This week’s update

Short updates:

• The Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) recorded 14,3 million air travellers in 2012, according to a press release. This is a decrease of four per cent in passengers compared to 2011, although the numbers given in the statement conflict with those on FAAN’s website.
• The Federal Government has implemented a duty waiver for the import of aircraft and spare parts. Foreign registered aircraft based in Nigeria are excluded from the waiver.
• TopBrass Aviation took delivery of its third Dash 8-Q300 (5N-TBA) last week, meanwhile another aircraft of the same airline (5N-TBB) was spotted at Maastricht for maintenance.
• Reportedly, Aero will soon accept its first Dash 8-Q400 (5N-???; ex-G-JEDO), which was ferried to Norwich for painting. One of Aero’s B737-400s (5N-BJA) is currently at Bournemouth for a new coat of paint.
• Overland Airways apparently accepted its second ATR 72-200 (5N-BPF; ex-F-WNUF). A third ATR 72 is being prepared for the airline at Toulouse. Meanwhile, Overland is recruiting pilots and mechanics for B737NG aircraft, meaning that the B737-800 (EI-EZB) may join its fleet after all.
• Dana Air added a fifth return flight between Lagos and Abuja on weekdays. The airline intends to re-start services to Port Harcourt before the end of February 2012.
• A Nigerian official blamed a pilot error for last year’s Dana Air crash, even though the official report is yet to be published.
• Cross River State announced that Bebi Airstrip, serving Obudu Mountain Resort, will get a regular commercial service in March 2013. The state government acquired an aircraft – probably the Dash 8-200 (5N-GRS) purchased from Rivers State, rather than the mentioned ATR 42 – to serve the airstrip.
• Cross River State also wants the runway of Calabar Airport extended. The airport recently got the status of cargo airport.
• A Hawker 4000 (5N-NOC) belonging to NNPC overran the runway at Warri on 6 February 2013.
• Omni Air’s Makurdi-based Air Tractor 502 (5N-BPV).
• Arik Air and IRS Airlines are no longer making night stops at Maiduguri for security reasons.
• The 2003 white paper on the mismanagement of Nigeria Airways has been dug up again by local media.
• The Nigerian Air Force has only one serviceable trainer aircraft at its Kaduna Base. Three Do 228s will be refurbished.
• The company responsible for the dismantling of derelict aircraft (video) in Nigeria paid N800,000 for each aircraft.
• The Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) is set to improve the nation’s radar control. However, pilots dispute the claim that the TRACON project resulted in a complete radar coverage of the Nigerian airspace.

Bebi Airstrip

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Aero to introduce flights to Sokoto

Aero will later this month commence flight from Lagos to Sokoto via Abuja. Flights are available from 28 January 2013 onwards, and will be operated on weekdays and Sundays. Schedule:

• ABV-SKO AJ251 08:00-09:15
• SKO-ABV AJ252 10:00-11:15

The airline has suspended its Lagos-Warri-Port Harcourt NAF Base-route again.

Aero resumes flights to Port Harcourt NAF Base and Warri

Aero has resumed flight operations from Lagos to Warri (twice daily) and from Lagos to Port Harcourt NAF Base (thrice weekly) as well as between Warri and Port Harcourt NAF Base (daily). Click here for the airline’s full schedule, all flights are operated with a Dash 8-Q300. Aero is the only airline to serve Port Harcourt NAF Base at the moment.

Aero has recently suspended its Abuja-Enugu service, but still flies from the capital to Owerri, Port Harcourt and Uyo.

