Travel News

BY  Eromosele Abiodun 

The designer and manager of the electronic call-up system aimed at containing Apapa gridlock, Trucks Transit Parks (TTP) Limited has lamented poor compliance by truck owners/drivers as well as a deviant resistance from an extortion industry worth N100 million daily before the deployment of the electronic system for continued traffic gridlock in Apapa.

The Chief Operating Officer of the company, Mr. Temidayo Adeboye, who disclosed this in a chat with newsmen in Lagos, said efforts of the truckers to circumvent ETO was fuelled by ignorance of the gains the new operational method would deliver to transporters if wholly embraced.

Adeboye, who revealed that it took his company more than six years of painstaking research to understand Apapa Gridlock and build the electronic solution deployed in February 2021, said 50 per cent of Apapa traffic were bound to the ports. According to him, the focus was to effectively regulate the maritime traffic and solve half the problem.

He said: “We have been researching Apapa for over six years and now understand the demographics of different truck traffic which can be categorized into three major parts, namely; the maritime traffic, oil and gas traffic; the FMCG’s (fast-moving consumer goods), manufacturers and freelancers.

“Holistically, we couldn’t take these segments at once, so we believed that if we are able to solve the problem for the largest single demographic among these three categories, it means that half of the problem will be resolved.”

“It is been tough. We had to build everything from the scratch. We couldn’t go out to buy a solution off the shelf since there is no country in the world with this particular type of port problem. We had to go round, visit places, take best practices and come here to develop our indigenous solution in Nigeria and by Nigerians,” he stated.

Noting the improvement in the flow of traffic, he said the extortion industry whose earnings on the port access road was allegedly put at N100 million daily before the introduction of ETO was being contained as more trucks are captured in the call-up system. He said expectations were that the problem of corruption would be tackled once there was free-flow of traffic to and from the port.

“The extortion industry in this Apapa is about N100 million a day. That is what it used to be. If we can fix 50 per cent of the problem, nobody can extort money from port-bound truckers”, he said.

He disclosed that while other types of trucks have been streamlined and allocated time belts in a bid to ensure all trucks on ETO platform get into the ports within 24 hours of booking, export trucks have posed a major problem, challenging the entire project.

Adeboye, who insisted that the ease of traffic in Apapa largely depends on effectively regulating the movement of export cargo, disclosed that NPA in tackling the challenge is creating export zones.

He said, “until we find a solution to the export problem, we can’t get to that 24-hour entry target. The export problem is really abhorring.” He said the cooperation of stakeholders and adherence to the policy and the time guideline would help a great deal.

“If everybody can just do the right thing, everybody will transit within 24hours. But right now, what we are seeing is a maximum of 48 hours if it is not an export container,” he added. He also blamed the slow start of ETO on transporters who failed to heed the initial call to register as only 120 truckers with 2,000 trucks registered and attended their training but a week after the deployment of the scheme, the number rose to 2000 transporters and 50,000 trucks.

“On the day we started, we managed to register 120 transporters and about 2000 trucks but after a week of kick-starting the process, we recorded over 50,000 trucks and more than 2000 transporters. “This was possible because many port users couldn’t find a better means of accessing the port but to go through the system. So many people that didn’t come for the training and were still stuck in the old ways of doing things. “A combination of these factors nearly crashed our system before we had to create various segments”, Adeboye explained.

Delta Airlines has resumed operations at Lagos’ Murtala Muhammed International Airport to pre-pandemic levels with the resumption of its non-stop service to the United States four times a week. The flight from New York-JFK joins Delta’s existing daily service to Atlanta, which restarted last September, following a short suspension due to the airport’s closure at the height of the pandemic. The choice of non-stop services to Delta’s largest hubs enable customers to connect onto flights to 130 destinations across the US within four hours of arrival in either Atlanta or New York. Delta flies Airbus A330-200 aircraft to Nigeria, which include Delta One business class, complete with fully flat-bed seats and aisle access for all, as well as Delta Comfort+ and Main Cabin.

