This week’s update

A couple of short updates:

• Nigeria and India are planning to renegotiate their bilateral air service agreement, while Nigeria and Trinidad and Tobago may also enter into a BASA.
• Air Algerie wants to start flights from Algiers to Lagos.
• Bombardier as well as Boeing are considering to help Nigeria develop a MRO facility.
• Air Nigeria’s repossessed B737s have been flown out of Lagos.
• The Imo State Government intends to build a new airport terminal at Owerri Airport through a Public-Private-Partnership (PPP) agreement.
• Taraba State is planning to build an airstrip on the Mambilla plateau. It would be the second airstrip to be constructed by the State Governor, who also has an airstrip in his home village of Suntai. The state capital’s Jalingo Airport, however, is not yet operational for commercial flights nor has Air Taraba taken of yet.
• The presentation given by the SG of the NCAA at the International Helicopter Safety Symposium 2011.
• Does anyone know more about Private Flyers International? It’s a private flying club, based at Kaduna, operating a fleet consisting of a Cessna 172, a Cessna 206, a Piper PA-23 Aztec (5N-BKE), a Jabiru 430, and a Cessna Caravan.
• The airlines are expected to raise their domestic air fares.
• The Minister of Aviation wants to invite foreign companies to audit the domestic airlines. Experts complain that the Ministry is neglecting the air safety projects.
• FAAN has announced that it will remove 65 unserviceable aircraft from various airports in the country.

Chanchangi Airlines B737-200s parked at Kaduna Airport (copyright Klearpics)