Jos Airport to be remodelled

Yakubu Gowon Airport, Jos, is currently undergoing renovation work. The terminal building will be expanded, the car park moved further away from the terminal building, and several other technical improvements will be made. Security measures will also be implemented, as the movement of passengers through the airport fell from 82,393 in 2010 to 50,612 in 2011 due to political and civil unrest. Arik Air is the only airline that operates scheduled flights to the airport.

Jos Airport (copyright S.R. Lee)

Overland Drops Jos, Katsina and Minna

Overland Airways cancelled its flights from Abuja and Lagos to Jos, Katsina and Minna. It appears these routes are not profitable, even when operated with small propellor aircraft (ATR42 and Beech 1900).

The airline retains a five weekly service (Monday-Friday) between Abuja, Ilorin, Ibadan and Lagos.

Aero Stops Jos And Kaduna Service

Aero announced it will – effective from 1 October 2010 – discontinue its daily flights from Lagos to Jos and Kaduna. Flights into the cities were launched in November 2009, but Aero says the routes are financially not viable.

Kaduna Airport is now served by Arik Air and IRS Airlines, while Arik Air and Overland Airways fly to Jos Airport.

Aero B735 Mishap At Jos

An Aero B737-500 (5N-BLE) performing flight AJ345 from Lagos to Jos overran the wet runway while landing in Jos at around 18:00h on Saturday, 21 August. The Boeing aircraft came to a stop with nose gear and left main gear on soft ground. No injuries occurred among the 87 passengers and five crew, both nose wheel tyres deflated. The airline said that both nose gear tyres were punctured while landing in Jos. All occupants disembarked safely, no additional damage occurred to the airframe.

Aero's B737-500 (5N-BLE) at Jos Airport (Copyright 234next.com)

This Week’s Round-Up

Just a few minor reports:

Chanchangi Airlines reduced its daily flights between Lagos and Abuja from five to three. The schedule on their website has not been updated however. Reportedly, the airline has serious financial problems.

Bellview Airlines has postponed the re-start of its Lagos-London service to 1 March, 2010. Again, the airline has sold tickets without being able to provide any flights.

An EMB-170 (PT-TQE) destined for Nigerian Eagle Airlines as 5N-VNJ has been ferried from Brazil to Casablanca. It’s unlikely Nigerian Eagle Airlines will take delivery of the aircraft though, as it wil reportedly be leased to Gulf Air.

Nigerian Eagle Airlines introduced special onboard envelopes on flights across its route network this week to raise funds to support the ongoing humanitarian and rescue activities in Haiti.

The governor of Gombe State announced that a second airline will start daily services to Gombe Airport this year. Arik Air currently has a four weekly service from Abuja to Gombe.

The World Bank financed ten fire trucks for Port Harcourt Airport, but overall the Nigerian agencies are slow in implementing other aviation infrastructure projects.

The new Asaba Airport, Delta State, will be ready for operations in April 2010.

Jos Airport was closed this week due to civil unrest. Aero, Arik Air and Overland Airways cancelled their flights to the airport.

New Routes for Overland Airways

Overland Airways opened new routes to Jos, Kano, Katsina and Minna this week.

Overland now operates the following routes daily on weekdays:

• Abuja-Ibadan-Abuja
• Abuja-Ilorin-Abuja
• Abuja-Katsina-Abuja
• Abuja-Minna-Abuja
• Abuja-Jos-Abuja
• Jos-Kano-Jos
• Lagos-Ibadan-Lagos
• Lagos-Ilorin-Lagos
• Lagos-Minna-Lagos

Overland Airways operates two ATR 42-500s, two or three B1900Ds, and a Saab 340.