Travel News

(Bloomberg) -- All the cliches you’ve heard about the Maldives are true. Its waters really do glisten cyan, postcard-perfect beaches are ten per penny, and its unrivaled seclusion offers worthy hideouts to the most paparazzi-prone stars. It’s no wonder that tourism has long been pivotal to the Maldivian economy: By early 2020, it accounted for 28% of gross domestic product and 60% of the country’s foreign exchange receipts. When the pandemic made international travel collapse, the ramifications were seismic and unsustainable.

Reopening borders early—in July 2020—was a risky move that most hoteliers now agree proved worth it. The Maldives has since inoculated roughly 73% of its population (hotel staff drew priority as frontline workers), and tourism has recovered up to 70% of its 2019 levels, far outpacing the Seychelles (down 61% from its 2019 levels) and Indonesia (down 90%).

Read More: The 24 Destinations That Will Be Especially Profound This Year

The Covid-friendly sales pitch has been an easy one. The Maldives naturally caters to wealthy travelers looking for socially distanced escapism; each resort typically occupies its own private island, making every retreat a (glamorous) isolation center. As a result, development has continued at a breakneck pace. Nearly a dozen new properties have opened since the pandemic began, and big-budget debuts from brands such as Alila and Six Senses impend. A new international terminal will soon open at Velana International Airport in the capital Malé, raising its capacity to 7.5 million passengers per year. (In 2019, a record-breaking 1.7 million tourists visited the country.)

All these changes and upgrades mean that planning a trip to the Maldives can be dizzying, even for return visitors. From new protocols to even newer resorts, here’s a leg up on all the planning.

An Updated Lay of the Land

Covid-19 entry rules are one of the easier parts of travel logistics in the Maldives. Every incoming tourist must fill out a Traveller Health Declaration within 24 hours of arrival; at immigration, they must also show proof of a negative Covid-19 PCR test taken within 96 hours of their flight. You don’t need special apps, health passports, or printed confirmations. A simple screenshot will suffice.    

It’s getting around the Maldives that poses complications. Long-haul flight access to Malé is plentiful and often affordable, but short hops in seaplanes—which are difficult to avoid—can snarl travel days and create sticker shock; they can cost from $250 to $400 each way, and they frequently take longer than accommodation staff will suggest. Although your resort may be a 40-minute direct seaplane ride from the airport, it can take hours before that flight departs—and it may drop guests at multiple islands along the way. Properties closer to the airport can be accessed by speedboat, but those, too, can run into hundreds of dollars.

Even if you’re used to shelling out on vacation, prepare yourself for extravagant pricing—typically, with no alternative. At the fanciest addresses, adding a massage, excursion, lunch, and boozy dinner can add $1,000 per person to your expenses. Virtually everything in the Maldives is imported, alcohol is heavily taxed, and hotels must often cover board and lodging (along with flight allowances) for many staff members.

The Best Places to Stay

Idyllic as they might generally be, the Maldives’ hundred-plus resorts can feel a touch … generic. These six standouts—some brand new and some more classic—merit distinct superlatives.

The Most Inviting Wellness Retreat: Joali Being

At this so-called “nature-immersive” retreat, which opened in mid-November, the island’s woodland interior has been left untouched. That’s a rarity among resorts, which typically mow or at least manicure it. The forest here becomes as much part of the experience as the sea: Guests can follow a “discovery sound path” embedded with interactive music installations, visit the resort’s turtle sanctuary, or charter a traditional dhoni fishing boat to get out on the water.

All this contributes to a holistic wellness concept that rivals the world’s best medical spas, though in a far less clinical setting. Itineraries are formulated after an in-depth consultation, and activities prescribed to treat anything from a lack of mental clarity to a sleep disorder. Herbologists at the hotel’s fragrant apothecary create customized cosmetics and teas to tackle hormonal complaints; at Flow, the open-air restaurant, diners sit under church-height thatched ceilings and eat dishes tailored to their nutritional goals. Yet this remains a place where your definition of healing is the one that’s most important, be it crack-of-dawn yoga class and vigorous physical therapy or pampering massages and snorkeling. Rooms from $2,142.

The Disruptor: Patina Maldives, Fari Islands

At Patina Maldives, the vitamin-infused ginger and ginseng gummies that appear at turndown are made in-house—with a 3D printer. The 90 villas all have private pools, plus glass that walls retract on three sides to fuse indoor and outdoor living. Kids aged 8 to 12 enjoy free diving lessons to learn about the environment. And philanthropy is baked into every stay, with 1% of gross operating profits supporting local charities.

