► NIGERIA: New national carrier, "National One", to début soon - Princess Stella

The Nigerian government is set to venture into the airline sector once more with a new national carrier, "National One" (this is disputed though as other sources have listed the name as "Nigeria 1") to tentatively take to the skies in the near future, Aviation Minister, Princess Stella Oduah, has stated.

■ NIGERIA: Princess Stella officially unveils Nigeria's revised National Civil Aviation Policy.

The Nigerian Minister of Civil Aviation, Princess Stella Oduah, has officially unveiled her country's revised dossier on aviation dubbed "the Revised National Civil Aviation Policy 2013" (NCAP) needed, for what it terms, to bring new and sustainable regulatory structures into the industry for the safety and security of airline passengers and crew.

■ NIGERIA: Airlines have spent $4.5billion on new aircraft in last 6 years: NCAA

During a recent address to the Nigerian Institute of Advanced Legal Studies’ 2013 Training Workshop on Aviation and Space Law held at the University of Lagos, the Acting Director General of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Dr. Joyce Nkemakolam, has said airlines and private aircraft owners have ploughed USD4.5billion into the acquisition of aircraft in the last six years.

► NIGERIA: Passenger arrested after going crazy on Arik Air flight.

Nigeria's Aviation Minister, Stella Oduah-Ogiewonyi, moved quickly to dispel any rumours of an "attempted bombing" of an Arik Air (W3) domestic flight from Maiduguri to Abuja, in which a passenger is said to have suddenly started shouting "Allahu Akhabar!" (God is Great!), culminating in him being tackled by fellow passengers. 

► NIGERIA: Arik Air uses FAAN debacle to settle old scores.

Despite having reached an accord last Saturday with the Nigerian Government that saw Nigeria's now largest carrier Arik Air (W3), resuming domestic operations following 3 days of suspended flights, in addition to Aviation Minister Stella Oduah-Ogiewonyi dropping a lawsuit against Arik Air (who alleged that she had demanded five per cent equity participation in the airline), Sir Joseph Arumemi-Ikhide's airline made their vendetta with the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) personal by blacklisting from their flights, the FAAN's Managing Director, George Uriese along with 26 others. 

► NIGERIA: Arik Air & Nigerian Government kiss and make up; ops to resume tomorrow.

After a two hour meeting between the board of directors of Nigeria's Arik Air (W3) and Ministers from the Nigerian Federal Government in a bid to resolve Thursday's impasse and suspension of flights, Arik Air have stated, via their website, that they will be resuming flights tomorrow Sunday 23 September 2012, after presumably, reaching an agreement.

► NIGERIA: Ethiopian to start Enugu; wants Kano, Port Harcourt and added Abuja frequencies too.

Ethiopian Airlines (ET) is looking to start flights to the southern Nigerian city of Enugu, in addition to a planned expansion to Port Harcourt, Kano (northern Nigeria) and an increase in its Abuja flight frequencies, currently flown 5x weekly with the airline's Boeing 777-200LR.

■ NIGERIA: Arik renews its Lufthansa Technik deal as Stella tries to lure Boeing and Bombardier into MRO sector.

Nigerian carrier, Arik Air (W3) and German maintenance service provider, Lufthansa Technik last week renewed a contract signed in 2006, that will see the German outfit along with Lufthansa Cityline - a sister company providing regional European flights under the Lufthansa brand -  providing technical support to Arik Air in the areas of line maintenance, base maintenance, materials and pool parts among others for the next five years.

► NIGERIA: Air Nigeria calls it quits as Dana Air's licence is reinstated.

On a day of two contrasting fortunes,  Jimoh Ibrahim's troubled venture Air Nigeria (VK), having teetered on the brink of collapse for some time, is to call it quits from 10 September 2012 following months of uncertainty in which leased aircraft were ceased, company directors arrested and allegations of safety oversights and tax evasion.

In a statement, the company's management blamed the suspension of operations on "staff disloyalty and a weak business environment" though remained resolute in the possibility of returning to viability next year by retaining 50 "loyal" members of staff from various departments, selected with a mandate to recommence operations within 12 months. All other employees however, had been laid off effective from their last day of work on their various routes.

► NIGERIA: Air Namibia to establish direct Lagos flights next year?

Over the course of the coming year, Namibian carrier, Air Namibia (SW) is allegedly to start direct flights between Namibia and Nigeria, according to the Director General of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Dr. Harold Demuren, speaking as a proxy for Nigeria's Minister of Aviation, Stella Oduah-Ogiewonyi. He made the remarks during the recently ended 18th Aviation & Allied Business Leadership Conference, held over the weekend in Windhoek, Namibia.