“Delta is the longest-serving U.S. airline in Nigeria and the country remains an important market for us,” said Bobby Bryan, Delta’s Commercial Director, Africa. “Facilitating trade, as well as providing valuable air links for families and friends to re-connect is key to our mission here in Nigeria and around the globe. Never has this been more important as the world recovers from the pandemic,” he added.

The additional service from New York also provides cargo customers with increased capacity for the safe transportation from Nigeria. With short connection times in New York, cargo can be swiftly forwarded to destinations throughout the U.S. and beyond. Delta’s flights to Lagos, which have been in operation since 2007, supports economic and trade ties between Nigeria and the US.

Data from the Office of the US Trade Representative showed that the value of US goods and services trade with Nigeria was estimated at $10.4 billion in 2019 with exports valued at $5.3 billion and imports into the US worth $5.1 billion.

By Benjamin Alade

The Economic and Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Trade Promotion (TPO) Network, has said it would work towards facilitating the ease of business by increasing the volume of trade within the region, adding that it will build an army of exporters that will boost intra-Africa trade.

The Network, while noting that intra-Africa exports only account for about 16 per cent of Africa’s global export, said the region’s trade only accounts for a 10th of member-states global trade.

President of ECOWAS TPO Network, Olusegun Awolowo, made this known yesterday, at the launch and first yearly general meeting of the Network in Abuja.

Awolowo reiterated the need to take advantage of the opportunities presented by the African Continental Free Trade Area (AFCFTA), adding that the establishment of the ECOWAS Trade Liberalisation Scheme (ETLS) was a step in the right direction to increase trade in the region.

He added that the low utilisation of the scheme, especially among Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), which account for a large proportion of economic activities within the region, highlights the need for more efforts.

“Several reviews that highlighted the challenges hindering the utilisation of the ETLS showed that they are centred around lack of adequate information on the existence, enrollment, endowment, enforcement, expenses and entry strategies.

“It is therefore imperative that through the TPO network, we work towards facilitating the ease of trade for our MSMEs within the ECOWAS region and Africa at large, thereby building an army of exporters that will boost intra-Africa trade”, he said.

He added that economic integration in the sub-region will be further deepened.

In her remarks, Head of Cooperation, European Union Delegation to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Mrs Cecile Tassin-Pelzer, said the network would play a major role in strengthening economic and commercial cooperation among member States and beyond.

She however assured the Network of the EU’s continuous support.

Also, the President, ECOWAS Commission, Jean-Claud Kassi Brou, while reiterating commitment to partner with the Network, said they will continue to provide guidance in line with the decision of the ECOWAS Council of Ministers.

The airline had earlier extended the suspension until July 21.

Dubai-based airline Emirates has extended the suspension on flights to and from South Africa and Nigeria until July 31.

The airline had earlier extended the suspension until July 21.

In an update on its website, the airline said the extension is in line with government directives that restrict the entry of travellers originating from these two countries into the UAE.

"Only one daily passenger flight to Johannesburg will operate as EK763; however, outbound passenger services on EK764 remain suspended," the airline said.

"Customers who have been to or connected through South Africa or Nigeria in the last 14 days will not be permitted on any Emirates flights bound for Dubai," the carrier added.

Earlier this month, the airline had also extended the suspension on inbound passenger flights from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka to the UAE until at least July 21.

BY  Martin SchlichtDavid Sahl

Additional reporting by Riham Alkousaa, Kirsti Knolle, Douglas Busvine, Anneli Palmen, Matthias Inverardi, Tom Sims, Thomas Escritt, Anthony Deutsch, Phil Blenkinsop; Writing by Maria Sheahan; Editing by Philippa Fletcher, Alex Richardson and Sandra Maler

BY Juliana Ajayi

Some passengers who demand for a refund after experiencing a flight delay or cancellation at the airport may not be eligible to receive a refund, the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority has said.