Six-months-old Patina is most innovative for the way it acts as a conduit to a wider destination. Its location within the Fari Marina complex—a manmade archipelago with three private island resorts flanking a central “social hub”—means travelers can mingle with guests staying at the nearby Ritz-Carlton or forthcoming Capella resort and enjoy any of 17 restaurants or a large handful of luxury shops on the main island. For a cultural fix, day trippers can visit James Turrell’s Skyspace, a pavilion with skylight that occasionally hosts yoga classes. Back a their own oasis, activities include Boduberu folk-drumming classes or coral reef planting in the hotel lagoon. Rooms from $2,181.

The Fun-Time Island: Finolhu Baa Atoll Maldives

The Maldives’ status as a honeymooners’ haven means that gregarious groups can feel as if they’re spoiling the serenity. Worry not at Finolhu Baa Atoll Maldives: ever since the model Cara Delevingne and some photogenic pals enjoyed an exclusive-use stay and splashed their antics all over Instagram, this recently renovated resort has held a niche as the country’s good-time-for-all destination. An events program includes regular DJ sets, nightly performances by contortionists, and monthly full moon parties on the resort’s out-of-the-way sandbank. Plan around the lunar event, and you can expect fire shows, free-flowing cocktails, and music that goes on long into the night.

Still, respite awaits in the resort’s sprawling villas. Offset by sprightly splashes of green and orange, they’re finished with teardrop-shaped lanterns and woven textiles and often feature private pools. Rooms from $520.

The Original Eco-Resort: Soneva Fushi

‘Sustainability’ wasn’t a word hotels used frequently when Soneva Fushi opened in 1995. Respect for the environment has always been integral to this pioneering property whose 72 villas meld a Robinson Crusoe aesthetic with unfettered indulgence: You might find an ornamental pond surrounding the sunken tub in your beach abode’s outdoor bathroom. The hotel is serious about the green initiatives embedded into every facet of operations and woven into the guest experience. Visitors can take glassblowing classes as a way to upcycle bottles from local resorts, or they might tour the island’s substantial organic gardens before picking the vegetables that will be used to make their lunch. Soneva Fushi’s other superlatives include its newly unveiled overwater villas, complete with slides, that start at 6,297 square feet—among the largest in the world. Rooms from $1,780.  

The Design Destination: Cheval Blanc Randheli

Part of LVMH’s rarefied Cheval Blanc hotel collection—there are only five such properties in the world—Randheli is known for the exemplary design of its 45 vast villas, conceived by ultra-luxe-hotels hotshot Jean-Michel Gathy. Each is partitioned by soaring, swiveling oak panels and filled with tactile rattan and mother-of-pearl furnishings. Everything is of resolutely high quality; even the resort’s signature cardamom-and-driftwood scent was created by Dior’s aroma czar[HEAD NOSE IS WAY TOO CAS FOR BBERG]. Much could be mistaken for a fashion-shoot backdrop: The square-shaped main pool, with its glossy emerald green floor tiles, is flanked by a symmetry of palms; the spa occupies its own private island, with meditation pavilions facing a glassy lagoon. And under the sparkling crystal chandeliers at Le 1947, diners enjoy local red tuna with potato mille-feuille and vanilla creme brulée with passionfruit and lemongrass. This being LVMH, there are also top-rate (and top-dollar) shopping opportunities for boutique-exclusive goods from the likes of Orlebar Brown and Hublot. Rooms from $2,200

The Acme of All-inclusives: Kudadoo Maldives Private Island

Kudadoo’s tagline, ‘Anything, Anytime, Anywhere,’ is a literal invitation to avail yourself of its round-the-clock, all-inclusive indulgences. Just say the word and limitless dolphin-watching cruises and jet-ski safaris can be bookended by non-stop spa treatments while butlers organize free-flowing Champagne sundowners and sashimi on an isolated sandbank. It’s all covered in the nightly rate—rooms start at $3,800—and yes, masseurs are on call in the middle of the night.

The curious thing, however, is that many guests simply take it easy, their fanciful whims perhaps tamped down by the inherently restful setting. Kudadoo’s 15 enormous overwater pool villas offer a masterclass in Japanese-inspired minimalism, all in unvarnished cedar and four-poster beds raised for a better view of the ocean. No other all-inclusive resort reaches this level of excellence and ambition—which is why Kudadoo has fast established itself as a classic, despite having opened just a year before Covid-19 hit.

