Tag Archives: BRITISH AIRWAYS

NCAA: Arik Air Tops Airlines In Flight Delays, British Airways Leads In Missing Luggage

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The troubled Nigerian airline, Arik Air, has once again topped the list of airlines in flight delays, while British Airways leads in missing luggage among local and international airlines operating in Nigeria.

In October and November 2016, Arik Air, according to a summary complaints list received from the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), had 307 delays out of 438 international flights, meaning 70 percent of the airline’s flights were delayed.

The airline also had 190 cases of missing and/or delayed luggage arrival in the period under review and the highest number of complaints of discourtesy.

Out of the 438 flights operated by the airline, it ferried a total number of 16,335 inbound passengers while it had 16,393 outbound passengers within the period.

Domestically, Arik Air also led the table with 1,660 flights and recorded 1,020 delays. The airline cancelled 45 flights, made two air returns and airlifted 209,288 passengers in October 2016.

Air Peace came second with 898 flights, 489 delays and airlifted 173,758 passengers.

Azman Air operated 343 flights, had 272 delays and carried 53,662 passengers, while Dana Air operated 578 flights and recorded 318 delays. Dana, within that period, airlifted 108,329 passengers.

Med-View Airline operated 307 flights, had 204 delays and airlifted 62,952 passengers while Overland operated 153 flights and recorded 97 delays and carried 8,191 passengers. FirstNation Airways operated 162 flights, had 35 delays and airlifted 29,872 passengers.

In all, in the month of October, there were 4,101 flights, 2,435 delays, 64 cancellations, two air returns, four cases of missing/delayed luggage, 311,431 outbound passengers, and 326,234 inbound passengers.

For domestic airlines, all the carriers, with the exception of Aero Contractors, completed 3,903 flights, recording 2,911 delays, 63 cancellations and carried 738,711 passengers in November.

On the international scene, 26 foreign carriers operated into Nigeria in the month of October with a total number of flights operated at 1,153.

Out of the 1,153 flights, international carriers recorded 502 delays, six cancellations, 270 cases of missing luggage, 1,874 luggage articles found, 11 cases of pilferage and discourtesy. Altogether, there were 130,904 inbound passengers and 137,215 outbound passengers.

Topping the list of flight delays and missing luggage cases among the international carriers was the British mega carrier, British Airways.

The NCAA in its report recorded a total of 81 cases of missing luggage with a total of 40 flight delays within two months for British Airways. The figure represents 49.3 percent of its total flights within the month.

The British carrier had a total number of 23,029 inbound passengers between October and November 2016, while outbound statistics stood at 22,696.

 

Nigerian Operating Environment Too Harsh for Survival – British Airways

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The management of British Airways, yesterday marked 80 years of operating in Nigeria and described Nigerian operating environment as harsh to the aviation sector.


The Head of Middle East, Africa and Central Asia Sales, British Airways, Paola De Renzis, who dropped the hint in Abuja, said the airline had been facing a very difficult times doing its business in Nigeria due to the current economic hardship, but had to cope because of the long-standing relationship between Britain and Nigeria since 1936.

Rezis, who described the Forex scarcity challenge as a big threat to the aviation industry, however, admitted that the situation is gradually getting better than it was six months ago, due to the intervention of the Central bank of Nigeria, CBN, and Federal government.

‘‘The current economic recession has been a big threat to the British Airline but for the long-standing relationship we have with Nigeria, we have strived to remain afloat. ‘‘We are happy, the Nigerian government, the Minister of Finance, Aviation along side the Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria have intervened and the situation is much better when it comes to foreign remittances.

‘‘So, if you look at the current situation compared to where we were like in six months ago, we are in a much much better place. Has the problem not gone away, no and of course we are talking to key stakeholders in Nigeria.

‘‘I can confirm to you now that we are in talks with the Minister of Finance, Minister of Aviation and we will keep on monitoring the situation. We have been around for 80 years and we are very committed to Nigeria,’’ he said.

Beyond the economic challenges, the Head of MEACAS, said the airline has the plan to build on its success into the next 80 years by reviewing its operation and making the necessary adjustment to meet future challenges.

‘‘Our plan is to be around for another 80 years if not more. It is our expectation that things will keep improving in the next weeks, months and we keep reviewing our operations in the country.

‘‘We have a long-standing relationship with Nigeria and we are very proud of the relationship with Nigeria and many other countries in Africa that we have been around for some time. Ghana, Kenya, South Africa, Angola. So, we are very happy with the performance of ‘‘We have a very long-standing relationship with Nigeria.

British Airways started flying into Nigeria in 1936. At that time, it was Imperial Airways. It flew from London to Kano, had a few stops in between; at the time it took seven days.

‘‘The good news is that things have changed, now the flying time is less than seven hours. We have now daily flies from both Lagos and Abuja. This 80 years of flying into Nigeria confirms the commitment we have to Nigeria, we are very happy with our relationship with Nigeria,’’ said Renzis.

South African Stowaway Falls To His Death From British Airways Jet As It Approached Heathrow

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According to a report by The Sun UK, a man believed to be South African fell to his death from a British Airways passenger jet as the plane approached Heathrow airport. The stowaway’s body was found on an office block roof of a retail company along a busy road in Richmond, South West London.
Another man, also believed to be South African, survived the 8,000 mile, 11-hour flight from South Africa to London by holding on to the undercarriage of a British Airways Boeing 747. No one knows how the two men got there.
 
The second man was taken to hospital and is said to be in stable condition but is yet to talk to the police.
A Scotland Yard police spokesman confirmed the incident, saying;
‘Police were alerted at 8.28am to reports of a suspected stowaway. A man, aged between 25 and 30, has been taken to West London hospital. Inquiries are ongoing to establish the man’s identity