Dana Air Makes List of Top 50 Brands 2017, partners IdeasHouse on in-flight sampling

For its innovations, CSR, popularity, National spread and online engagement, Dana Air, a subsidiary of the Dana Group of companies has made the list of top 50 brands 2017 for the 3^rd time consecutively, at the Brands Nigeria Leadership Forum held recently at Oriental Hotels, Lagos.

According to the CEO of Top 50 Brands Nigeria, Mr Taiwo Oluboyede, Nigeria is becoming more attractive to investors across the world inspite of our many challenges. More people are coming to invest and there is need to provide information about corporate Nigeria. 

The Brands that have made it today are homegrown brands that have shown resilience, contributed to the economy of Nigeria, have good national spread, innovative and have good online engagement and popularity.’’

The Communications Manager of Dana Air, Mr Kingsley Ezenwa while responding to the unveiling of Dana Air and Dana Group as one of Nigeria’s Top 50 brands for the 3^rd time consecutively said, ‘we are highly honored to have been listed among the top 50 brands in Nigeria. We are a responsible corporate citizen and giving back to the society, contributing positively to the economy of the country, and churning quality products are the ways we have shown commitment to the Nigerian dream.  

"Our investment across Nigeria and in various sectors of the economy, speaks volume of our commitment to continue to provide jobs for our people and assist the government to achieve a positive growth trajectory in the economy.’’

Speaking further he said: ‘We are nine years plus in the aviation industry and we have shown massive resilience in spite of the multiple challenges, providing value added services at all times and our guests should expect an all-round improvement in 2018.’’

On the sampling of drinks on its flights, kingsley said, Dana Air is always open to giving more to its guests and partnering Ideas House to sample a new brand of soft drink on our flights is just another way of achieving this.’’

Having flown over 2.7 million passengers in the last 9 years of its operation and received multiple awards for aviation excellence and corporate social responsibility, Dana Air was also unveiled as one of Nigeria’s 100 Most Respected Companies by Business Day Newspaper’s Research Unit.

 The airline is reputed for its innovative online products, world-class in-flight service and unrivaled on time performance. 

Sirika explains delay in completion of Abuja airport new terminal

The Minister of State for Aviation, Sen. Hadi Sirika, has explained that completion of the new terminal building at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, was being delayed for several reasons.

Sirika, while inspecting the project on Tuesday, told newsmen that one of the causes of the delay was a foundational issue which had altered the master plan of the airport.

He explained that the planning of the project did not envisage that the building would lead to additional works, power and water supply.

The minister added that it was also discovered that the building would block both the control and fire towers which would require relocation.

He said that additional work was also required to link it with the existing terminal as well as expanding the apron to accommodate bigger air planes.

Another reason according to Sirika, is the insufficient capacity of the existing power and water supply in the airport to cater for the new building.

He said that all the challenges would result to requiring additional funding.

According to him, the project is being funded through 500 million dollars loan from Chinese EXIM bank and 100 million dollars counterpart funding from Nigerian government.

The quality of work is acceptable but the pace of work is not acceptable because this project should have been delivered by now.

“The contractor has told us some of the challenges he has been facing regarding some of the components of work and some additional works required for this project to be put into use.

“Unfortunately, some of these components are complex which would delay this job and some of them are from the foundation like that of the sewer and water.

“There is also the problem of the control tower blocking the access into the terminal apron and also the inadequate nature of the apron itself.

Lufthansa Group airlines change how Miles & More award miles are assigned

The airlines of Lufthansa Group are changing how award miles are credited to participants in the frequent flyer and reward programme  Miles & More.

 Beginning in March 2018, the number of award miles that are credited will be based on the price of the flight, i.e the price of the ticket plus any additional fees charged by the respective airline, and on the frequent flyer status of the participants in the programme. 

Under the old system, booking class or rather booking class and the length of the route determined the number of miles that were awarded. 

Lufthansa in Nigeria has a dedicated Miles & More desk at the city office in Lagos.

Going forward, Miles & More participants will be receiving four to six award miles per euro spent, corresponding with their particular booking habits and flight patterns. 

The new reward system applies to flights with the Lufthansa Group airlines Lufthansa, SWISS, Austrian, Brussels Airlines and Eurowings, as well as to all other Miles & More partner airlines, provided the ticket for the flight was issued by a Lufthansa Group airline.

Specifically, this means that Miles & More participants will always receive at least four award miles per euro spent on flights with the previously mentioned airlines. 

Members with frequent flyer status will receive six award miles per euro on flights with Lufthansa, SWISS and Austrian Airlines as well as with United Airlines and Air Canada. 