Still, if all-inclusive luxury simply means eliminating the sticker shock, a further option exists: The rooms at Constance Moofushi are simple, but the expansive soft-sand beach and immensely colorful house reef cost roughly $650 a night. It’s the type of insider secret that makes it possible to go back to the Maldives again and again.

President, Aviation Safety Round Table Initiative (ASRTI) Dr. Gabriel Olowo has faulted plans to set up a national carrier with three wet-leased aircraft, describing it as undeserving for the country where there are bigger operators on ground.

Dr. Olowo, who made this known in Lagos yesterday, faulted the position of aviation minister, Hadi Sirika that the national carrier would create 70,000 jobs.

Olowo however, disagreed with Sirika that  a wet lease cannot create jobs for the carrier as it is a leasing agreement where the owner of an equipment supplies the aircraft and crew as well as maintain operational control of all flights.

Accordingly, Olowo decried that government has under its portfolio, airlines like Aero Contractors and Arik lying in state, suggesting that the wet leased aircraft could be added to their fleet, all branded Nigeria Air as a stop gap and later offered to the public.

He said: “A national carrier with startup aircraft of three on wet lease (No single Nigerian crew) is undeserving for Nigeria where there are bigger operators on ground. Arik and Aero are already on government portfolios lying in state.

Why not add the three wet leased aircraft to their fleet as stop gap, rebrand them Nigeria Air, and subsequently offer to the public.”

On the  equity structure,   he said  the government  five per cent equity in Nigeria Air should be done for all 22 private Nigerian airlines on ground to level the playing field.

Besides, he said the equity should be spread among airlines which could be  put in pool   under mutually beneficial codeshare/block seat agreement to build a mega carrier, stressing that the Nigeria Air project can be used as a consolidator of sorts.

He explained:” My first reaction to the five percent government equity in Nigeria Air is that it should do the same with 22 private airlines on ground if the government is that liquid in order to level the playing field and give equal support concessions for concessions, tax relief for tax relief, exchange rate regime for exchange rate regime, handling, over flyer charges, lot and terminal allocation. The nomenclature should be flag carriers.

“ Discriminatory or preferential treatment in any form will be a violation of global anti-trust competition rules. Then on second thought, the carrier should be modeled a consolidator to harness and pull resources of willing and discerning operators together under a mutually beneficial codeshare/block seat agreement and build a united, strong and competitive mega carrier to be known as national carrier rather than a government preferred private carrier. These are more tenable nationalistic options.”

BY  Chinedu Eze

Domestic airline operators in Nigeria have expressed fears that their flight schedule might be disrupted by the harmattan weather, which becomes severe from late November to January every year.

The airlines noted that the harmattan was mild throughout the end of last year and early 2021. However, they said this was a departure from the past and expressed hope that it would be similar experience this year.

In 2018, flight operations did not take place on December 21, 22 and 23; airlines had to reschedule their flights at huge cost and enormous discomfort to passengers.

Similarly, in 2019, there were disruptions but not as severe as the previous year and in 2020 besides few hours delays, harmattan did not disrupt flight like in the past years.

Speaking on the development, a spokesman for Dana Air, Kingsley Ezenwa, said airlines are optimistic that the authorities would provide the necessary facilities to stem the effect of bad weather.

He stressed that if such facilities are not provided, flights would be disrupted, a situation, he stated, would be very bad for the airlines and the passengers.

“Passengers do not know the root cause of flight delays and even flight cancellations. They do not want to know if it is caused by weather they just blame the airlines. So if nothing is done, it means that we will go through the same experience as we do every year. That will not be good for flight operations,” he said.

The Director General of the Nigeria Meteorological Agency (NIMET), Prof. Mansur Matazu, told THISDAY that harmattan may not be as severe this year and promised to keep updating the public on weather changes.

“You Know harmattan dust comes in cycles of four and six days,” he said. A former Director General of NIMET, Dr. Anthony Anuforom, gave details of how harmattan could hamper flight operations and noted that no two seasons are the same because the volume of rains every year cannot be the same.

“We are under the influence of harmattan because the North-Easterly wind from Niger and Chad carries dusty wind into Nigeria, which usually have higher impact in the northern region because of its proximity to the Sahel. It brings dust particles, which scatter light, obscure visibility. These particles are solid but suspended in the air. It blocks visibility and affects flight operation.

