Travel News

By Joke Falaju, Abuja

Uganda will from October 19, begin direct flights into Nigeria. This is just as Algeria is seeking for the review of the Bilateral Air Service Agreement (BASA) between the country and Nigeria.

The Ugandan Ambassador to Nigeria, Nelson Ocheger, disclosed this during a courtesy visit to the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development Festus Keyamo, when he came to convey the request of his government to the minister to witness the inaugural flight of Uganda to Nigeria.

He further informed the minister of the business forum slated for October 21st, where business entrepreneurs from Uganda will meet their Nigerian counterparts for collaboration and business opportunities.

Keyamo, while thanking the Ambassador for the visit, said Nigeria and Uganda have a long history of brotherhood, saying the direct flight will mark the beginning of partnership between the two countries as free trade agreement between African countries can only easily come through free skies.

Earlier, the minister assured the Algerian Ambassador, Hacine Lalti, who paid him a courtesy call in his office of a review of the BASA between Algeria and Nigeria.

He said the demand for a direct flight to Abuja will be achieved, saying that the meetings of aeronautical engineers from both countries slated earlier for December will be brought forward tentatively to November 7th to fast-track the BASA agreement review as demanded.

Speaking earlier, the Algerian Ambassador expressed appreciation to the minister for hosting him. He demanded for a review of the July 14th, 2022 agreement to include a direct flight to Abuja, saying that the government of Algeria has identified Nigeria and South Africa as business opportunities countries and is willing to partner with them.

Uganda will from October 19, begin direct flights into Nigeria. This is just as Algeria is seeking for the review of the Bilateral Air Service Agreement (BASA) between the country and Nigeria.

The Ugandan Ambassador to Nigeria, Nelson Ocheger, disclosed this during a courtesy visit to the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development Festus Keyamo, when he came to convey the request of his government to the minister to witness the inaugural flight of Uganda to Nigeria.

He further informed the minister of the business forum slated for October 21st, where business entrepreneurs from Uganda will meet their Nigerian counterparts for collaboration and business opportunities.

Keyamo, while thanking the Ambassador for the visit, said Nigeria and Uganda have a long history of brotherhood, saying the direct flight will mark the beginning of partnership between the two countries as free trade agreement between African countries can only easily come through free skies.

Earlier, the minister assured the Algerian Ambassador, Hacine Lalti, who paid him a courtesy call in his office of a review of the BASA between Algeria and Nigeria.

He said the demand for a direct flight to Abuja will be achieved, saying that the meetings of aeronautical engineers from both countries slated earlier for December will be brought forward tentatively to November 7th to fast-track the BASA agreement review as demanded.

Speaking earlier, the Algerian Ambassador expressed appreciation to the minister for hosting him. He demanded for a review of the July 14th, 2022 agreement to include a direct flight to Abuja, saying that the government of Algeria has identified Nigeria and South Africa as business opportunities countries and is willing to partner with them.

By Damilola Aina

As part of strategies to beat high operating costs in the aviation industry, domestic airlines have increased the number of flight seats, allowing more travellers to commute and boost revenue.

The President of the National Association of Nigeria Travel Agencies, Susan Akporiaye, responding to the effect of foreign exchange scarcity in an exclusive interview with our correspondent, said the new development was part of coping mechanisms, employed by airline owners to increase the capacity of their airlines amid dwindling revenue.

According to her, the lower seats, although cheaper, were to drive up the average seats per departure and translate into lower per-seat costs.

She said, “Nothing has changed in the operating costs yet due to the fluctuating exchange rate, which is affecting our operating costs. The only thing that has changed is that airlines are beginning to release the lower seats now. Some of them have started releasing lower seats.

“Earlier, the airlines stopped selling off all the cheap classes and were only selling the expensive ones. The airlines had cut off all the cheap seats and were selling only the expensive ones because of the trapped fund issue but now that the rate of exchange is high. Most of them are releasing the cheap seats to get more revenue to remain afloat in the business.”

The PUNCH reports that aviation experts have expressed deep worries over the potential negative impact of the recent increase in airfares on the aviation industry occasioned by the scarcity of foreign exchange amongst other challenges.

