state because more people will come to Rivers and this will ease transportation,” Gina said.

Chief Operating Officer (COO) of Ibom Air, George Uriesi, said the deployment of the A220-300 for Port Harcourt was apt because the state has the capacity.

Uriesi said the inaugural flight to Port Harcourt had 90 per cent load capacity, which is impressive for the new entrant. He said: “Port Harcourt has the capacity. The first flight was about 90 per cent full, and the return leg is the same too. We expected that Port Harcourt would provide the kind of load factor to justify the use of this aircraft type and we need it to create more capacity for Port Harcourt passengers.”

Uriesi added that the airline was keenly looking at further expansion, though dependent on the traffic demand.

“We have four or five targets in our expansion drive. But the decision on where we go is always based on numbers (traffic). So, it is very likely that one of the destinations will be a northern city,” he said.

British Airways has settled a legal claim over a major data breach that affected 420,000 customers and staff.

The breach in 2018 included the leaking of names, addresses and card payment details and led to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) handing out its largest ever fine at £20 million.

Law firm Pogust, Goodhead, Mousinho, Bianchini and Martins (PGMBM) said the settlement was reached following mediation with BA and the terms are confidential.

Previously, lawyers said the lawsuit was the largest group action over a data breach in British legal history, with 16,000 claimants when filed in April last year.

The deal struck will see claimants paid out and the airline said it has directly apologised to those involved.

Harris Pogust, chairman of PGMBM, said: “We are very pleased to have come to a resolution on this matter after constructive mediation with British Airways. This represents an extremely positive and timely solution for those affected by the data incident.

“The Information Commissioner’s Office laid out how BA did not take adequate measures to keep its passengers’ personal and financial information secure. However, this did not provide redress to those affected. This settlement now addresses that.”

A BA spokesperson said: “We apologised to customers who may have been affected by this issue and are pleased we’ve been able to settle the group action.

“When the issue arose we acted promptly to protect and inform our customers.”

The ICO initially threatened to fine BA £183 million for the breach under GDPR rules, but this was reduced to £20 million due to the airline pointing out it was in financial difficulty due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

PGMBM is also representing a growing number of claimants in a case relating to a similar data breach of EasyJet data revealed in May 2020, which saw nine million passengers’ data exposed, including names, email addresses and travel information.

Mr Pogust added: “The pace at which we have been able to resolve this process with British Airways has been particularly encouraging and demonstrates how seriously the legal system is taking mass data incidents.

“This is a very positive sign as we look ahead to what will be an even bigger case against EasyJet relating to their 2020 data breach, as well as other similar international actions.”

The UAE has been ranked the second safest country among the world's 134 countries in 2021 in a new report.

The UAE's top ranking can be attributed to its robust health sector and Covid-19 vaccination campaign. The UAE is now the world's most vaccinated nation, with 64.3 per cent of residents fully vaccinated against the coronavirus.

The index takes into account three fundamental factors – war and peace, personal security, and natural disaster risk. It also includes the unique risk factors stemming from the Covid-19 pandemic.

Globally, Iceland was rated the safest country, followed respectively by the UAE, Qatar, Singapore, Finland, Mongolia, Norway, Denmark, Canada and New Zealand.

The Global Finance magazine's index of the world's safest countries ranked other Gulf countries highly as well. Qatar was ranked 3rd, Bahrain at 12th, Kuwait at 18th, Saudi Arabia at 19th and Oman ranked 25th.

Among other significant countries, Australia was ranked 11th, Switzerland at 14th, Japan at 22nd, China at 26th, the United Kingdom at 38th, Egypt at 65th, the United States at 71st, India at 91st and Pakistan at 116th.

Philippines, Colombia, Guatemala, Nigeria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Mexico, Peru, Yemen and North Macedonia ranked at the bottom.

"Countries with serious civil conflict that have high risks from a natural disaster such as the Philippines, Nigeria, Yemen, and El Salvador all reported relatively low death tolls from Covid-19, yet performed poorly in terms of safety overall," Global Finance said.