“It will be difficult to tell the frequency of severe dust activities and climate variability. The amount of rainfall last year was not the same this year, so it varies from year to year. So there is annual variability and on the average there is dust which obstruct flight operations,” Anuforom said.

Industry experts told THISDAY that harmattan weather is not as severe as the winter in Europe; yet, flights still take off and land and attributed the inability of airlines to conduct flights during rainy season and harmattan period to the non-availability of the right landing aids and other aeronautical facilities.

They accused the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) of not improving its facilities from year –to- year, noting that whenever NAMA is able to install these modern facilities, harmattan would no more obstruct flight operations.

“NAMA installed Category 3 Instrument Landing System (ILS) at the Lagos and Abuja airports without the corresponding lighting system and other equipment that should g with it,” disclosed industry stakeholder who spoke to THISDAY.

Recently when asked when Nigeria airlines could be flying, taking off and landing under severe harmattan weather, the Minister of Aviation, Senator Hadi Sirika told THISDAY that NAMA had acquired modern equipment that could enable airlines to fly under severe harmattan weather but the aircraft operated by the airlines ought to have corresponding equipment that would enable them interface with the modern equipment.

“Recently we have acquired some equipment that will help in landing in reduced visibility. So, 13 airports are being equipped with Category 3 Instrument Landing System (ILS). Category 3 Instrument Landing System means that you can land with zero, zero visibility. Meaning that even blindfolded, you can put down the airplane. But you see on this, during a conference with the air traffic controllers, I had highlighted more on this. It takes the two to tango. We will provide the equipment, but the airlines also must train their pilots to be able to use that Category 3 ILS. “That is number one, number two, they also have to have inside the airplane corresponding equipment that can interpret the signals being sent by the ground equipment that we have installed on the ILS,” the Minister said.

The Minister said it would cost the airlines huge amount of money to install some of this equipment in their aircraft and this is why government is not making it compulsory for the airlines.

However, THISDAY gathered that the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has weather minima for every airport and that airlines with modern equipment had in the past requested from NCAA to operate flights to some airports when the visibility is below the weather minima but NCAA refused. For example, Arik Air operated modern aircraft, Boeing 737-700 and 800 NG and these aircraft have installed equipment that enables then to land at zero visibility but NCAA never approved that they should utilise the equipment.

BY  Chinedu Eze

United Airlines has inaugurated its new nonstop service between its hub at Washington Dulles International Airport and Murtala MuhammedInternational Airport with the arrival of the first flight into Lagos last Tuestday.

With three weekly flights, United is the first and only airline serving Washington, D.C. nonstop from Lagos.

The flight is operated with state-of-the-art Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft, featuring United’s award-winning United PolarisSM business class cabin and United Premium PlusSM premium economy seats. The new service marks United’s return to Nigeria, which the airline previously served up until 2016.

A water cannon salute marked the arrival of United flight UA612 with United’s Country Sales Manager Nigeria, Oluwatomi Bola-Sadipe, Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) Regional General Manager, Victoria Shin-Aba and US Consul General, Claire Pierangelowelcoming the first arriving United customers at Murtala MuhammedInternational Airport.

“This new flight from Lagos reinforces our ongoing commitment to growing our network in Africa and providing more convenient service to the destinations our customers want to fly to most,” said United’s Senior Vice President International Network Planning and Alliances, Patrick Quayle. “This highly anticipated service will provide a key gateway between Lagos and Washington D.C., as well as easy one-stop connections to almost 80 destinations across the Americas, including Houston and Chicago.”

“This exciting initiative further expands our economic relationship, promotes people-to-people ties, and creates new opportunities for United, travel companies, and customers alike,” said US Ambassador to Nigeria, Mary Beth Leonard.

This new flight builds on United’s expansion into Africa and solidifies the airline’s leadership position from Africa to the US. Earlier this year, United launched new service between Johannesburg and New York/Newark and between Accra and Washington, D.C. This December and January, United will increase its Accra service from three weekly flights to daily. United will also bring back its popular nonstop service between Cape Town and New York/Newark on 1 December 2021.

United’s new flights comply with each countries’ COVID-19 protocols and customers should check destination requirements before travelling. United’s new service from Lagos to Washington D.C. is operated with Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft, featuring 28 United Polaris business class lie-flat seats, 21 United Premium Plus premium economy seats, 36 Economy PlusSM seats and 158 standard economy seats. This flight is the only service between Nigeria and the U.S. to offer a premium economy product.