Though the minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, had promised to resolve issues facing the sector, experts said poor implementation of policy regulation was a bane affecting the industry.

Meanwhile, the Chief Executive Officer, of Centurion Security, Group Capt. John Ojikutu, called for a thorough examination of the commercial addition sector by the relevant authorities so as to ascertain the financial health of all airlines.

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By Abdullateef Aliyu

Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Mr. Festus Keyamo yesterday said the federal government would review its Bilateral Air Service Agreement (BASA) with Algeria to allow direct flight between Nigeria and the North African country.

Keyamo stated this when he received the Algerian Ambassador, Mr. Hacine LALTI who paid him a visit in his office in Abuja, according to a statement by the ministry’s spokesman, Odutayo Oluseyi.

He said the demand for a direct flight to Abuja will be achieved, noting that the meetings of aeronautical engineers from both countries slated earlier for December will be brought forward tentatively to the 7th of November to fast-track the BASA agreement review as demanded.

Daily Trust reports that the BASA with Algeria only allows an airline from the country to fly to Lagos.

United Airlines says that it will start boarding passengers in economy class with window seats first starting next week, a move that will speed up boarding times for flights.

The airline said in an internal memo that it will implement the plan on Oct. 26. The plan, known as WILMA, for window, middle and aisle, was tested at four domestic locations and one hub. United said that it’s shown to save up to two minutes of boarding time.

The change will begin with passengers in Group 4. Those with window seats will board first, followed by those with middle seats and then those with aisle seats. United said that multiple customers on the same economy reservation, such as families, will be allowed to board their flight together.

The plan will be implemented on domestic flights and some international flights.

Individuals in first class and business class will see no change in their boarding process. There's also no change for the pre-boarding group that includes travelers with disabilities, unaccompanied minors, active-duty military and families traveling with children that are 2 years old or younger.

On Tuesday United reported that it it earned $1.14 billion in the vacation-heavy third quarter, but the airline forecast weaker profit the rest of the year due to surging jet fuel prices and the suspension of flights to Tel Aviv during the Israel-Hamas war.

United said its fourth-quarter adjusted profit would be between $1.50 and $1.80 per share, short of Wall Street's expectations for $2.09 per share.

The high end of the United forecast assumes that the airline will resume Tel Aviv flights next month, while the low end assumes no more flights this year. United and many other airlines halted the flights shortly after Hamas militants attacked Israel on Oct. 7.

Shares of United Airlines Holdings Inc. fell more than 5% before the market open on Wednesday.

Michelle Chapman, The Associated Press

The Naira hit a record low at the official market on Tuesday to exchange at N848.12 per $1

By Abdulkareem Mojeed

The Naira plummeted to its lowest rate against the United States dollar at the official market on Tuesday, market data published on the FMDQ website showed.

The local currency closed at N848.12 per dollar on Tuesday, as against N778.80 recorded in the previous session on Monday. Tuesday’s rate translates to 8.9 per cent depreciation from N778.80 it exchanged on Monday.

According to the data, the naira opened at N758.50 but slipped to N848.12 at the close of business on Tuesday as foreign exchange supply within the market segment skyrocketed significantly.

Forex supplied within the session on Tuesday is pegged at $134.8 million, which represents about a 212 per cent increase from $43.09 million posted on Monday.

Within the business period on Tuesday, the naira reached an intraday high of N700.00 and spiralled to a low of N981.00 before settling at N848.12 per $1.

Similarly, the local unit extended losses at the parallel market on Tuesday. According to data published by AbokiFX, a website that collates unofficial market rates in Lagos, the naira was exchanged at N1,050 to a dollar on Tuesday as against N1,040 recorded in the previous session.

At the parallel market segment, the naira was sold at N1,060 per $1 amidst a shortfall in dollar circulation and increased demand.

The spread between the official and unofficial markets is pegged at N201.88, leaving the market margin at 24 per cent on Tuesday.

Similarly, the local unit extended losses at the parallel market on Tuesday. According to data published by AbokiFX, a website that collates unofficial market rates in Lagos, the naira was exchanged at N1,050 to a dollar on Tuesday as against N1,040 recorded in the previous session.

