Air France’s Cabin crew to strike from July 27 to August 02, 2016

..Airline gives passengers precautions

The Air France Cabin Crew union plans to embark on one week strike. The industrial action is scheduled to  commence from July 27 to August 02, 2016. The airline expressed its displeasure about the strike. According to the airline’s statement, “ Air France deplores the call for strike action by two cabin crew unions (SNPNC-FO and UNSA-PNC) for the period from 27 July to 2 August, when Air France management had proposed a favourable agreement.”

Explaining what happened at the meeting with the union, the airline said that on Friday morning, management presented the cabin crew unions with a proposal to clarify and complete the draft cabin crew collective agreement for the period from November 2016 to March 2018.

“In addition to the improvements contained in the draft agreement, this new proposal contains several advances, which respond to a large extent to the demands made by both the UNAC, which postponed its strike notice several days ago, the UNSA PNC and the SNPNC/FO.”

“Talks between management and cabin crew unions continued until late into the night on Thursday.

It is too soon to know the precise impact of this strike action on the flight schedule. Based on the application of the Diard law, Air France will have accurate information to enable it to inform customers 24 hours before their departure.”

Ensuring the long-haul flight operates as schedule, the airline said, “the company is mobilized to ensure the majority of its long-haul schedule during this period. There may be more disruption on the short and medium-haul networks. Air France flights operated by another airline, including HOP!, KLM and Delta, as well as Transavia flights, are not affected by this strike action.”

"Air France management has gone as far as it could go with the social dialogue, in a spirit of compromise and responsibility with regard to the future of the company and all its staff. The call for strike action is irresponsible in this context and comes at the worst possible time for our customers" said Frédéric Gagey, Air France CEO.

Explaining the  likely impact of the action on the operations, the airline said, “as soon as we will have a more accurate estimate of the number of employees on strike and the impact on our operations, our flight schedule will be adapted accordingly and published the day before your departure.

Our teams are mobilized to ensure the most of our long-haul schedule during this period. Disruption on flight from and to France and Europe may be significant. Flight cancellations are to be expected.

Furthermore, in order to ensure a maximum number of flights with a reduced crew composition, we may be forced to limit the number of passengers on board some of our flights which would mean we may not be able to honour all reservations.

Customers affected by the cancellation of their reservation will be informed the day before departure.”

Keeping the line of communication with prospective passengers through the period of the strike, “to be notified personally by text message or e-mail, we invite you to update your contact information (phone and / or e-mail) in your reservation file on our website. In the meantime, we would like to assure you that our teams are fully mobilized and will do their utmost to assist you and minimize the impact of this industrial action on your travel plans.”

Also giving commercial measures to be implemented, the airline advised passengers that, “ If you wish to postpone your trip, we offer you the following commercial measures. If you have planned a trip on an Air France flight between July 27 and August 2, 2016: You can bring your trip forward on 25 or 26 July 2016 inclusive, or postpone your trip from 3 to 12 August 2016 inclusive. You can change your reservation at no extra cost in the same class of travel.”

“You can make these changes on this website, in the "Your reservations" section, on our mobile sites or from your travel agent.

You can also postpone your trip beyond 12 August, 2016, change your origin or destination or if you no longer wish to travel, you can receive of a non-refundable voucher valid one year on Air France, KLM or Hop!

In this case, you may contact your travel agent.”

“Before you go to airport, if the flight is "operated by Air France", we recommend that you check the information of about your bookings on our website or mobile app in the "your reservations" section.

If your reservation is cancelled, we recommend that you do not travel to the airport. Our staff will do their utmost to offer you an alternative solution.

Otherwise, you will be able to change your flight independently on our website. If you wish, you can also contact your travel agent or our teams who are mobilized to assist you in seeking an alternative solution. (in the "Contact us" section).”

“We sincerely hope that your flight will operate as scheduled and apologize for any inconvenience this strike action may cause you.”

Jet A1 Scarcity: Nigeria CAA Beseeches Passengers

…Airlines should communicate with passengers

It is obvious that  passengers around Nigeria airports are not happy with hitches on their itinerary as a result of shortage of aviation fuel. The regulatory authority in charge of  aviation, Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has called on all passengers who are experiencing the attendant flight delays and cancellations arising from the scarcity of Aviation fuel to exercise restraint.

According to NCAA through its  spokesman, Samuel Adurogboye, “this call is necessary due to reports of passengers’ rage and violence from some of the nation’s airports in the last few days. In some cases irate passengers have resorted to wanton destruction of certain facilities at the airports.

The Regulatory Authority agrees absolutely with the passengers that the conditions of carriage on their tickets must be upheld by the operating airlines. In other words, it is our statutory responsibility to ensure that passengers derive value for their money.”