"Yemen's brutal civil war and El Salvador's high murder rate (highest in Latin America) offset any improvement in safety ranking because they avoided the worst-case scenario surrounding Covid-19."

Underpricing regime and attendant low tariff foreign airlines currently remit to Nigeria is denying both grand handlers and local aviation huge revenue.

The situation, which is not unconnected with unhealthy rivalry among operators has further dwindled potential earnings for the sector.

Concerned stakeholders said it was time the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) had intervened to bring competing parties to a round-table and end the run of pittance remittances in the sector.

The Guardian learnt that the three ground handling companies, Skyway Aviation Handling Company (SAHCO) Plc, Nigerian Avia¬tion Handling Company (NAHCO) Plc, and AHS Aviation Handling Services, charge the lowest on the continent, despite having better ground support equipment (GSE) than most of their counterparts in Africa.

Though this arm of the aviation sector has since been deregulated, internal rivalry among operators has kept the tariff comparative low since the 1990s.

In Guinea, for instance, a narrow-body like Boeing 737 or turboprops is charged $1,673, while wide-body like Boeing 767 or A330 is charged $4,715. Senegal charges $2,250 and $5,259 in that order. In Cameroon, it is $1,400 and $4,500. Sierra Leone charges $2,250 and $5,250, while Ghana charges $1,500 and $4,150 for passenger flight.

Narrow-body cargo aircraft attract $2,300, $1,750, $2,300, and $2,500 in Senegal, Cameroon, Sierra Leone, Ghana, respectively. For wide-body airplanes, ground handlers in those countries charge between $4,450 and $5,250 per flight.

Similar charges in Nigeria, however, range from $1,000 for a narrow-body, while a wide-body aircraft goes for as low as $3,000 for passenger aircraft.

Sometimes, sources said, the $1,000 ground-handling rate could scale as low as $400, depending on the negotiating power by the foreign airline.

Chairman, Board of Trustees of Aviation Ground Handlers Association of Nigeria (AGHAN), Sam Oluwole, confirmed the situation, though regretted that the ground handling companies still charge far less than 1986 rates.

Oluwole noted that ground handlers then charged $1,139 for a B737 aircraft. But despite the free-fall of naira and increase in the cost of equipment, handlers go as low as $300 for the same service in 2021.

“There are three aspects that concern us at the moment: economic, safety and security of the industry. As far back as 1986, ground handlers were charging about $1,139 when a dollar equals 90k. Today, the same dollar is about N500, yet we are charging low.

“Another challenge here is that the Nigerian government is losing considerably a lot of tax revenues because the handling companies pay five per cent annual turnover to the government and it is this money that they use to acquire facilities, upgrade equipment, while the handlers train personnel and pay workers’ welfare pack¬ages and insurance,” Oluwole said.

Former MD of NAHCO, Kayode Oluwasegun-Ojo, said the anomaly had dragged on for too long and was unsustainable for operators as well.

Oluwasegun-Ojo said: “If you charge for a service that is less than cost-reflective, it means you are not getting your cost back and in the long run, it will not be sustainable.

“I think the NCAA has a great role to play here. It should call people together – airlines and the ground handling companies, let’s jaw-jaw. My experience in the banking industry is that you collaborate before you start competing.

“If Ghana is charging about $1,500 to handle narrow-body aircraft and Nigeria is charging this little, then something is wrong with our system. We must do something about helping our country and industry to grow. We have a huge market here and we must do something to boost the sector, starting from the ground handlers,” Oluwasegun-Ojo said.

Vice-Chairman of SAHCO Plc, Chike Ogeah, reckoned that it was imperative for the ground handling companies to come together and work together.

“Because a ground handling company wants to get the bulk of the clients, it gives services below its cost and that is dangerous. The rates are inelastic; it is open-ended. There is a particular amount of clients that everybody is trying to get because aviation is a specialised business, not a foodstuff business. So, by the time you look at passenger and cargo handlings, you will realize that you need to be able to enforce your own prices, which must be standard and must be realistic to ensure that safety is not compromised.