At the parallel market segment, the naira was sold at N1,060 per $1 amidst a shortfall in dollar circulation and increased demand.

The spread between the official and unofficial markets is pegged at N201.88, leaving the market margin at 24 per cent on Tuesday.

BY  Albertina Torsoli, Bloomberg News

An Air France-KLM passenger jet at Orly Airport in Paris. , Bloomberg

(Bloomberg) -- Air France plans to retreat from the Paris Orly airport in coming years from where the carrier connects the capital with the country’s south, responding to a sharp drop in domestic flights as people switch increasingly to videoconferencing and rail travel. 

The airline, part of the Air France-KLM group, will complete the move to the bigger Roissy-Charles de Gaulle hub by 2026 and will continue to serve Toulouse, Marseille and Nice, as well as the French Overseas departments from Orly until then, it said in a statement. The group’s low-cost Transavia airline will continue operating from Orly, Air France-KLM said. 

Travel behavior within France has changed fundamentally in recent years, accelerated by the pandemic that crimped corporate trips and gave rise to conference calls that have often replaced personal meetings. Air traffic on domestic routes out of Paris-Orly is down by 40% and even by 60% for one-day return trips, according to the company. More people are also switching to trains, given that France’s high-speed network offers a competitive mode of transport to air travel.

Air France will present the plan to labor unions on Wednesday. A media representative for Aeroports de Paris, which operates both Charles de Gaulle and Orly airports, didn’t immediately respond to an e-mail seeking comment.

The airline will continue to serve the Mediterranean island of Corsica, which belongs to France, from Orly to honor public-service commitments, Air France said 

Charles de Gaulle airport, which is 25 kilometers (16 miles) north of Paris, welcomed 76.2 million passengers in 2019, according to ADP. Orly, which lies 10 kilometers south of the capital, welcomed 31.9 million passengers that same year.

BY  Valentine Baldassari, Bloomberg News

(Bloomberg) -- Several regional airports in France were evacuated after threats of attack on Thursday, a day after airports in France and Belgium were evacuated on the same grounds. 

There was an evacuation due to a bomb threat at the Montpellier airport, regional authorities said in a post on social media platform X. On the same platform, the Lille airport account said at 11 a.m. local time it was being evacuated after a bomb threat. It is now “progressively reopening.” 

The regional airports of Bordeaux, Nantes, Lille, and Montpellier were evacuated, the Figaro newspaper reported earlier. Beauvais airport, which is used by low cost carriers to serve the Paris region, and Tarbes-Lourdes airport in the southwestern Pyrenees region were also evacuated.

The national police said there had been threats at Lille, Nantes, Bordeaux and Nice airport but did not confirm whether they had been evacuated. Nice airport said in a post on X that there had been no evacuation. 

Paris airport operator ADP said the Roissy-Charles de Gaulle and Orly airports weren’t affected. 

On Thursday, the Federal Government announced that the Third Mainland Bridge in Lagos will be closed for repairs. The closure would take place from midnight on Saturday, October 21, until midnight on Sunday, October 22.

In a statement, Mrs. Olukorede Kesha, the Federal Controller of Works for Lagos State, stated that the government was prepared to commence extensive bridge restoration, beginning with crucial section repairs.

Kesha indicated that the Third Mainland Bridge would undergo extensive repairs, and that the Federal Government wanted the driving public to know that this was something they were actively working on.

In the statement, Kesha said, “However, in order to alleviate the pains currently being experienced on the bridge, the Ministry would be carrying out palliative works on the most critically failed sections along the Adeniji bound carriageway on Sunday, Oct. 22 preparatory to the comprehensive repair works.”

She urged drivers to assist traffic management personnel by following all instructions and respecting diversions to ensure smooth traffic flow, going on to say, “Motorists are encouraged to use alternative routes where possible during the period of the palliative works as the Adeniji bound of the bridge will be closed to traffic from Saturday, Oct. 21 to Sunday, 22nd 12.00 midnight.”