Adurogboye said NCAA is well primed to ensure that all aggrieved passengers’ complaints are professionally handled by their Consumer Protection Officers, which includes flight cancellations, delays, missing baggage, denied-boarding and so on.

Registering its awareness, NCAA said it is well aware of the prevailing scarcity of Jet A1 which has inevitably led to flight cancellations and delays by the airlines.

Ameliorating existing challenge, Adurogboye said the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has taken cognizance of concerted efforts being made by the airlines to ensure that all passengers are ferried without any hitches. Also that, “the Federal Government of Nigeria is already engaging all the stakeholders involved with the procurement and distribution of aviation fuel to ensure availability in earnest.”

All passengers are therefore enjoined to exercise caution while expressing their grievances as the airlines are grappling with the challenges thrown up by the non- availability of Jet A1.

NCAA also called on the airline operators that they must ensure strict adherence to the Standard and Recommended Practices (SARPs) in their operations. Passengers must be informed of any development concerning their flights well ahead of time.

Private Jets & The Renewed Passenger Photo Identification Policy

By Capt. Daniel Omale

 As the minister of Aviation, Stella Oduah introduced inconsistent and incomprehensible policies. One of the failed regulations she proposed was passenger photo identification for all private jets operating within Nigeria.

The introduction of the policy was purposely designed to checkmate Rotimi Ameachi, a former governor of Rivers state, and an adversary of President Jonathan Goodluck.

When River state aircraft, a Bombardier Global Express, which governor Ameachi had was grounded in Akure in 2013 by the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency(NAMA), Rotimi Ameachi’s regular movement in other private jets needed to be monitored, hence the promulgation of the  “Private jets passenger identification” ordinance.

Fortunately, due to public outcry, and Stella Oduah’s celebrated removal from office, the policy died a natural death.  Or so we thought.

Now the table has turned; Ameachi has become the minister of transport, of which aviation ministry is directly under its purview. The same private jets passenger photo identification policy has been reactivated. The NAMA’s circular dated June 24, 2016, signed by one Pwajok M, L, states: “Submission of GENDEC, Passenger Manifest and Photo Identity by Private Aircraft Operation.”

What the minister of transport does not know is that the same aviation cartel that misled Stella Oduah to her disgraceful exit is actively with him. These quasi, self-ordained aviation professionals will lead him or his minister of state, Hadi Sirika, into the same path of deconstruction of the sector.

Private Jet owners or operators are not, in any way, the problem of aviation industry in Nigeria. Instead, they contribute more that 60% of the total revenues generated.  Therefore, creating impediments to efficient private aircraft operation is not only anti-industry growth, but shear shortsightedness.

Every day in this country, private jet owners, especially those with foreign registrations, pay in excess of $500,000 (N180m) as statutory fees to various aviation agencies. It is therefore, unwise, and unnecessary to reintroduce this unrealistic, draconian policy.

For those canvassing to uphold this stipulation, using security concern as the core reason, there is no single private, foreign registered aircraft in Nigeria that is unknown to the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA). This also means that the owner of such an aircraft and his operational characteristics are duly certificated. There has never been a private aircraft engaged in any subversive activity in Nigeria.

Foreign registered private aircraft are better maintained, especially those registered to the United States and European financiers or lessors. With dual safety oversight (the NCAA & foreign CAA), it is only natural to expect and accept higher quality routine and schedule maintenance.

If this senseless policy is aimed at frustrating individuals with private Jets, there is obviously no need for such, because those who looted our national treasury to acquire assets have since run out of the country with their aircraft.

There are also those who constantly call for all foreign registered private Jets to de-register to Nigerian tail number for ease of employing Nigerian pilots. This idea is far beyond ordinary rhetoric or adoption of some irrational policy. If Nigeria’s banks /financial institutions can’t support investments in equipment acquisition, it is only fair to allow those who can secure aircraft financing from abroad to stay within the terms and conditions of such loans. One of them is to keep the aircraft registered in a more liberal country of the world for easy repossession.

The only way to create jobs for the hundreds of young pilots in our midst is for the federal government to support anyone interested in‎ venturing into commercial aviation with softer, more affordable loan through the bank of industry. Unless access to lower cost of funds is available in Nigeria, no regulation can sway entrepreneurs from doing what is “best for business.”

The new Civil Aviation Regulations (CARs) of 2016 with some clauses centered on expunging “Part G” aircraft importation and operation in Nigeria are untenable. Nigeria is a signatory to Cape Town convention. This Convention provides for the constitution and effects of an international interest in certain categories of mobile equipment and associated rights. It commenced in 2001 and ratified in 2006 by 69 countries‎, including Nigeria.

Before these rules can become effective, the NCAA should write and be approved to withdraw Nigeria from the countries that ratified the articles of the Cape Town Convention. Anything other than that, will be a violation of the applicable laws in the international agreement.

