Aviation B8
Daily Times Nigeria Friday, February 23, 2018
L-R: Peter Okonkwo, HF Logistics and Administration , Paul Williamson, Regional Investigation Manager (EMEA), Andy Davies, Africa ACF Investigations Manager, presenting an award of excellence to the Comissioner of Police,Lagos State Imohimi Oluwole Edgal and Earnest Mursnga Hachialavy, Finch Country Manager, during the their management visit to the Comissioner in Lagos ... yesterday
NAMA boss charges ANSPs on SMS The Managing Director of the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA), Capt. Fola Akinkuotu has charged Air Navigation Service Providers (ANSPs) in the African and Indian Ocean Region (AFI Region) to freely embrace and implement the International Civil Aviation (ICAO) Council Resolution on the formation of peer groups by ANSPs for the periodic review of their Safety Management Systems (SMS) implementation levels. Giving this charge at the opening of a two-day peer review meeting of AFI ANSP Peer Review Team 3, which held at the agency’s headquarters in Lagos, Akinkuotu said only an effective
peer review of safety systems and procedures among ANSPs in the region could enable Africa to build upon its rising safety profile and the make the continent more competitive in the global aviation industry. Akinkuotu, who was represented by the Director of Safety Electronics and Engineering Services, Engr. Farouk Umar said the time had come for African ANSPs to harmonize and synergize their safety systems and procedures by bringing members up to speed with industry best practices with the ultimate goal of achieving a single African sky. The NAMA boss assured members of the peer review team that “NAMA as a state ANSP shares the same concerns with ICAO and
its allies, including the Civil Air Navigation Service Organization (CANSO) and International Air Transport Association (IATA); and is also committed to ensuring the envisaged benefits of the peer review programme are fully actualized.” He called on members to “feel free to criticize the agency’s SMS implementation strengths and weaknesses, as this exercise would serve as a learning curve in our quest to step up our SMS effective implementation level.” Earlier in her remarks, the Director of African Affairs, Civil Air Navigation Services Organization (CANSO), Ms. Boni Dibante noted that the objective of the peer review mechanism
among ANSPs was to address some of the challenges ANSPs in the AFI region are facing stressing that, “effective implementation would enable us to standardize our safety management systems and all the other areas of operations which have been identified by ICAO; and the result of this, we are hoping, will bring us to maturity level.” Dibante also enjoined members to adhere strictly to the CANSO SMS Implementation Guide and the Safety Maturity Survey as these self-assessing documents would not only assist members in attaining a high level of safety management systems but also ensure that ANSPs meet their requirements and satisfy their
regulators whenever they come for audit. It will be recalled that the ICAO Council, on the 4thof April, 2015 in Montreal, passed a resolution that ANSPs should form peer groups and review their SMS implementation processes and procedures with a view to finding out areas of gaps and making the necessary corrective action. There are five groups in the AFI Region of which NAMA comes under team 3. Other members of this team are Ghana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA), Roberts Flight Information Region (Roberts FIR), Liberian Civil Aviation Authority, Guinea Civil Aviation Authority and Sierra Leonean Civil Aviation Authority.
Medview partners travel agents, pledges seamless services to Dubai Medview Airline has announced their entrance into Abidjan, Conakry and Dakar routes to all the travel agencies operating in Abuja and Kano states in the country, with a view to offering robust incentives to clients. The airline disclosed the new routes, including Dubai at a trade partnership forum organised for travel agents in Abuja and Kano recently. Introducing the new routes which started on the 27th of October, 2017, management of Medview Airline stated that the initiative will strengthen trade and also make movement of goods and people easy within the West Coast. Speaking at the Abuja forum held at Nicon Luxury Hotel, Abuja, the airline Executive Director Business Develop-
ment and Commercials, Mr. Isiaq Na’Allah said that they called the travel agents together to rub minds because the airline believes they can do it better collectively. Na’Allah said the Airline knows the importance of carrying travel agents along, noting that they always carry them along whenever they is new products like this. “The key index of meeting you today is to request for your support because we cannot do it alone. Travel agents is a critical component of our business. They take a high percentage of our sales. This is the local content that we are providing for you. I advise Nigerians to patronize the local carriers. We are here to give you these services as much as you can afford”.
Noting that most foreign airlines operate with zero commission to the agencies, Na’Allah stated the local airlines offer quality services with minimal cost and also offer commissions to the agents. He however, urged the trade partners to open their minds and discuss issues that would enable both parties forge ahead. Explaining the dynamics of the new routes, Country Manager, United Arab Emirates, Ndukodon Phineas Bongi said that Medview can now operate to Liberia, Senegal, Conakry, Abidjan, Sierra Leone an Accra, adding that the Dubai route will commence December 7, 2017. According to Bongi, there are lots of incentives attached to the Dubai destination, which include a robust holi-
day package with wide range of products. Some of these incentives, as announced by the country manager include family holiday honeymoon, weddings car racing, cooking classes amongst others. Family time, such as family oriented packages, large and multifamily special offers, special moments are part of Medview holiday packages. All these packages, Bongi said, are equally complimented with affordable air ticket, hotel accommodations, visa services, land transportation, sight-seeing and tours and others. In his submission, President of National Association of Nigerian Travel Agencies NANTA Mr Bernard Bankole commended Medview Airline for their giant strides in the industry.
The president who was represented by the first Deputy President of NANTA, Susan Akporiaye advised Nigerians and all travel agents to support Medview Airline. “Let us patronise our own. I am proud to be associated with this brand. I congratulate them for their Dubai route,” Akporiaye said. The Managing Director of Medview Airline, Alhaji Munner Bankole had earlier said that the airline is proud spreading its wings to Abidjan, Conakry and Dakar. Confirming that the airline has already positioned for Dubai route, starting in December, Alhaji Bankole said with the three new cities, the airline now has six destinations on the West Coast as Accra, Monrovia and Freetown are already on its network.