Many Nigerians have been bemoaning the bridge’s terrible condition lately, as large portions of its 11.8-kilometer length are filled with many potholes.

The government had, in September, postponed the repair works on the bridge due to heavy rain during that period.

Ozioma Samuel-Ugwuezi

BY   Wole Shadare

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has called for urgent assistance for the country’s aviation industry, stressing that the entire sector needs help to stay afloat and be profitable. This was the view of IATA’s Area Manager, West and Central Africa, Dr. Samson Fatokun when the group presented the IATA certificate of membership to United Nigeria Airlines that has been showing promise since the carrier was set up on February 12, 2021.

The aviation industry in Nigeria, according to him, needs help, noting that the Federal Government needs to provide them with help. Fatokun noted that the dollar is the language of global aviation, stressing that a situation where the carriers find it extremely difficult to access the United States currency for their operations puts enormous constraints on their existence.

The aviation industry he said is suffering because of lack of access to foreign ex- change which he described as very acute at the moment. He further disclosed that IATA had been appealing to the Federal Government to come to the rescue of the carriers, adding that the issues associated with foreign exchange is not peculiar to international carriers but even to domestic carriers “Even though they are flying in this market; almost 90 percent of their revenue is in local currency and they have to attend to their costs which 90 percent are dominated by dollars.

How do you want them to maintain their aircraft without having access to foreign exchange? The dollar is the currency of civil aviation. You cannot change it. That is how it runs globally. “You don’t buy aircraft in naira, you don’t maintain aircraft in naira, and you don’t train your crew or do a simulation in naira. It is not possible.

The currency of the industry is the dollar and our government needs to understand that,” he said. He noted that if the government really wants to support the sector, there must be in place clear lines of foreign exchange supply, stressing: “You cannot have an industry supporting the whole econo- my that is a catalyst or the blood-nerve of the industry that makes it to exist is being denied.”

Speaking on airlines’ trapped funds, the IATA chief said there were issues of legacy debts before the Bola Tinubu administration came into power while the over $700 million trapped funds had risen, saying that the I&E window that IATA and airlines have been directed to is ill-liquid because the banks cannot get money from the I & E window.

By Okechukwu Nnodim

There was a disagreement between oil marketers and the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited on Thursday over the supply of Premium Motor Spirit, popularly called petrol, as queues by motorists for the commodity in filling stations grew worse.

Dealers stated that the queues in various parts of the country for petrol might continue to linger because many independent oil marketers had not been able to access the PMS for over one month.

But this was countered by the NNPCL, as it argued that the company had 30-day PMS sufficiency, though the national oil firm admitted that it was aware of the fuel queues in Nigeria.

Many filling stations, particularly those operated by independent marketers were shut due to a lack of products to dispense in Abuja and neighbouring Nasarawa and Niger states.

The few outlets that dispensed products in these areas, mainly those of major dealers, were greeted with queues, for instance, the Conoil filling station in front of the Abuja headquarters of NNPCL had queues on Thursday.

The same scenario played out in Lagos, Port Harcourt, and many other locations, as confirmed by marketers and motorists in the various areas.

On Thursday, dealers under the aegis of the Independent Marketers Association of Nigeria stated that they had been finding it tough to access petrol from the NNPCL for more than one month.

IPMAN controls over 70 per cent of retail stations that dispense PMS nationwide. Currently, many outlets operated by IPMAN members are shut due to a lack of products to dispense.

They also told our correspondent that independent marketers had to resort to major tank farm owners for products, adding that the ex-depot price at these tank farms had been raised from about N578/litre to N605/litre.

The National Public Relations Officer, Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria, Chief Chinedu Ukadike, stated, “Many depots are dry. The NNPCL normally keeps products in its storage that are meant to be on the ground for some duration before fresh products come in. But as we speak, I think the stored products are exhausted.

“This is because for some time now, for the past month now, NNPCL has not been supplying petroleum products to independent marketers in the Port Refinery depot and some other depots across the country.

“In Warri and Lagos, marketers are finding it difficult to source products from the NNPCL. It is the few major marketers and tank farm owners that have products, which they now sell very exorbitantly.”