This means that the bonus award miles that status members receive for flights with the network airlines and transatlantic joint venture partners will be doubling to 50 per cent, from currently 25 per cent. 

The same applies to the airlines Adria Airways, Air Dolomiti, Croatia Airlines and LOT Polish Airlines, which also participate in the Miles & More frequent flyer and reward program.

On flights with Eurowings, Brussels Airlines and all other Miles & More partner airlines, the award mile bonus will remain at 25 percent, which means that status members will receive five award miles per euro spent. 

Award miles can only be credited according to this new system if the tickets for the flight were issued by a Lufthansa Group airline, not by other airlines.

The frequent flyer status of participants, the privileges associated with that status and the allocation of status miles will not be affected by the new system for award miles. 

This change will also not have a fundamental impact on the number of award miles that are distributed by the airlines over all, or on the availability of flight rewards.

With this change, Lufthansa Group is setting up a flexible system for crediting award miles that links the number of awarded miles to the price of the ticket. 

With this change, the leading European aviation group is rewarding the purchase of higher-priced tickets more strongly than is currently the case.

The current system for crediting award miles, which is dependent on booking class or rather on booking class and the length of the route, will largely be eliminated for flights with Lufthansa Group airlines. 

In future, award miles will only be assigned according to the present system in rare cases. 

The old system will only be applied if Miles & More participants are traveling with a Lufthansa Group airline, but the ticket for the flight was issued by an airline outside Lufthansa Group or as part of a package tour.

 If the flight is booked with a different Miles & More partner airline and operated by one of those airlines, participants will also be awarded miles according to the old system.

The new reward system will be applied for the first time on March 12, 2018. This will give customers of the Lufthansa Group airlines and participants in the Miles & More programme enough time to take the transition to the new reward system into account in their travel plans. 

Miles for tickets that are booked before March 12, 2018 will be credited according to the present system, even if the trip itself begins on or after the cutoff date. 

The number of award miles that are credited per flight has repeatedly been brought in line with the development of ticket prices in the past, and lowered, especially in the lower-priced booking classes. 

The new reward system will result in an automatic allocation of award miles based on the sales volume that is generated by the purchase of the ticket. 

With this move, the Lufthansa Group airlines are creating a consistent system for assigning award miles. 

 And frequent flyers will continue to benefit from high levels of comfort and convenience when they travel: the length of the route will still be the relevant factor for awarding status miles, and privileges linked to frequent flyer status will remain in place. 

Air Peace pledges massive route expansion in 2018

The Chairman of Air Peace, Mr Allen Onyema, says the airline is determined to 

end the air travel woes of most underserved destinations in Nigeria and the West Coast of Africa in 2018.

Onyema said the airline would also offer the flying public a preferred alternative on some key international routes in the incoming year. 

He was quoted by the airline’s  Communications Manager , Mr Chris Iwarah,  on Sunday as saying this at the management session to review the airline's flight operations in 2017.

 Onyema maintained that the airline deserved commendations for rescuing the Nigerian aviation industry and giving air travellers hope in the period under review.

He said he was quite satisfied that Air Peace was able to expand its fleet to 24 aircraft despite the economic downturn the country and its aviation sector experienced in 2017.

Onyema attributed the airline’s success in the three years of its existence to the unflinching support of the flying public and the quality leadership of its management team. 

The Air Peace boss said the airline would remain grateful to its customers for their patronage over the years, urging the flying public to continue to trust the carrier’s services.

 According to him,  Air Peace will  continue to strive to sustain its uncompromising approach to safety, prioritisation of the comfort of its customers and job creation.  

He, however noted that the airline  still had a lot of grounds to cover in its vision to transform air travel experience in Nigeria, the West Coast of Africa and the Dubai, Guangzhou-China, London, Houston, Mumbai and Johannesburg routes.

He charged the carrier’s management to brace up for the challenge of implementing the airline’s plan to deepen air connectivity on many routes in the North of Nigeria, including Kano and Yola, and other domestic routes.

He regretted that industrial unrest by Air Traffic Control in Senegal compelled Air Peace to suspend the launch of its Freetown, Banjul and Dakar routes planned for Dec. 15.

Onyema, however, assured that the carrier would soon announce a new date for the launch of the three suspended West Coast routes.

He said the airline, which began flight operations to Accra-Ghana on Feb.16, was determined to expand to about nine destinations on the West Coast of Africa. 