“It is ridiculous for Nigeria to charge as low as what they are charging now. It doesn’t make sense. I think the coming onboard of AGHAN will address that. The only way their survival will be guaranteed is for them to charge right. Mind you, some of the companies are listed on the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) and they need to deliver to their shareholders.”

When James Charles-Roberts booked a vehicle back in May, he and his family were looking forward to a two-week holiday in Southern California.

After several attempts to visit Disneyland were thwarted by the COVID-19 pandemic, the November vacation would be a chance for the Victoria, B.C., family to use their theme park tickets before they expire.

However, when Charles-Roberts called in June to move his reservation for a seven passenger Ford Explorer by a day, the cost of the car rental nearly tripled.

“I booked the vehicle for $480 and when I called to make a change the price was $1,286,” he said in an interview. “It was just a minor change so we decided to keep our first reservation.”

The car rental shortage – or “carpocalypse” as its been dubbed in the U.S. – highlights what is expected to be a bumpy economic recovery as supply chain issues throw car rental supply and demand out of whack.

The problem started when nearly all travel was halted at the outset of COVID-19 lockdowns and travel restrictions.

Car rental reservations plummeted, prompting companies to drastically downsize fleets and lay off workers.

“Most if not all car rental operators across the world had to reduce their fleets significantly during the pandemic due to extreme reductions in consumer demand,” said Craig Hirota, vice-president of government relations and member services with the Associated Canadian Car Rental Operators.

“Nobody was travelling for vacation and corporate travel was basically non-existent. It left a lot of unused vehicles sitting on lots.”

Now, the situation has reversed. As the economy reopens and demand returns, a global shortage of semiconductors has crippled vehicle production and caused lengthy delays for new cars and trucks.

“The car rental industry has not been able to resupply their fleets,” Hirota said. "They just can’t get vehicles."

Enterprise Holdings, the U.S. parent company of Enterprise Rent-A-Car, National Car Rental and Alamo Rent A Car, said the chip shortage “has impacted new vehicle availability and deliveries across the industry at a time when demand is already high.”

The company added in an emailed statement that it's "working hard to secure additional vehicles to meet the increasing travel demand and support customers’ broader transportation needs."

In the meantime, car rental operators are jacking up rates amid the tight supply and increasing demand.

"I think there's some price-gouging going on for sure," Charles-Roberts said of his experience trying to change his Los Angeles airport vehicle reservation.

The industry-wide car rental crunch is already in full force in the United States, where stories are emerging of tourists renting U-Haul moving vans or private vehicles from locals to get around.

The problem is expected to worsen in Canada this summer, especially in regions that rely heavily on tourism.

Many airport locations in East Coast cities like Halifax, Charlottetown and St. John’s are nearly sold out on weekends this summer.

“The impact is being felt everywhere – at least in hot tourism spots across Canada and the U.S.,” Gary Howard, senior vice-president of marketing and communications with CAA Atlantic, said in an email.

“Most of the fleets are leased so during the high point of COVID, fleets were shrinking,” he said. “Now it is coming back but the car rental companies cannot get enough vehicles back in the fleets.”

While the car rental shortage is expected to be felt more acutely in tourism destinations, prices are up across the country.

Hamilton resident Allyson Rowley said she often rents cars for long-distance travel and to visit family.

In 2019, she said she usually paid about $30 a day, an amount that climbed to about $40 in 2020. But Rowley said she just booked a car for two weeks in August, and the price was $61.52 a day.

“The cost has doubled since before the pandemic,” she said. “I’ve made an ethical and financial choice to not own a car as I mostly walk and bike and only rent a car when I need one, but it’s becoming unaffordable.”

For travellers hoping to rent a car this summer, experts say it’s critical to book early, search beyond airport locations and be prepared to pay more than usual.

