NCAA AND BRITISH AIRWAYS
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NCAA AND BRITISH AIRWAYS
I understand a BA flight was disallowed from carrying pax yesterday morning form lagos airport and had to return to UK without any pax. This was as result of the government order that BA reduces it frequencies to two. When the plane landed in lagos thursday morning, it was grounded by NCAA officilas and allowed to depart empty.
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Drama as FG Aborts London-bound BA Flight Take-off
More info!
A British Airways aircraft was yesterday grounded by the Federal Government following a directive that the airline should stop operating three additional frequencies granted it last year.
THISDAY gathered that the aircraft had departed Heathrow Airport, London Wednesday night and arrived the Murtala Muhammed Airport, Lagos at about 5.30am and positioned for return to London at 8am.
However, the aircraft was denied clearance for take off by the control tower (NCAA), acting under instructions from the Federal Government which had earlier directed the airline to stop the three additional frequencies granted it last year.
Convinced that the government was not ready to shift ground on the issue, officials of the airline were reported to have requested for clearance to fly the aircraft back to London without passengers, a request that was said to have been granted.
THISDAY checks revealed that the development affected some passengers in London who had already made bookings to fly into Nigeria today.
Although officials of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) were evasive yesterday to comment on the development, THISDAY gathered that the regulatory agency had indeed instructed the Nigerian Airspace Mana-gement Agency (NAMA) to effect the Federal Govern-ment's directive on the airline.
Spokesman of the airline, Mr. Simon Tumba, in a statement made available to THISDAY yesterday confirmed government's position on the additional frequency.
"Last year the Nigerian government gave British Airways permission to fly three extra services a week taking the total from one a day to ten a week. The Nigerian government wrote to us in March advising that it wished to discuss whether we should continue with the three additional Lagos flights.
"There have been ongoing discussions with the government since that time over the potential withdrawal of these services.
“Until now, we have had no clarity over whether we should continue to operate or not. As we already had passengers booked on the flights we have continued to operate them.
“Yesterday we received a letter from the government advising us not to operate the flight. However, the flight had already departed London. The flight continued and landed in Lagos. All passengers on the arriving flight were allowed to disembark. The government withheld permission for the flight to depart for London this morning (yesterday)", the airline said.
It noted that its passengers were accommodated in the lounge, "whilst we rebooked them on other services to London", adding:
"We regret any inconvenience this may have caused our customers. Our aircraft has now been given permission to depart for Heathrow. It will position back without passengers."
It is recalled that the issue of granting additional frequencies and multiple entry points to foreign carriers, particularly those from Europe have been a subject of controversy, with domestic airlines and other stakeholders flawing it as a serious disservice to the nation.
Critics particularly fault the granting of multiple frequencies and entry points to British Airways and Virgin Atlantic Airways when Nigeria which signed a dual designation agreement with the United Kingdom did not not have a national carrier.
Since the assumption of office, Aviation Minister, Dr. Babalola Borishade who is pursuing the Federal Government's reform agenda in the aviation industry, has promised to review the policies on additional frequencies and multiple entry points which are incongruent with Bilateral Air Services Agreements (BASAs) between Nigeria and other countries.
A British Airways aircraft was yesterday grounded by the Federal Government following a directive that the airline should stop operating three additional frequencies granted it last year.
THISDAY gathered that the aircraft had departed Heathrow Airport, London Wednesday night and arrived the Murtala Muhammed Airport, Lagos at about 5.30am and positioned for return to London at 8am.
However, the aircraft was denied clearance for take off by the control tower (NCAA), acting under instructions from the Federal Government which had earlier directed the airline to stop the three additional frequencies granted it last year.
Convinced that the government was not ready to shift ground on the issue, officials of the airline were reported to have requested for clearance to fly the aircraft back to London without passengers, a request that was said to have been granted.
THISDAY checks revealed that the development affected some passengers in London who had already made bookings to fly into Nigeria today.
Although officials of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) were evasive yesterday to comment on the development, THISDAY gathered that the regulatory agency had indeed instructed the Nigerian Airspace Mana-gement Agency (NAMA) to effect the Federal Govern-ment's directive on the airline.
Spokesman of the airline, Mr. Simon Tumba, in a statement made available to THISDAY yesterday confirmed government's position on the additional frequency.
"Last year the Nigerian government gave British Airways permission to fly three extra services a week taking the total from one a day to ten a week. The Nigerian government wrote to us in March advising that it wished to discuss whether we should continue with the three additional Lagos flights.