While I can appreciate selfishness on the part of those who feel threatened that the few lucky aircraft operators in Nigeria, who can source aircraft from abroad pose immense threat to the competition, it is definitely not a single person’s call to cancel an international agreement without due national authorisation.

It is the NCAA’s responsibility to safeguard all international aviation agreements ratified by Nigeria. A single airline operator in Nigeria cannot, and should not coerce the agency to make rules that are tantamount to the general standards and best practices worldwide. This shallow and greedy motive by some airline owners in this country has threatened industry growth, and future prospect.

Nigeria’s aviation business is bigger and larger than any single airline owner to dictate its modus operandi.

For effective CARS, stakeholders must be given ample time to diligently review and deliberate on what is tenable and untenable in every part of the regulations. If it took the NCAA four years to compile the 4000 plus pages of the new CARs, operators need, at least, one year to digest and propose rational amendments to this humongous booklet. Hasty implementation of the various updated clauses will create more damage to a sector already in fragility.

Those calling for the abolition of part G aircraft operation are not only being selfish and senseless, they are shallow-minded and, ignorant of what the Cape Town Convention stands for, towards aviation development in developing nations.

Also, those instigating the minister of transport to enforce private Jets passenger photo identification prior to each flight are simply disrupting smooth flow of aircraft operation in Nigeria. They have always exploited the system into retrogression.

                                        Capt. Daniel Omale writes from Abuja

IATA and FIATA Agree On New Air Cargo Program

…Global roll-out in 2018

 

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) and the International Federation of Freight Forwarders Associations (FIATA) have come together in an agreement to implement a new Air Cargo Program. Announcing the   agreement, IATA in a statement said, “The agreement has been signed by Tony Tyler, IATA’s Director General and CEO and Huxiang Zhao, President of FIATA, to implement the IATA-FIATA Air Cargo Program (IFACP) to replace the existing IATA Cargo Agency Program.

According to IATA,  “Over the decades that the IATA Cargo Agency Program has operated; IATA Cargo Agents (freight forwarders) have evolved from being “selling-agents” for airlines to being their “purchasing-customers”. In consideration of this evolution, in 2012 IATA and FIATA joined forces to review, refine and re-engineer the existing Agency Program. The new program moves decision-making on the rules governing the airline-forwarder relationship away from an airline-led conference to a governance body - the IATA-FIATA Governance Board (IFGB) - jointly managed by forwarders and airlines, which reflects today’s market conditions.”

“IATA and FIATA have reached an important agreement on a new jointly-managed air cargo program. This is the result of four years of hard work to modernize the relationship between freight forwarders and airlines. The IFACP also provides a framework to ensure that industry standards are relevant, pragmatic and fit for purpose. These standards cover the endorsement of freight forwarders and more broadly the safe, secure and efficient transportation of air cargo shipments”, said Aleks Popovich, IATA, Senior Vice President, Financial and Distribution Services.

“The Cargo Agency Program has long needed updating. I am really pleased that FIATA and IATA have joined forces to provide our industry with a new, modern program and a framework for operation that benefits both airlines and freight forwarders. IFACP will eliminate unnecessary administrative procedures and costs as well as free up valuable resources to tackle the complex challenges that today’s global trade presents. These include regulatory compliance, safety and security and the introduction of new technologies. This agreement paves the way for a more successful future for the fastest and most fascinating mode of international transport”, remarked Mr. Rudi Sagel, Chairman of FIATA’s Airfreight Institute (AFI).

The phased rollout of IFACP will begin in early 2017 with Canada as the pilot country. It is anticipated that full global rollout will be completed by end of 2018. The public signature with the common endorsement of the agreement will take place at the October FIATA World Congress which will be held in Dublin, Ireland.

Benefits of the new IATA-FIATA Air Cargo Program (IFACP)

The structure of the new agreement better reflects the new business models and the buyer-seller relationship that exists today between forwarders and airlines. With the establishment of a global IATA-FIATA Governance Board (IFGB), the industry will be better equipped to achieve key goals including: e-cargo priorities of greater efficiency and shared values, clarification of supply chain liability, improved compliance with safety and security standards through a more coordinated and concerted industry approach.

The IFGB governance structure will reduce the administrative burden in managing the program as it includes the involvement of forwarders as equal partners in the decision making process which now correctly reflects the Principal-to-Principal relationship existing today between Freight Forwarders and Airlines.

Impact on the current IATA Cargo Agents

There is no immediate impact on the current IATA Cargo Agents as the current participants of the IATA Cargo Agency/ Intermediary Program will be provided with a new IATA-FIATA Air Cargo Program Agreement when the program implementation process begins in their country. Upon execution and receipt of the completed Agreement, the Endorsed Freight Forwarder will join the new program. No further assessment will be required. New entrants shall be granted access to the IFACP in accordance with the program's rules, which are designed to be more reflective of how the air cargo business functions in today’s market. It is anticipated this process will be completed by end of 2018.