It may also require alternatives to car rentals such as car sharing or public transportation as they say the shortage isn’t expected to ease up any time soon.

“If you’re planning travel, we encourage you to reserve a vehicle as early as possible,” Enterprise Holdings said. “Providing flexible travel dates and branch pick up locations in your search may help increase your options.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 6, 2021.

Brett Bundale, The Canadian Press

*Technical hitch forces Azman Air to make air return

BY  Deji Elumoye in Abuja and Chinedu Eze in Lagos

Aviation Minister, Senator Hadi Sirika, has disclosed that local air passengers in Nigeria who suffer flight delays at the airport for two hours or more are entitled to a refund of their full ticket value from the airline.

This is coming as Azman Air flight from Lagos to Maiduguri en-route Abuja was yesterday forced to make air return when the aircraft landing gear refused to retract after take-off.

Sirika has also vowed to ensure the recovery of over N37 billion owed aviation parastatals by some airlines and other critical stakeholders in the country while stressing that the aviation ministry in the last six years has released 67 air accident reports which is unprecedented in the nation’s aviation history.

Sirika, who featured yesterday in the weekly ministerial press briefing organised by the Presidential Communication Team at the State House, Abuja, stated that infringements to the rights of travellers, both local and international, have laid down rules and guidelines that spell rights and punishments out, just as there are punishments for travellers’ violation of good behaviour.

According to him, there are channels of laying complaints at the airports, which would see to it that customer rights and privileges are protected but noted that most travellers fail to take advantage of the provisions because they fail to pay attention to instructions and information hanging around airports.

“On domestic flights, delay beyond one hour; carrier shall provide refreshment, make one phone call or one SMS or email. They should send you an SMS or call you to say ‘I’m sorry you are delayed for one hour. They should also give you water or Fanta. Delay for two hours and beyond, the carrier shall reimburse passengers the full value of the tickets. The delay between 10 pm to 4 am, the carrier shall provide hotel accommodation, refreshment, meal, two free calls, SMS, email and transport to and from the airport and international, it also says all of the requirements”.

The minister said he will ensure the recovery of over N37 billion owed aviation parastatals by some airlines and other critical stakeholders in the country and listed the aviation parastatals being owed to include Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA), Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA). “Bi-Courtney is owing FAAN N14 billion as at the last count. The operator has not paid a single dime since the time he started to run the terminal building and we have not ceased giving him electricity, water, fire cover, and so on and so forth. He hasn’t paid a dime for 13 years.”

The minister while commenting on the controversy surrounding the disbursement of the N5 billion COVID-19 palliative approved in 2020 to aviation stakeholders, said the point was made that airlines owing aviation parastatals should not benefit but the suggestion was turned down.

On how the government will resolve the issue with Bi-Courtney, the minister expressed optimism saying: “We’re resolving it and we’re talking with Bi-Courtney, we will ensure that we recover people’s money and also recover the property and put it to use in accordance with the law of the land.”

He attributed the frequent collapse of airlines in the country to poor management capacity, adding that the federal government has therefore decided to establish an Aviation University for the development of all-round capacity in the sector. He also disclosed that the ministry has released a total of 67 final aviation accident reports covering the period of 2007 to 2016 in government’s bid to ensure that the causes of previous airline accidents are known.

On the proposed new national carrier, the minister said his ministry will present the re-worked Outline Business Case (OBC) to the Federal Executive Council (FEC) in the next one or two weeks for approval. According to him, the plan for the airline is on course, as the government recently launched the airline logo in the United Kingdom for the sake of exposure.

Speaking on the update as regards air travels between Nigeria and Dubai in the United Arab Emirates, Sirika said there is no timeline for opening up of travels yet, noting that Nigeria feels Dubia was being “discriminatory against our country and it is not acceptable.”