"There have been ongoing discussions with the government since that time over the potential withdrawal of these services.
“Until now, we have had no clarity over whether we should continue to operate or not. As we already had passengers booked on the flights we have continued to operate them.
“Yesterday we received a letter from the government advising us not to operate the flight. However, the flight had already departed London. The flight continued and landed in Lagos. All passengers on the arriving flight were allowed to disembark. The government withheld permission for the flight to depart for London this morning (yesterday)", the airline said.
It noted that its passengers were accommodated in the lounge, "whilst we rebooked them on other services to London", adding:
"We regret any inconvenience this may have caused our customers. Our aircraft has now been given permission to depart for Heathrow. It will position back without passengers."
It is recalled that the issue of granting additional frequencies and multiple entry points to foreign carriers, particularly those from Europe have been a subject of controversy, with domestic airlines and other stakeholders flawing it as a serious disservice to the nation.
Critics particularly fault the granting of multiple frequencies and entry points to British Airways and Virgin Atlantic Airways when Nigeria which signed a dual designation agreement with the United Kingdom did not not have a national carrier.
Since the assumption of office, Aviation Minister, Dr. Babalola Borishade who is pursuing the Federal Government's reform agenda in the aviation industry, has promised to review the policies on additional frequencies and multiple entry points which are incongruent with Bilateral Air Services Agreements (BASAs) between Nigeria and other countries.
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about time,we have a flag carrier so why do they have to have so many frequencies at the cost of nigerian jobs?
VNA employs more nigerians than BA can ever dream of,besides thier arrogance is well displayed as they had been duly informed but still choose to operate the flight from london to lagos.
These frequencies that were cancelled were given to them two three years back to temprorily clear an over booking of passengers.
Some how its taken a very long time to clear this back log
VNA employs more nigerians than BA can ever dream of,besides thier arrogance is well displayed as they had been duly informed but still choose to operate the flight from london to lagos.
These frequencies that were cancelled were given to them two three years back to temprorily clear an over booking of passengers.
Some how its taken a very long time to clear this back log
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FG Ban: BA Flies Nigerians Through Ghana
The Federal Government ban placed on British Airways to stop operating the three additional frequencies granted it last year has left many of the airline’s passengers, mostly Nigerians in Lagos and London, stranded.
THISDAY gathered at the weekend that as a result of this development and in trying to minimize the impact on its passengers, the airline has had to make many of its Nigeria, in and out bound, passengers fly through Accra, Ghana.
The airline yesterday cancelled its out of Lagos to London as well as the Monday flight into London and is hoping that a decision on next Thursday’s flight out of Lagos should be reached by the evening of today.
The move to fly passengers through Accra, Ghana was said to be necessitated by the inability of BA to get most of the stranded passengers on its Spanish Oneworld Partner, Iberia Airline, which flies smaller aircrafts into Lagos from Madrid.
Lagos bound passengers taken on BA flight from London to Accra were said to be put on other airlines including Virgin Nigeria and Aero Contractors flights from Accra into Lagos and vice versa.
According to information, passengers who had been booked on the cancelled flights several months ago got to London Heathrow and Murtala Mohammed Airports only to be told that their flights had been cancelled.
For Lagos bound passengers in London, THISDAY gathered that BA had to rebook some while those who refused or could not be rebooked on another BA flight had their tickets endorsed on other airlines outside BA’s Oneworld Partners.
An aviation analyst who carpeted the Federal Government’s ban on the airline told THISDAY yesterday that though the government of any country must control airlines’ frequencies, “it is necessary that it is done within a responsible framework.”
A BA aircraft was Thursday grounded by the Federal Government following a directive that the airline should stop operating three additional frequencies granted it last year.
The aircraft had departed Heathrow Airport, London Wednesday night and arrived the Murtala Muhammed Airport, Lagos at about 5.30am and positioned for return to London at 8am.
However, the aircraft was denied take off by the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), acting under instructions from the Federal Government which had earlier directed the airline to stop the three additional frequencies granted it last year.
Convinced that government was not ready to shift ground on the issue, officials of the airline were reported to have requested for clearance to fly the aircraft back to London without passengers, a request that was said to have been granted.
NCAA, according to information, had indeed instructed the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) to effect the Federal Government's directive on the airline.
Spokesman of the airline, Mr. Simon Tumba, in a statement made available to THISDAY Thursday also confirmed government's position on the additional frequency.