Jet A1 scarcity: Marketers Promised Respite This Week- Arik Air

There is no doubt that the current scarcity of aviation fuel has hit harder on the operations of airlines in Nigeria but there is good news. According to Arik Air’s Public Relations and Communications Manager, Adebanji Ola, “Marketers have assured that the situation would improve this week as they are expecting delivery of additional stock.”

Arik Air is appealing to their teeming patrons to bear with them as government and marketers are making efforts to ameliorate the difficult situation at hand. “While the Federal Government and oil marketers are working hard to address the supply and distribution challenges, we appeal to our guests to bear with us as they may experience flights delays and cancelations because of the prevailing scarcity of aviation fuel across the country”.

Adebanji futher explained that the airline is grappling with flight schedule disruptions due to the severe scarcity of aviation fuel (Jet A1) across the country.

 He said “since the beginning of this year, Nigeria has been grappling with inadequate supply of aviation fuel leading in most cases to severe shortage of the product and consequently the disruption of flight operations. For the past week, the airline had to face another round of aviation fuel scarcity which got worse over this weekend leading to many flight delays and cancellations.”

As the operator of largest flights in West Africa, the airline operates an average of 120 daily flights requiring about 500,000 liters of fuel daily. “Due to the large number of domestic and international flights, it is the most impacted by the inability of oil marketers to meet its daily fuel requirements on a timely and consistent basis. This has forced the airline to postpone flights while waiting for the fuel marketers to source and deliver the product. On many occasions, despite all efforts in engaging the marketers if fuel could not be sourced, the flights may eventually be cancelled causing not only revenue loss for the airline but also inconveniencing or stranding the passengers.”

Relaying the challenge, Arik Air has identified supply and infrastructural challenges of the marketers as some of the key factors responsible for the epileptic supply of aviation fuel. At the root of the fuel supply crisis is low stock due to the inability of marketers to source for the foreign exchange to import more Jet A1 fuel into the country. There is also a distribution challenge as the discharging of vessels bringing Jet A1 and other petroleum products are done in the same Jetty and loading various trucks for distribution to cities like Kano or Abuja takes considerable effort and time. The situation in the north is even more difficult since the product takes longer to be delivered due to the trucking distance. Oil marketers have also resorted to trucking of aviation fuel to the airports because hydrants are not consistently available at the airports.

Arik Air has also stated that it is working on a longer term plan which will be finalized in the coming months to mitigate this situation and to be in a better position to address such supply shortages and delays.

Where flights are likely to be delayed or cancelled, Arik Air will notify passengers through SMS and do all possible to accommodate passengers on the first available alternate flight.

US banned flights to and from Turkey

...Turkish Airlines cancels flights too

Due to the aftermath of the botched coup in the Turkey, the United States of America has henceforth stopped all flights to and from Turkey. The Turkey’s national carrier, Turkish Airlines also has cancelled flights to the United States of America. This is according to the airline’s notice on its website. “All our flight operations (with the exception of the U.S.A. flights) have turned back to normal. Our flights to and from the U.S.A. on the 17th and 18th of July 2016 have been canceled and passengers booked on these flights are kindly asked to apply to our sales offices in city centers and respective travel agencies.”

This will definitely affects passengers all over the world connecting the airports in Turkey to the Northern America country.

Alternative for travellers is to use other airlines to the US as there is no definite time in sight for the Turkey-US route restoration.

“We extend our thanks to our passengers for their understanding and kindly ask them to follow our website for up to date information on their flights and booking.”-Turkish Airlines said.

African Union Unveils E-passport In Kigali

…Heralding Visa-Free Continent

 

L-R:President of Rwanda Paul Kagame,Idriss Deby, President of the Republic of Chad and Chairperson of the African Union Commission (AUC) Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma at the  ongoing AU Summit in Kigali.                        (Photo source:AU)                                                                                     

The dream of visa-free Africa for Africa citizens is becoming a reality as African leaders gathered at Rwanda's capital Kigali for their biannual meeting with the launch of the continent's first-ever African e-passport.

The Chairperson of the African Union Commission (AUC) Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma announced the launch and presented the first two e-passports to rotating AU chairperson Idriss Deby, President of the Republic of Chad, and President of Rwanda Paul Kagame at the opening ceremony of the 27th ordinary session of the AU Heads of States.

A statement by AU before the commencement of ongoing summit stated that, “ the flagship project, first agreed upon in 2014, falls squarely within the framework of Africa’s Agenda 2063 and has the specific aim of facilitating free movement of persons, goods and services around the continent - in order to foster intra-Africa trade, integration and socio-economic development.”

According to AU, the first group of beneficiaries of the e-passport will include AU heads of state and government; ministers of foreign affairs; and permanent representatives of AU member states based at the AU Headquarters in Addis Ababa.