The Air Peace boss added that the airline was awaiting the delivery of the two Boeing 777 aircraft  it recently acquired to start its flight operations to Dubai, Guangzhou, London, Houston, Mumbai and Johannesburg.

8 pregnant women among 157 Nigerian returnees from Libya

157 Nigerians on Wednesday voluntarily returned from the volatile North African country of Libya where they had been stranded enroute Europe. 

The returnees arrived at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos at 9.45pm aboard a BURAQ Airlines Boeing 737-800 aircraft with Registration Number 5A-DMG.

They comprised of 54 adult females, 90 adult males, three children and 10 infants.

Amongst the returnees were eight pregnant women and one medical case.

The returnees were brought back with the assistance of the International Organisation for Migration (IOM)  and the European Union (EU). 

The Director General of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Alhaji Mustapha Maihajja, who received the returnees, said the Federal Government was ready to bring back Nigerians willing to return from Libya. 

Maihajja, who was represented by the South West Zonal Coordinator of NEMA, Alhaji Suleiman Yakubu, said special incentives were being put in place for all of them to restart their lives.

He  admonished the returnees  to turn a new leaf as they had seen that there was no greener pastures anywhere outside Nigeria for Nigerians than the resources available for its citizens in the country.

Maihajja said:" You have gone out and seen things yourself that Nigeria is a great country and your contributions can make it a greater country.

"I want you all to join the government in  turning things around for this nation.

"Nigeria is blessed with all resources that everyone can tapped from without any fear of being molested or exposed to inhuman treatment."

FAAN dispels poaching allegations; assures travellers of safety

The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has dispelled the recent allegations of poaching of aircraft and stealing of baggage at the Murtala Muhammed Airport, Lagos.

FAAN,  in a statement signed by its General Manager, Corporate Affairs, Mrs Henrietta Yakubu, in Lagos on Wednesday, described the allegations as baseless and practically impossible.

Yakubu said it was  not possible for anyone to burgle an aircraft in motion. 

"Furthermore, because aircraft are highly technical machines, it is practically impossible for anyone who does not have the requisite training and competence to operate or tamper with the baggage compartment," she added. 

Yakubu recalled that two incidents of alleged poaching were recently reported, the latest being that which occurred on a chartered flight from Uyo to Lagos on Dec. 26.

According to her,  in both instances, preliminary findings from investigations conducted by an inter-agency committee set up to probe the allegations could not substantiate the claims.

She said :" The purported victims in the said cases also did not make themselves available for questioning, in the quest to unravel the case.

"Although investigations are still on going, FAAN will like to reassure travellers and the general public that with the level of safety and security systems on ground at the airports.

"It is practically impossible for an aircraft to be burgled within our runways and aprons." 

Dana Air launches smart sale, appreciates travel agents with Christmas gifts

As part of efforts to ensure that its guests continue to enjoy best fares on its flights, one of Nigeria’s leading airlines Dana Air, has launched the Dana Air Smart Sale to encourage its guests to book early, plan their trips and get smart fares on their roundtrip booking on all its existing routes from Dec. 26 to Feb 28, 2018.

The airline also celebrated and appreciated the efforts of travel agents in 2017 with Christmas gifts to encourage them to maintain the momentum and thank them for their support.

Speaking on the Dana Air Smart Sale, the Communications Manager of Dana Air, Kingsley said we want  our guests to get booking in 2018.

" It’s never too early to start planning your business and leisure trips for 2018, as this flash sale offers our guests an opportunity to plan ahead and get fares as low as 15,300 on roundtrip bookings. 

" All they need to do is visit our website www.flydanaair.com and  use the promo code ‘SMARTSALE’ to get best fares.  These amazing fares are available across our existing route network –Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt, Uyo , and Owerri.''

Speaking further Kingsley said, ‘’our guests can take advantage of this impressive offer and start booking from now till Jan. 10, for flights between Jan.10 and Feb. 28, 2018. 

"This deal is based on first-come, first-served, with limited availability. So with these exciting low fares we want our smart guests to get booking.’’

On the gifts to travel agents, Kingsley said: travel agents are pivotal to the success of any airline and we decided to celebrate our travel agents for their constant support and contributions to the growth of the industry. We have had a very amazing longstanding relationship with the TAs, and this is just to appreciate and demonstrate our commitment to them. ‘’

Only recently, Dana Air celebrated its 9^th anniversary in the aviation industry and capped the year with its full membership of the International Air Transport Association (IATA) and an award for the Most Efficient Airline of the year 2017 at the Nigerian Entrepreneurs awards.

  The airline is reputed for its unrivaled on-time performance, innovative online products and world-class in-flight service.