"Last year the Nigerian government gave British Airways permission to fly three extra services a week taking the total from one a day to ten a week. The Nigerian government wrote to us in March advising that it wished to discuss whether we should continue with the three additional Lagos flights.
"There have been ongoing discussions with the government since that time over the potential withdrawal of these services.
"Until now, we have had no clarity over whether we should continue to operate or not. As we already had passengers booked on the flights we have continued to operate them.
"Yesterday (Wednesday) we received a letter from the government advising us not to operate the flight. However, the flight had already departed London. The flight continued and landed in Lagos. All passengers on the arriving flight were allowed to disembark. The government withheld permission for the flight to depart for London this morning (Thursday)", the airline said.
It noted that its passengers were accommodated in the lounge, "whilst we rebooked them on other services to London", adding:
"We regret any inconvenience this may have caused our customers. Our aircraft has now been given permission to depart for Heathrow. It will position back without passengers."
It is recalled that the issue of granting additional frequencies and multiple entry points to foreign carriers, particularly those from Europe have been a subject of controversy, with domestic airlines and other stakeholders flawing it as a serious disservice to the nation.
Since the assumption of office, Aviation Minister, Dr. Babalola Borishade who is pursuing the Federal Government's reform agenda in the aviation industry, has promised to review the policies on additional frequencies and multiple entry points which are incongruent with Bilateral Air Services Agreements (BASAs) between Nigeria and other countries.
THISDAY gathered at the weekend that as a result of this development and in trying to minimize the impact on its passengers, the airline has had to make many of its Nigeria, in and out bound, passengers fly through Accra, Ghana.
The airline yesterday cancelled its out of Lagos to London as well as the Monday flight into London and is hoping that a decision on next Thursday’s flight out of Lagos should be reached by the evening of today.
The move to fly passengers through Accra, Ghana was said to be necessitated by the inability of BA to get most of the stranded passengers on its Spanish Oneworld Partner, Iberia Airline, which flies smaller aircrafts into Lagos from Madrid.
Lagos bound passengers taken on BA flight from London to Accra were said to be put on other airlines including Virgin Nigeria and Aero Contractors flights from Accra into Lagos and vice versa.
According to information, passengers who had been booked on the cancelled flights several months ago got to London Heathrow and Murtala Mohammed Airports only to be told that their flights had been cancelled.
For Lagos bound passengers in London, THISDAY gathered that BA had to rebook some while those who refused or could not be rebooked on another BA flight had their tickets endorsed on other airlines outside BA’s Oneworld Partners.
An aviation analyst who carpeted the Federal Government’s ban on the airline told THISDAY yesterday that though the government of any country must control airlines’ frequencies, “it is necessary that it is done within a responsible framework.”
A BA aircraft was Thursday grounded by the Federal Government following a directive that the airline should stop operating three additional frequencies granted it last year.
The aircraft had departed Heathrow Airport, London Wednesday night and arrived the Murtala Muhammed Airport, Lagos at about 5.30am and positioned for return to London at 8am.
However, the aircraft was denied take off by the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), acting under instructions from the Federal Government which had earlier directed the airline to stop the three additional frequencies granted it last year.
Convinced that government was not ready to shift ground on the issue, officials of the airline were reported to have requested for clearance to fly the aircraft back to London without passengers, a request that was said to have been granted.
NCAA, according to information, had indeed instructed the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) to effect the Federal Government's directive on the airline.
Spokesman of the airline, Mr. Simon Tumba, in a statement made available to THISDAY Thursday also confirmed government's position on the additional frequency.
"Last year the Nigerian government gave British Airways permission to fly three extra services a week taking the total from one a day to ten a week. The Nigerian government wrote to us in March advising that it wished to discuss whether we should continue with the three additional Lagos flights.
"There have been ongoing discussions with the government since that time over the potential withdrawal of these services.
"Until now, we have had no clarity over whether we should continue to operate or not. As we already had passengers booked on the flights we have continued to operate them.
"Yesterday (Wednesday) we received a letter from the government advising us not to operate the flight. However, the flight had already departed London. The flight continued and landed in Lagos. All passengers on the arriving flight were allowed to disembark. The government withheld permission for the flight to depart for London this morning (Thursday)", the airline said.
It noted that its passengers were accommodated in the lounge, "whilst we rebooked them on other services to London", adding:
"We regret any inconvenience this may have caused our customers. Our aircraft has now been given permission to depart for Heathrow. It will position back without passengers."