The airline said the revolutionary design of the Dreamliner offers customers many features for increased comfort, such as large windows, spacious overhead storage and modern LED lighting to simulate a full day, helping passengers adjust their internal clock on the transatlantic flight. In addition, a lower cabin altitude, cleaner air and smoother ride help customers feel rested on arrival.

By Kelvin Osa Okunbor and Nwanosike Onu, Awka

The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) yesterday granted approval for flight operations in Anambra International Cargo Airport.

The NCAA said it delayed the approval for flights operations into the airport over security considerations when the Anambra Stare government made request on October 28, 2021.

Its Director General, Capt Musa Nuhu said though flights are allowed into the airport effective December 2, 2021 but it must be Visual Flight Rules – during sunrise to sunset.

Besides the time approved for such flights, the NCAA categorically prescribes that only Dash 8 Q400 aircraft or its equivalent on rescue and fire cover category Five would be allowed.

In a memo dated December 1,2021 to the state government the NCAA said: “The earlier request for October 28,2021 was declined because of adverse security report.

“However, I wish to inform that the NCAA has received clearance from relevant security agency approving the opening of the Anambra International Cargo Airport for flight operations.

“In line with the Nigerian Civil Aviation Regulations the NCAA hereby grants approval to operate category B aircraft – Dash 8 Q400 or its equivalent.

“The operations shall be visual flight rules- only sunrise to sunset. Whenever outstanding requirements are met all restrictions will be removed.”

The NCAA urged the state government to adhere strictly to safety, security and COVID -19 protocols at the airport at all times.

By Sola Ogundipe

The frenzy that has gripped the world since the emergence of the newly discovered Omicron COVID-19 variant spilled over into Nigeria on Wednesday, December 1, 2021. At the crack of dawn, Nigerians woke up to the cheerless news that the dreaded mutant virus had been discovered in the country.

Omicron, the latest coronavirus variant and feared to be potentially the deadliest, continues to ignite fresh  concerns across the world. The federal government had earlier denied the presence of the new variant in the country, only to reverse itself less than 24 hours later.

A statement issued by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, NCDC, confirmed that three cases of the Omicron variant had been detected in the country among air travelers with history of travel to South Africa.

The news rapidly went viral as Nigerians feared the worst. It was the second time  that emergence of a potentially deadly variant of the COVID-19 virus was being confirmed in the country. The first time was in June when the highly contagious Delta variant was first detected.

Once again Nigeria is in the eye of the COVID-19 pandemic just as it was precisely a year ago, at the peak of the pandemic when the number of new cases spiked around the Yuletide. The discovery of Omicron variant only adds a new alarm in the pandemic.

A number of persons expected that Nigeria would be officially included on the list of countries from which flights are restricted and persons with  travel plans during the Yuletide  particularly had cause to worry. They were proved right when  announcements of flight restrictions from Nigeria and other affected countries began making the rounds shortly thereafter. Three days earlier, Indonesia had announced flight restrictions from Nigeria and seven other African countries.

Around  the same time, Canada said it had confirmed the Omicron variant in two persons with travel history to Nigeria within the last 14 days. On Wednesday, Ghana also confirmed the Omicron variant in  travelers that had been in Nigeria and South Africa within the fortnight.

Since the emergence of the new mutant virus, the USA, Canada, European Union countries, Israel, Indonesia, Australia, and several African countries have restricted or outrightly banned flights from countries recording cases.

Travelers face increasing uncertainty in the coming days and weeks as more countries restrict flights in the bid to keep the Omicron menace at bay. As countries are rushing to impose travel bans on inbound flights amid border closures and revised entry requirements, some Nigerian travelers have already been left stranded even as those with trips planned to affected destinations cannot  take off or make alternative arrangements.

The grounding of flights has caught many off guard. With the ever-changing COVID-19-related travel restrictions, taking trips for the rest of   2021 and into 2022 is going to be rather complicated.

Controversy over travel bans

Concerned watchers have described travel bans as unnecessary, and even the WHO urges that borders be left open. The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention has discouraged travel bans on countries that reported the new variant. It said past experience shows that such travel bans have “not yielded a meaningful outcome.”

Nevertheless, there are suggestions that travel restrictions may help curb the spread of new coronavirus variants by helping to reduce the number of imported cases and delay the potential outbreak.