Asked to state the cost at which the tank farm owners sold the products to independent marketers, Ukadike replied, “They sell it exorbitantly at between N601 and N605/litre, which is against the approved price of NNPCL that is between N577 and N578/litre.

“So it is now becoming very difficult for independent marketers to be able to source products adequately from NNPCL, which is currently the sole importer of petroleum products in Nigeria. And this is because of the reintroduction of subsidy on petrol price.”

Ukadike pointed out that until Nigeria’s refineries were fixed, it would be difficult to fully deregulate the downstream oil sector, adding that the rush for dollars had further increased due to the ban that was lifted on the provision of forex for the imports of selected items.

“The government should take drastic actions to ensure that our refineries are back on track. A new modern refinery can be built with about $8bn, and modular refineries should be encouraged, as well by giving them crude oil.

“The crude swap programme and the recent payment of cash for petroleum imports have not helped matters, rather we keep on seeing galloping inflation. Our economy is going down the drain and this has to stop,” the IPMAN official stated.

Another oil marketer corroborated the position of the IPMAN PRO, as he stated that forex was currently controlling not only the downstream oil sector but the Nigerian economy at large.

“The reason for the queues is not far from what we’ve been saying. It is forex that controls our economy right now. So whatever happens in the global market affects us,” the Secretary, IPMAN, Abuja-Suleja, Mohammed Shuaibu, stated.

He added, “But the most unfortunate aspect of it is that being an oil-producing nation, we cannot refine the oil because of mismanagement. NNPCL is not importing enough. And right now, which individual has the financial strength to import the product?

“In fact, it is as if the government is even confused about the whole situation. However, if they provide us with forex, we will import it. But until then, the queues are going to persist, because the only importer is not meeting the required demand.”

Shuaibu kicked against any official increase in petrol price, stressing that this would be resisted by the masses, but noted that “they (government) should make forex or PMS available.

“The essence of governance is to remove or reduce the suffering of the people and not to inflict or increase people’s sufferings. It is an unfortunate situation that we find ourselves in right now and it requires some form of expertise on the part of the government to tackle.”

The President of the Petroleum Products Retail Outlets Owners Association of Nigeria, Billy Gillis-Harry, had earlier confirmed that there was a limited supply of products by NNPCL, stressing that this was why queues had continued to persist.

NNPCL supply

Also, another dealer with the Major Marketers Association of Nigeria stated that marketers had stopped importing petrol, adding that this had also contributed to the scarcity witnessed across the country.

The dealer, who requested to be anonymous, stated that the last private dealer, PETROCAM, that imported petrol into Nigeria recently, could not sell it due to the introduction of subsidy on PMS and the insistence of NNPCL not to raise its pump price.

“The depots are dried up. That’s a statement of fact. For more than a month now no other importer has brought in product except NNPC.

The National President of the Natural Oil and Gas Suppliers Association of Nigeria, Benneth Korie, had earlier confirmed that a lot of depots were presently dried up or out of stock.

When asked if other marketers were actually bringing in products alongside NNPCL in the past few months, the source (not Korie) replied, “Of course, yes. Emadeb started it.

“Nipco brought in products. About six to seven marketers brought in products. PETROCAM also brought products. So it wasn’t only NNPC. But these other marketers have stopped importing and we can see the effects.”

On whether NNPC has enough products since marketers have stopped PMS imports, the source replied, “NNPC also has its challenges too

“The NNPC you have now is different from the one before. If it was before, even if they bring in 10 million litres, they can give close to seven million litres to other marketers and use the rest.

“But now, even some of their retail outlets don’t have products because they are so much currently. So you cannot bring in products and be supplying third parties, leaving your own.”

The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Retail Limited, on Thursday, said it was aware of the appearance of fuel queues in some parts of Lagos and other locations across the country.

“This is due to reduced depot load-out in Apapa, Lagos over a few days, and the root cause has since been addressed.

“We assure all Nigerians that there is ample supply with the sufficiency of at least 30 days. Motorists are advised to desist from panic buying as distribution will normalise over the next couple of days,” the company stated in a post on its X (formerly Twitter) handle.