Passengers who fall into this category are those who book their flight tickets without reading the terms and conditions applied to see if they are entitled to ask for a refund or not.

The spokesman for the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, Sam Adurogboye, speaking on Aviation Runway – Metro FM on Friday, said there were terms and conditions on every ticket booked which may render some passengers ineligible for refund.

The NCAA had said recently that passengers delayed for three hours were entitled to refund.

However, Adurogboye noted that some passengers who buy their tickets at the counter and those who purchased theirs earlier would not be entitled to the same terms.

He said, “Every ticket has terms and conditions and refund is subject to certain conditions. There is a saying that if you do not want people to know, put it in black and white.

“The terms and conditions are attached at the back of the tickets. Most people are not even aware and that is not excusable.

“There are terms and conditions applied to every ticket booked. The terms and conditions attached to booking a flight early may not favour a refund.

“If the ticket is not refundable, the terms are there.

“The terms are written there and the period in which the tickets are refundable. People have to know that when you are asking for a refund, you have to ask if it is in your interest.

“The transaction has taken place, the bank has also taken their own; so when you are being refunded, it cannot be the full amount again.”

He identified some of the causes of flight  delays and cancellations to include natural occurrences, which nobody has control over.

Adurogboye said, “In aviation, weather is not a friend to airplane because an airplane is designed to go in a stable atmosphere. When adverse weather sets in, it becomes unstable.”

He explained that technical issues could make a plane develop a fault, and following the rule, such a plane should be brought down and checked all over again.

He also noted that when flights were delayed or cancelled for whatever reason, the passenger deserved to be informed.

Adurogboye said, “In fact, if the passenger has not arrived at the airport, as an airline, you need to get across to your passenger by mail, phone or text messages so that they don’t bother coming to the airport.

“But when checked in at the airport, and all these are happening, you also need to compensate them with refreshments and the likes.

“International flights are different. If you have checked in passengers for international flight, and there is a delay, you need to put them in a hotel.

“Not all delays are uncalled for, some are excusable.”

He added that an airline that did not care about losing a passenger would end up losing all.

(Bloomberg) --

The U.K. government reimposed quarantine rules on travelers returning to England from France because of concern at the number of Covid-19 infections there, drawing immediate anger from tourism bodies and airlines.

From Monday, anyone arriving from across the Channel will have to isolate at home for up to 10 days and complete two coronavirus tests even if they have two vaccinations, the U.K. Department of Health and Social Care said in a statement Friday.

The new system, dubbed “Amber Plus” to draw a distinction from the government’s Amber list of restricted countries, will apply to all English travelers currently in France. Spain and Italy -- both major holiday destinations for Britons -- remain on the Amber list.

The move adds a further level of complexity for English families trying to plot their way through the summer after the end of a torrid school year, and comes days before Prime Minister Boris Johnson is set to lift most Covid restrictions on Monday. The decision also delivers another setback to a tourism industry that was beginning to look to the future with guarded optimism.

“This decision adds yet more confusion to a travel system already complex enough,” said Tim Alderslade, chief executive officer of Airlines UK. “These random rule changes make it almost impossible for travelers and industry to plan ahead, and can only further undermine consumer trust at the very peak of the summer season.”

The government cited what it called the “persistent presence” in France of cases of the beta variant first identified in South Africa for its decision.

“With restrictions lifting on Monday across the country, we will do everything we can to ensure international travel is conducted as safely as possible, and protect our borders from the threat of variants,” Health Secretary Sajid Javid said.

The announcement came hours after official figures showed the U.K. had more than 50,000 new infections for the first time in six months, the bulk of them being the delta variant. France reported more than 10,000 new cases Friday, with more than 60% of them delta.

“The U.K. has no coherent policy on international travel,” said Willie Walsh, director general of the International Air Transport Association. “The U.K. is entrenching itself as outlier in its confused approach to travel. This, in turn, is destroying its own travel sector and the thousands of jobs that rely on it.”