But researchers argue that travel restrictions alone are not a panacea, rather, reducing community transmission rates are more important.

A senior scientist at South Africa’s National Institute for Communicable Diseases, Jinal Bhiman is against travel bans.

“I don’t think travel bans are the best way to combat the new variant. After all, we saw with delta that by the time the variant is identified, it’s already there, it has spread. The first infections take place much earlier,” he stated.

Other experts say the border closures would wreak havoc in African countries that were counting on reopening. For instance in Nigeria, December is traditionally a season for high domestic and international travel and a surge in visitors from across the world is expected.

Besides, only 10 percent of people in Africa have received one dose of a vaccine. Just 2 percent of Nigerians have been vaccinated, shortages and vaccine hesitancy have not helped. There are calls for ramp up of testing and vaccinations rather than travel bans.

According to Joseph Fauver, an assistant professor of genomic surveillance at the University of Nebraska Medical Centre: “If all we do is a travel ban, and we don’t increase testing at airports or provide resources for people to isolate if they do test positive so they can justify missing work — all of that would have to be happening to reduce community transmission.”

 Jennifer Nuzzo, an epidemiologist at Johns Hopkins University, warned that travel bans created a false sense of security.

“The notion of having a global map of where the variants are and aren’t is just fantasy. I don’t think the travel bans really have much of an impact, other than answering the political pressures that inevitably arise when a new variant emerges.”

Shabir Madhi, a virologist at University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, cautioned that the Omicron variant could yet fizzle out, as other seemingly worrisome versions of the virus had done.

Avoid traveling this Yuletide

The Chairman of Bio-vaccine Board, and a board member of the Global Alliance for Vaccine and Immunisation (GAVI), Prof. Oyewale Tomori, however says that banning of flights is not out of place.

Tomori, a foremost Nigerian virologist  advised Nigerians in Diaspora not to consider travelling out of their respective locations at the moment.

“If am a Nigerian that is outside the country, I will suspend my coming this Christmas because of the current situation. But unfortunately we are going to have influx of people and those officials at the port of entry may not do the right thing while some people will not go for isolation. If I had the power, I will say stop people from coming in.”

More cases expected

Thousands of Nigerians in South Africa and other affected countries are planning to return to Nigeria to spend the Yuletide with their loved ones. Thousands of Nigerians live in South Africa and many always return for Christmas every December. 61 passengers that arrived Holland earlier in the week from South Africa tested positive to Covid-19 at Schiphol Airport. No flight restrictions have been announced by Nigeria, but with more pet travelling down, there are fears that Nigeria might record an explosion of cases in the coming days.

Nigeria was first to detect the Omicron variant in West Africa. According to the NCDC, with Omicron spreading rapidly globally, it is preparing to identify more cases.

“Our focus is to complete sequencing of recently accrued samples of SARS-COV-2 positive travelers from all countries, especially those from countries that have reported the Omicron variant already,” the NCDC said.

For travelers into and out of Nigeria, the  NCDC says it is restoring a mandate to show proof of vaccination or a negative test taken 48 hours before departure. Before arriving in Nigeria, inbound travelers are required to book day two and day seven tests too. The three positive Omicron cases were the result of day two tests.

Beware of Omicron, WHO warns

On Monday, the World Health Organisation  issued a red alert on the marauding mutant variant warning that it poses “very high” risks and is likely to spread globally. Scientists continue to analyze data to assess whether Omicron is in fact more contagious, causes more severe disease or increased risk of reinfections, as compared to other variants.

Although the virulence of the variant is yet to be established, the WHO said Omicron has a potential for mutation and more transmissible than the Delta variant that emerged a year ago in India and quickly became the dominant strain.

 Scientists say that they would know within next few weeks to what extent Omicron can evade the immunity generated by vaccines or prior infection, and whether it leads to worse clinical symptoms than other variants.

The WHO designated Omicron a Variant of Concern on advice of its Technical Advisory Group on Virus Evolution (TAG-VE). 

It is not yet clear whether Omicron is more easily spread from person to person compared to other variants, including Delta. The number of people testing positive has risen, but it is also not yet clear whether infection with Omicron causes more severe disease compared to infections with other variants, including Delta variant.

 Omicron, what’s in the name

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has a tradition of naming variants of the coronavirus after the Greek alphabet. The first 12 letters had been used to name the previous strains of the virus, but in mid November when the WHO was choosing a name for the recently discovered variant, it skipped the 13th and 14th letters in the Greek alphabet – Nu and Xi – that were next in line.