Bi-Courtney Denies Owing FAAN

Meanwhile, Bi-Courtney Aviation Services Limited (BASL), operator of Murtala Muhammed Airport, Lagos Terminal Two (MMA2) in a swift response by its Spokesman, Mr. Mikail Mumuni has denied owing the FAAN any amount at all. In a statement issued last night, Mumuni said it is FAAN that owes Bi-Courtney over N200 billion by depriving it of its legitimate earnings over the past 14 years.

This, he said arose by FAAN opening and operating the General Aviation Terminal (GAT), thus competing with BASL with government money in the running of the Domestic Terminal in a flagrant breach of the concession agreement.

“BASL in line with the dispute resolution process contained in the agreement had an arbitration award in its favour. It also got the judgment of a High Court, six Court of Appeal judgments, and a Supreme Court judgment, all in its favour and sustained the monetary award,” he said. Mumuni stressed that the courts ruled that any debt that may be alleged against BASL by FAAN should be deducted from the credit judgment after due verification.

He added that “the N14 billion debt mentioned by the aviation minister is totally inconsistent with the demand by FAAN, the body which has been liaising with BASL. Their last demand was about N1billion, which was promptly responded to by BASL stating categorically that there was no such debt.” Mumuni argued that the minister was not properly briefed by FAAN as the company also pay its electricity bills and provides elaborate security at the terminal.

Technical Hitch Forces Azman Air to Make Air Return

Meanwhile, Azman Air flight from Lagos to Maiduguri en-route Abuja was yesterday forced to make air return when the aircraft landing gear refused to retract after take-off. THISDAY learnt that the pilot explained to passengers that the gear pin was not removed before the aircraft took off to enable the landing gear to retract so he had to return to the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos so that the pin would be removed.

The 10:30 flight, which took off promptly returned to base after 10 minutes and was recertified to take-off again three hours later after the gear pin was removed.

But some of the passengers who were petrified by the incident decided to suspend their trip. Eyewitness told THISDAY, “Azman Air to Maiduguri en-route Abuja made an air return to Lagos 10 minutes into the flight. The pilot explained that the nose gear did not return. Upon landing in Lagos, the engineer was called in. The pilot explained that a pin was not removed, causing the nose gear not to retract. He said the issue had, however, been resolved. But some passengers felt psychologically unable to continue with the flight and insisted on disembarking.”

A pilot type-rated on Boeing 737, the aircraft type operated by Azman Air, explained to THISDAY that what happened was that when the aircraft is on ground the gear pin is inserted on the landing gear, also known as nose wheel, so that it would not collapse but this is done most often when the aircraft is on over night parking; not when it is on a turnaround.

He said that it was due to negligence that the engineer who certified the aircraft for flight and the pilot who ought to carry out a final inspection before operating the aircraft, did not notice that the gear pin was not removed. He also explained that there is usually a red flag placed on the aircraft to indicate that the gear pin has not been removed but this seemed to have been ignored by the pilot who took off without removing the pin. “The maintenance personnel should have removed the pin. The pilot in command of the flight should have checked the red flag. The pilot ought to have seen it. I think this is a problem with the airline. This is an underlying safety issue with the airline’s maintenance.

“Accident, you know, is a chain reaction, which follows series of incidents. And this is happening after the airline came back from suspension. So, there is a systemic problem with the airline,” the pilot told THISDAY. The General Manager, Public Affairs, the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Mr. Sam Adurogboye confirmed the incident to THISDAY but said that he would not speak on it because it was air return but assured that the regulatory authority would investigate the incident.

“We always investigate incidents but we don’t speak to the media about air return but we carry out investigation on any incident in order to be on the side of caution and safety,” he said. In March this year NCAA had temporarily suspended Azman Air due to series of incidents that regulatory authority said threatened safety.

But following the execution of safety recommendations by the airline, the satisfied regulatory authority lifted the suspension of the domestic carrier.

By Abdullateef Aliyu

The Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), Muhammad Babandede, has explained that the service moved the timeline of re-issuance of passport documentation from 74 hours to three weeks to reduce interface between officers and passport seekers.