The Canadian government announced today, Monday July 19, 2021, that Canada will allow fully vaccinated Americans into the country as of Aug. 9. Furthermore, border restrictions will be eased for other foreign nationals as of September 7.

The press release states that: “On September 7, 2021, provided that the domestic epidemiologic situation remains favourable, the Government intends to open Canada’s borders to any fully vaccinated travellers who have completed the full course of vaccination with a Government of Canada-accepted vaccine at least 14 days prior to entering Canada and who meet specific entry requirements.

As a first step, starting August 9, 2021, Canada plans to begin allowing entry to American citizens and permanent residents, who are currently residing in the United States, and have been fully vaccinated at least 14 days prior to entering Canada for non-essential travel. This preliminary step allows for the Government of Canada to fully operationalize the adjusted border measures ahead of September 7, 2021, and recognizes the many close ties between Canadians and Americans.”

Though fully vaccinated travelers will be permitted to enter the country, they will have to follow strict requirements. Subject to few exceptions, travelers must use the ArriveCAN app to submit their travel information. Fully vaccinated travellers who meet specific criteria will not have to quarantine upon arrival in Canada. Furthermore, “the three-night government authorized hotel stay requirement will be eliminated for all travellers arriving by air as of 12:01 A.M. EDT on August 9. Fully vaccinated travellers who meet the requirements will be exempt from quarantine; however, all travellers must still provide a quarantine plan and be prepared to quarantine, in case it is determined at the border that they do not meet the necessary requirements.” Note that the vaccine must be from an approved source (you can see a list of approved vaccines here).

The press release notes that: “All travellers, regardless of vaccination status, will still require a pre-entry COVID-19 molecular test result. However effective August 9, 2021, the Government of Canada is adjusting its post-arrival testing strategy for fully vaccinated travellers. Using a new border testing surveillance program at airports and land border crossings, fully vaccinated travellers will not need a post-arrival test unless they have been randomly selected to complete a Day 1 COVID-19 molecular test. There are no changes to the mandatory testing requirements for unvaccinated travellers.”

The government of Canada is still also encouraging Canadians to avoid non-essential international travel. “While Canada continues to trend in the right direction, the epidemiological situation and vaccination coverage is not the same around the world. The Government of Canada continues to advise Canadians to avoid non-essential travel outside of Canada – international travel increases your risk of exposure to COVID-19 and its variants, as well as of spreading it to others. Border measures also remain subject to change as the epidemiological situation evolves. As Canada looks to welcome fully vaccinated travellers from the U.S., the federal government will continue to monitor the situation and provide updated travel advice to Canadians.”

(Bloomberg) -- So long social distancing, goodbye working from home. That was the plan, anyway. Yet while almost all restrictions imposed to curb the spread of coronavirus have now been lifted in England, sharply rising levels of Covid-19 mean the country is nowhere near returning to “normal.”

“Freedom Day” — as part of the British press have dubbed today — is no end-of-pandemic celebration. Many major employers will go on limiting the number of workers who can enter their offices. Others, like Goldman Sachs Group Inc. and JPMorgan Chase & Co. will continue making masks mandatory in their buildings even though the government has relaxed the rules. If you return to the office now, it will look very different to the one you left 16 months ago.

With cases and hospitalizations rising, the return to normality is likely to be slow and faltering. But if you do venture into central London, here are five things to watch for:

You Risk Being Told to Self-Isolate

There’s one key reason why London-based workers are expected to remain reticent about heading into the city over the next month: the risk either of contracting Covid-19 or coming into close contact with an infected person. 

Daily positive test numbers in the U.K. hit 54,183 on Saturday, the highest number since Jan. 15. The Office for National Statistics estimated on Friday that 1 in 95 people in England has the virus. 