Rather, the 15th letter in the Greek alphabet – Omicron, which means “small” was chosen. One of the reasons for this deviation was the need to avoid confusion and stigmatisation of any particular region.

Saturday Vanguard gathered that the 13th letter, Nu, was dropped because it sounds like “new” which could lead to confusion, while the 14th letter “Xi” was avoided because it is part of the name of Chinese president, Xi Jinping.

Clash of the variants

Omicron variant (B.1.1.529): First identified in November in southern Africa, days after researchers raised alarms about the variant’s high number of mutations, it was being reported in more than 12 countries.

In South Africa — where nearly 25 percent of the adult population is fully vaccinated, the variant has spread rapidly. Omicron’s genetic profile is unique from other circulating variants. It is a new lineage of the virus.

Classified as by the WHO as a “variant of concern,” omicron has a worrisome number of mutations, including up to 32 identified in the spike protein, the part of the virus that binds to human cells. There is concern that this could make it more transmissible and adept at evading the body’s immune defenses, but exactly how it behaves remains unknown.

Delta variant (B.1.617): Frst detected in India, in October and contributed to a devastating surge in infections. It has been reported in no less than 23 countries as at Thursday. Nigeria and Ghana confirmed cases on 1st December.

Mu variant (B.1.621): First reported in Colombia in January and classified as the 5th  “variant of interest” by the WHO. It has been identified in more than 39 countries so far. It shares similarities with the beta variant, and appears vaccines may have a diminished impact.

The original variant (D614G): This variant, known to scientists simply as “G,” was discovered in China in January 2020. The “G” variant has become ubiquitous. By July 2020, about 70 percent of the 50,000 genomes of the coronavirus uploaded by researchers worldwide to a shared database carried the variant.

The G variant was the dominant strain when 2020 vaccine trials took place. This coronavirus mutation has taken over the world. Scientists are trying to understand why.

Vanguard News Nigeria

By Wole Oyebade

Global airlines have expressed worry over fresh impositions of travel bans and flight restrictions as governments race to prevent the spread of the COVID-19 Omicron variant.

The carriers, under the aegis of the International Air Transport Association (IATA), said the emerging disruption would set the sector’s slow recovery backwards, with additional losses for struggling airlines.

They said though the recovery in air travel continued in October 2021 with broad-based improvements in both domestic and international markets, the imposition of travel bans by governments, against the advice of the World Health Organisation (WHO) now threaten the current gains.

Since South Africa announced the discovery of the Omicron variant last week, the virus has shown up in at least 24 countries. More than 30 countries have closed borders to flights from some nations, especially from the southern Africa region, and others have imposed stricter measures to curb the spread of the Omicron variant.

IATA, representing over 290 global airlines, estimated that total demand for air travel in October 2021 (measured in revenue passenger kilometers or RPKs) was down 49.4 per cent compared to October 2019. This was improved over the 53.3 per cent fall recorded in September 2021, compared to two years earlier.

International passenger demand in October was 65.5 per cent below October 2019, compared to a 69.0 per cent decline for September versus the 2019 period, with all regions showing improvement.

IATA’s Director-General, Willie Walsh, said October’s traffic performance reinforces that people will travel when they are permitted to.

“Unfortunately, government responses to the emergence of the Omicron variant are putting at risk the global connectivity it has taken so long to rebuild,” Walsh said.

African airlines’ traffic fell 60.2 per cent in October versus two years’ ago. Traffic in September was down 62.1 per cent over the corresponding 2019 period. October capacity was down 49.0 per cent and load factor declined 15.2 percentage points to 54.1 per cent.

European carriers’ October international traffic declined 50.6 per cent versus October 2019, much improved over the 56.5 per cent drop in September compared to September 2019. Capacity dropped 41.3 per cent and load factor fell 13.7 percentage points to 72.5 per cent.

Asia-Pacific airlines saw their October international traffic fall 92.8 per cent compared to October 2019, fractionally improving over the 93.1 per cent decline recorded for September 2021 compared to two years ago. Capacity dropped 83.8 per cent and the load factor was down 44.0 percentage points to 35.7 per cent, the lowest among regions by far.

Walsh remarked that the lifting of the U.S. restrictions on travel from some 33 countries last month raised hopes that a surge in pent-up travel demand would buoy traffic over the coming Northern Hemisphere winter.