It is recalled that the issue of granting additional frequencies and multiple entry points to foreign carriers, particularly those from Europe have been a subject of controversy, with domestic airlines and other stakeholders flawing it as a serious disservice to the nation.
Since the assumption of office, Aviation Minister, Dr. Babalola Borishade who is pursuing the Federal Government's reform agenda in the aviation industry, has promised to review the policies on additional frequencies and multiple entry points which are incongruent with Bilateral Air Services Agreements (BASAs) between Nigeria and other countries.
Sorry, but for once I cannot agree that the stick being dished out to the Nigerian Govt is fair.
BA were granted TEMPORARY approval to operate 3x ADDITIONAL services for 2 years. That time has expired (back in March I think?) and the airline, British Airways, has not formally applied for the services to be continued, instead it has just closed its eyes and carried on as if it had a divine right to do so.
So the reason BA passengers are being messed around is down to BA and nobody else. However the usual spin will be employed against Nigeria to try to get BA off the hook. How much better it would be if the airline could acknowledge they have fecked up.
BA were granted TEMPORARY approval to operate 3x ADDITIONAL services for 2 years. That time has expired (back in March I think?) and the airline, British Airways, has not formally applied for the services to be continued, instead it has just closed its eyes and carried on as if it had a divine right to do so.
So the reason BA passengers are being messed around is down to BA and nobody else. However the usual spin will be employed against Nigeria to try to get BA off the hook. How much better it would be if the airline could acknowledge they have fecked up.
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Got to agree with surely not on this one, ba getting alzheimers or temporary memory loss, there have reportedly been at least three written warnings since last December when they were verbally told they couldn't carry on with the three extras. loads on vk not that good so ba could transfer to vk.
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The reality is that stifling over-protection of what are perceived to be national interests are standing in the way of Nigeria and its customers getting the range of destinations and frequencies a country of its size and relative wealth justify. The paucity of services in all directions from oil - rich Nigeria means that it severely underperforms in aviation terms compared to the two East African hubs of Nairobi and Addis Ababa thanks to relative liberalisation on the eastern side of the continent. The only way for Nigerian carriers to be successful is for them to provide a more attractive range of destinations, service standards and style and frequencies than the competitors,- not to strangle capacity and competition at birth.
Lagos should be a thriving hub with a steady stream of arrivals and departures to almost anywhere in Africa and key European, Middle and Far Eastern points. The reason why it is not does not lie in the hands of the foreign carriers. If airline capacity does not meet the national needs , the effects knock on to prosperity and jobs in other parts of the national economy and other businesses pay an enormous price for the protection of a national carrier. If Kenya Airways and Ethiopian can hold their own in more open markets against all comers, why shouldn't Nigerian airlines?
Lagos should be a thriving hub with a steady stream of arrivals and departures to almost anywhere in Africa and key European, Middle and Far Eastern points. The reason why it is not does not lie in the hands of the foreign carriers. If airline capacity does not meet the national needs , the effects knock on to prosperity and jobs in other parts of the national economy and other businesses pay an enormous price for the protection of a national carrier. If Kenya Airways and Ethiopian can hold their own in more open markets against all comers, why shouldn't Nigerian airlines?
Until that Utopia exists the airlines have to play by the rules of today and not ignore them. BA were well aware of what they had been allowed to fly and for how long. That they chose to ignore, or were very forgetful
, is down to them and no-one else.
Clearly others might have ideas for how to improve frequencies etc out of Lagos, but until these are agreed and put into legislation they are mere pipe dreams.
I think it is a little bit simplistic just to blame the Nigerian end for failures, protectionism exists in many places, not least the USA and UK. Foreign airlines have expressed on many occassions a dislike for the predominance of BA at LHR through controlling the use of slots. I am aware that BA do not issue the slots, but the grandfather rights effectively strangle new airlines to fly at uneconomic times of day.
, is down to them and no-one else. Clearly others might have ideas for how to improve frequencies etc out of Lagos, but until these are agreed and put into legislation they are mere pipe dreams.
I think it is a little bit simplistic just to blame the Nigerian end for failures, protectionism exists in many places, not least the USA and UK. Foreign airlines have expressed on many occassions a dislike for the predominance of BA at LHR through controlling the use of slots. I am aware that BA do not issue the slots, but the grandfather rights effectively strangle new airlines to fly at uneconomic times of day.