This week’s update

This week’s round-up:

• The Nigeria Christian Pilgrim Commission (NCPC) contracted an A330-200 (N772RD) for this year’s pilgrimage. The aircraft is operated by Ryan International on behalf of Atlasjet Airlines.
• Camair-Co now serves the Douala-Lagos route three times a week.
• A new Kano-based airline, Azman Air, hopes to obtain an AOC soon in order to commence domestic flights.
• The onwer of Millennium Air disclosed that the cargo airline has the intention to commence scheduled passenger services in the near future. Millennium Air now operates a single B727F (5N-BNQ).
• One of Pan African Airlines Bell 206L4, based at Escravos, with two crew and two passengers ran into trouble after taking of from an offshore platform on 27 October 2012. The helicopter successfully ditched into the sea and the occupants were picked up by a rescue boat.
• Delta State Government approved a sum of N37.3 billion to upgrade Osubi Airstrip, Warri, to the status of international airport.
• Aero will lease a B737-400 (N605SC) from Gecas. The fourteen-year-old aircraft is still stored in China; it will be the sixth B737-400 in the airline’s fleet.
• Aero supended its Abuja-Enugu service, but reinstated the flights from Port Harcourt NAF Base to Warri and Lagos.
• A body was found in the undercarriage of one of Arik Air’s A345s today. The plane came in from New York, so it’s likely that it was there already for some time.
• A passenger caused a bomb scare on an Arik Air flight from Maiduguri to Abuja on 24 October 2012.
• One of Arik Air’s CRJ900s (5N-JEA) has been parked at Cologne since this summer.
• Dana Air has contracted FLYHT to install the AFIRS 228 on its five MD-83 aircraft. The airline will use AFIRS to provide real-time flight data monitoring and to assist in achieving maintenance and operational efficiencies.
• One of Kabo Air’s B747-200s (5N-MAD) rejoined the fleet again after maitenance in Indonesia.
• The FAAN has increased security measures at four major airports.
• A Hawker 4000 (N412TF) is also owned by a Nigerian, and registered to Skypower Express Airways.
• The Nigerian Air Forces has acquired two Robinson R66s (N7033V and N804SF) for the Helicopter Flying School at Enugu Airport.
• It appears that Prince Arthur Eze is reviving Triax Airlines. The airline operates two GIVs (5N-PZE and M-PZPZ), but was active as an commercial airline in the 1990s with three B727-100s.
• SkyBird Air’s third Do328Jet (5N-SPM) is still awaiting its delivery flight from Germany to Nigeria. Two other aircraft (5N-SPE and 5N-BMH) are already based at Lagos Airport.

Aero to provide third-party maintenance

Aero announced that it plans to expand its aircraft maintenance services. The airline intends to provide A-, B- and C-checks on Boeing aircraft in western Africa. However, according to the airline, the financial benefits of having these checks in Nigeria are limited:

Nigeria has relatively high import duties on aircraft parts. Airlines typically fly their aircraft to, say, Turkey to have them serviced and relevant parts replaced. Once that aircraft flies back to Nigeria, the new parts are not subject to import duties as they are already installed on the plane. This puts any Nigerian maintenance provider in a big disadvantage against foreign players. A Nigerian maintenance provider would need to import all spares used in maintenance and thus incur the import duties that those maintaining their aircraft abroad avoid completely.

Aero also disclosed that from next month it will start to renew its fleet with B737-400s, B737-700s and Dash 8-Q400s.

The airline has temporarily suspended its service from Lagos to Warri and Port Harcourt NAF Base

Arik Air Announces Port Harcourt NAF Base-Warri Service

Per 1 February 2011, Arik Air will commence af five weekly (Monday-Friday) service between Port Harcourt NAF Base (Garden City Terminal) and Warri Airport (Osubi Airstrip). Flights will be operated with Dash 8-Q400 aircraft.

• W34011 PHG-QRW 09:20-10:20
• W34008 QRW-PHG 15:05-15:50

Port Harcourt NAF Base (Copyright B. Berings)

Osubi Airstrip - Warri Airport (Copyright Delondiny)

Aero Makes Changes To Schedule

Aero announced it will increase its frequencies from Lagos to Abuja and Port Harcourt to eight and five daily flights respectively, effective October 1, 2010.

From the 17th of October, Aero’s flights from Lagos to Warri (Osubi Airstrip) and Port Harcourt NAF Base will no longer depart from the MMA2 domestic terminal, but will be operated from Aero’s private terminal at Lagos Airport.

The launch of international services to Libreville has been put on hold.