“But the emergence of the Omicron variant panicked many governments into once again restricting or entirely removing the freedom to travel—even though WHO clearly advised that ‘blanket travel bans will not prevent the international spread, and they place a heavy burden on lives and livelihoods. The logic of the WHO advice was evident within days of Omicron’s identification in South Africa, with its presence already confirmed in all continents. The ill-advised travel bans are as ineffective as closing the barn door after the horse has bolted,” Walsh said.

Last month, IATA released a blueprint to help guide governments in safely re-opening their borders with data-driven decision-making. Specifically, IATA urged governments to focus on three key areas that include simplified health protocols, digital solutions to process health credentials, and COVID-19 measures proportional to risk levels with a continuous review process.

“Additionally, governments must address the terrible disparity in vaccination rates that has seen the developed world offering boosters at a time when less than 10 per cent of the African continent is fully vaccinated,” Walsh said.

By Wole Oyebade

Barring another disruption by the Omicron COVID-19 variant, the rivalry is set to resume on the high-traffic Lagos-Dubai-Lagos route, as Air Peace and Emirates Airlines restart flight services.

The two carriers are making a return after disagreements on COVID-19 travel protocols caused a diplomatic row between Nigeria and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), causing a suspension of direct flight in the last nine months.

Stakeholders, yesterday, reacted that Nigerian travellers would be the main beneficiaries of attendant price competition and choices on the popular transit corridor.

While Nigerian flag carrier, Air Peace, resumed Lagos-Dubai (via Sharjah) operations on December 1, Emirates is revving up for December 5 date with flights in and out of Lagos and Abuja daily.

The United Arab Emirates, in its latest Coronavirus protocol, removed the controversial Rapid Antigen Test (RDT) for COVID-19 as a prerequisite for travelling to the Middle East country for Nigerians and some other countries.

A statement dated November 26 by the Aviation Business Management Team-Dubai Airports, indicated that RDT would no longer be required for all flights for passengers travelling to Dubai from Nigeria, Uganda, Vietnam and Zambia.

The Nigerian government also responded swiftly by lifting the ban it previously placed on UAE’s Emirates Airline’s flights in March.

Aviation stakeholders welcomed the reconciliation with relief. Travel consultant, Sunday Olumegbon, said it was a wise business decision across the board.

“It was one diplomatic row that should not have happened in the first place. Dubai knows how much it has lost from withdrawing from Nigeria. Nigerian travellers have also felt the pinch for not being able to travel through Dubai, which has become one of the easiest transit airports in the world.

“But all’s well that ends well. We are happy that both countries are represented by airlines and can offer travellers good and affordable rates. Going into the festive rush, days ahead will be very interesting for the two carriers,” Olumegbon said.

To ensure the safety of travellers, visitors, and the community, Dubai requires COVID-19 PCR tests for all inbound passengers arriving in Dubai, including UAE citizens, residents and tourists, irrespective of the country they are coming from.

Travellers coming from Nigeria must hold a negative COVID-19 PCR test certificate for a test taken no more than 72 hours before departure. Additionally, the Nigerian Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) has specified designated laboratories for passengers departing Nigeria and travellers must obtain their certificate.

Travellers coming from Nigeria will also need to take another COVID-19 PCR test on arrival at Dubai International Airport. Passengers flying to Nigeria have to meet the requirements of their destination.

Ministers will meet soon to decide whether to increase travel restrictions to combat the omicron variant

By Charles Hymas, Home Affairs Editor

The travel red list could be expanded this weekend, with arrivals from Nigeria facing the prospect of hotel quarantine.

BY  Noah Banjo

The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria has denied reports that an explosion in Maiduguri city had affected the international airport.

The PUNCH had earlier reported that multiple explosions rocked some communities in Maiduguri early Saturday morning.

According to a statement signed by the General Manager, Corporate Affairs, Henrietta Yakubu, FAAN stated that the airport was not under any type of attack and neither was there an explosion that affected it.

The statement reads in part, “The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria hereby wishes to notify passengers and the general public that there was neither an explosion nor intrusion at the Maiduguri airport.

“The airport was not targeted, and is not under any attack whatsoever”.

The PUNCH had confirmed that the said explosion affected the One Thousand Housing Estate near Hajj Transit Camp where repentant Boko Haram insurgents are being housed.

There had been no reports from security agencies regarding the explosion at the time of filing this report.