Private Jet Owners Begin Strike Over New Aviation Charges

Private jet owners in the country yesterday commenced an indefinite strike over a directive from the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) announcing a new price regime for all private airlines operating in the country.

In a circular dated November 18, 2013, and  signed  by  the agency’s director of operations, Mr J.C. Onyegiri, on behalf of the managing director,  all  foreign  registered aircraft  engaging in non-scheduled operations were directed  to pay  the sum of $3,000 fees for every departure except  round trips without  changes  in passenger manifest or return  ferry. Such fees, NAMA maintained, must be paid in advance and before any departure.

Lagos State Govt To Restrict Danfo Drivers To 8 Hrs Of Work

The Lagos State government has said it will begin enforcement of a section of the road traffic law which restricts commuter bus drivers from driving for more than eight hours at a stretch daily.

This was made known by the Commissioner for Transportation, Mr Kayode Opeifa, at a news conference heralding the National Council on Transportation conference which kicked off on Monday at the Lagos City Hall, Lagos.

The conference is entitled: “Transformation of Transport Infrastructure: Catalyst for Socio-Economic Growth.”

Opeifa made reference to section 44 of the Road Traffic Law which bars commuter bus drivers from driving for eight hours at a stretch, while also noting that the government would begin enforcement of the new law in January 2014.

90 Nigerians repatriated from Tunisia

Ninety Nigerians, including two babies, who were stranded in many parts of Tunisia, were early Tuesday morning repatriated into the country.

They were, around 10’clock on Tuesday received at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos by the South-West Zonal coordinator of the National Emergency Management Agency, Iyiola Akande, who represented the Director-General, Alhaji Muhammed Sani-Sidi.

The returnees consisted of two infants, five months and fourteen months old, 12 teenagers, 13 young women and 61 young men.

Seventy-seven of them came from Edo State, eight from Delta State, three from Imo and Lagos State, while Kano and Plateau had two and one, respectively.

Nigerian Airport Missing in Africa’s Best 10

Changi Airport

Kiyo: Singapore Changi Airport has been voted the World's Best Airport at the 2013 World Airport Awards held at Passenger Terminal EXPO in Geneva. This is the fourth time Changi airport has achieved the top prize.

Meanwhile, no Nigerian airport was listed among the best 10 airport in Africa; expectedly, South African airports dominated the top 10 ranking in Africa.

The World Airport Awards are managed by the air transport rating organisation, Skytrax Research of London, UK. The Airport Survey has operated since 1999, and the 2013 Awards are based on 12.1 million airline passenger nominations, and include 395 airports worldwide. The survey evaluates 39 airport Service and Product key performance indicators - from check-in, arrivals, transfers, shopping, security and immigration through to departure at the gate.

Africa’s Best Ten:

1    Cape Town International Airport

2    Durban King Shaka International Airport

3    Johannesburg OR Tambo International Airport

4    Cairo International Airport

5    Mauritius International Airport

6    East London Airport, South Africa

7   Addis Ababa Bole International Airport, Ethiopia

8    Port Elizabeth Airport, South Africa

9    Marrakech Menara International Airport, Morocco

10  Seychelles International Airport

Filo: As usual, we would get there.

Aero Contractors Resumes Flights

Kiyo: Aero Contractors resumed flights yesterday after two weeks of suspension of service. The airline claimed it has recalled over 600 workers it sacked about two weeks ago.

Filo: Not sure about that, but I gathered Aero is yet to refund passengers money after cancelling their flight on March 13, 2013.

Kiyo: Still investigating, would come up shortly with more facts.