While inaugurating the NIS renovated and equipped long room project in the Ikoyi passport office in Lagos, the CGI stated that the extension would enable the service to carry out perfect tracing to ensure only true Nigerians get the document.

He stated that the new passport regime would reduce corruption and improve the efficiency of officers.

He said: "The waiting period was 74 hours but the minister wanted a waiting phase before the passports were issued.

"Let me give you one of the reforms carried out, we used to have a home address when the passports were issued but now we have added a permanent home address, this will help us identify true Nigerians.

"I work in Abuja and stay there, it is not my permanent address, most of us are not Lagosians, we are either in Lagos to do business or work for a company.

"In that situation, we can apply for a passport at Ikoyi or Alausa in Lagos. That does not show you as a true Nigerian.

"That is why we decided that apart from your home address, in addition, you add your permanent address so your family can be traced. We want to use that to trace applicants.

He added that the new passport regime being championed by the Minister of Interior, Mr Rauf Aregbesola, would "reduce contact between officers and customers."

"Why are we doing this? In order to discourage corruption. One of the ways to achieve this is to have a timeline.

"There are issues when people come to the passport office and request a passport immediately as express service but the money does not go into immigration coffers, it goes into private pockets, now we say if you want to fast track you have to pay.

"Secondly, we had to change the way payment can be made. Payment can be made to our website directly.

"Before, it was difficult to make payment to our website but now you can easily make payment, you can print your receipt and come.

"We have made it much easier that not everybody should come to the passport office so we don't have a crowd," he said.

KEY POINTS

• Olympics organizers will ban spectators from the games in Tokyo, after Japan declared a state of emergency amid rising Covid-19 cases in the country.
• The decision presents a new challenge for the games, which were already delayed a year due to the pandemic.

Olympics organizers are banning all spectators from the games this year after Japan declared a state of emergency that’s meant to curb a wave of new Covid-19 infections.

It’s the latest setback for the Summer Olympics that have already been delayed for a year and racked up high costs for postponement. The state of emergency will begin Monday and run through Aug. 22, while the games are scheduled from July 23 to Aug. 8.

Organizers had already banned international spectators from attending and set a cap on domestic crowds at 50% of capacity, or up to 10,000 people.

There’s immense pressure to curb the spread of the virus at the games, protecting both athletes and neighboring regions. More than 11,000 competitors are expected to travel to Japan to compete, along with thousands of officials and staff also set to attend.

Nationwide, Japan has reported about 811,000 coronavirus cases and more than 14,800 deaths, according to data from the World Health Organization. However, the nation has faced a relatively slow rollout of vaccines. Only about a quarter of the population has had at least one COVID-19 shot, according to Reuters.

Adjusting to no fans

NBCUniversal, the parent company of CNBC, plans to show more than 7,000 hours of content from the Tokyo Olympics across its networks and streaming platforms. Now NBC will have to grapple with whether viewers notice the difference without spectators.

Sports properties around the world adjusted during the pandemic with no fans, and often used digital seats to display some form of attendance. U.S. pro leagues including the National Football League and Major League Baseball also incorporated artificial sound in broadcasts to mimic crowd noise.

It’s challenging to keep viewers engaged in sports broadcasts without spectators, so NBC could use the technology to enhance production. In 2014, the media giant and the International Olympic Committee agreed to a $7.75 billion media rights deal to extend their partnership. The current agreement runs through 2032.

Still, an Olympics without fans will destroy ticket revenue for the IOC. More than 6 million tickets were sold for 2016 Rio Games, bringing in roughly $1.2 billion, according to an IOC annual report.

Because of the delays, the games’ budget has already jumped to an estimated $15.4 billion, according to Reuters, and ticket revenue of about $815 million will likely fall to near zero.

Disclosure: CNBC parent NBCUniversal owns NBC Sports and NBC Olympics. NBC Olympics is the U.S. broadcast rights holder to all Summer and Winter Games through 2032.