Those numbers explain why a record 520,194 people in England were “pinged” by the National Health Service Covid-19 app and advised to self-isolate in the week ending July 7. More people are expected to be notified as cases rise. Self-isolation for fully vaccinated people will not be ended until Aug. 16, with businesses, retail , hospitals and even transport networks struggling with staff absences as a result.

Offices Aren’t Filling Up

Offices themselves, the reasons so many millions of people leave their homes and travel into cities each week, remain some 30% less busy than they were before March 2020.

Data from Google Inc.’s wide-ranging Community Mobility Reports, which aggregate location data for a host of global cities, show that while London recovered somewhat by late 2020 after the initial pandemic slump, the winter lockdown reversed all those gains. Workplace activity has increased in recent weeks, but the city is far from operating “normally.”

The Tube Is Still Unpopular

Crowded spaces with poor ventilation are almost tailor-made for spreading Covid-19. Despite London’s transport authorities’ best attempts to reassure travelers, busy Underground services around peak-time travel are impossible to make entirely safe.

Travelers seem to agree, with experimental journey data from Transport for London showing that almost half the number of Tube journeys were taken in early July compared to the weeks before the pandemic began. 

Lunchtime Isn’t What It Used to Be

Shops, cafes, restaurants and pubs were allowed to reopen in stages over the spring, and most are counting on commuters to return to their offices for their survival. But it’s been a slow process.

Bloomberg is tracking the recovery using data from London-based global sandwich chain Pret A Manger Ltd.  Our weekly Pret Tracker shows a solid recovery in London’s West End and suburbs — but in the City and Canary Wharf, home to a number of large banks, trade has plateaued after breaching the 50% barrier.

But You Might Be Able to Get a Table

Indoor dining reopened in May across England, and outdoor dining has been legal since the chilly days of spring. But data from restaurant booking provider OpenTable Inc. shows that reservations in the capital are picking up more slowly than in the rest of the U.K.

While bookings in the country as a whole have recovered strongly as diners regain their interest in eating out, London destinations remain on the wrong side of OpenTable’s 2019 baseline.

KEY POINTS

• The State Department and CDC said to avoid travel to the U.K., lifting their advisories to a “Level 4.”
• The CDC advised travelers to be fully vaccinated if they must travel to the U.K.
• Cases are rising on both sides of the Atlantic.

A United Airlines passenger aircraft arrives over the top of residential houses to land at Heathrow Airport in west London, Britain, March 13, 2020. Matthew Childs | Reuters

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the State Department on Monday said to avoid travel to the U.K. as the delta variant of Covid-19 continues to spread.

The warnings are “Level 4,” the CDC and State Department’s highest. While not binding, they come after airline executives and other members of the travel industry have pressed the Biden administration to loosen existing Covid travel restrictions that have devastated demand for international bookings.

The United States has had an entry ban in place for non-U.S. citizens from the EU, U.K. and other countries for much of the coronavirus pandemic, though several European nations have recently opened their doors to international visitors. Canada, however, said Monday it will allow fully vaccinated U.S. citizens into the country for nonessential travel starting Aug. 9.

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As cases rise, England lifts almost all Covid restrictions

The White House and the British Embassy in Washington didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.

The CDC said if individuals must travel to the U.K., they should be fully vaccinated against Covid. Meanwhile, England lifted remaining Covid-19 restrictions on Monday, allowing for indoor gatherings and the reopening of nightclubs.

But Covid infections remain high across the U.K. with 316,691 cases reported over the last seven days, up by about 43% from the previous seven-day period, according to a CNBC analysis of data compiled by Johns Hopkins University.

U.S. airline stocks fell sharply on Monday as an increasing number of Covid cases raised concerns about the economic recovery and the potential impact on the recent resurgence in travel demand after a slump for much of the past year.

Covid cases in the U.S. have jumped by about 66% in the past week to a seven-day average of about 32,300 new cases per day, according to Johns Hopkins data.

-- CNBC’s Holly Ellyatt contributed to this article.