Page 69 - World Airnews Magazine November 2020

NEWS DIGITAL

AFRICAN AIRLINES

A round of news stories from

around Africa

NIGERIA CHERRY-PICKS AIRLINES crew, pilots and ground staff who were Meanwhile, the South African govern-
Nigeria has granted daily traffic rights to furloughed since Namibia introduced a ment has remained tight lipped. “All these
British Airways, Virgin Atlantic, and Turkish COVID-19 lockdown in March. However, issues are being handled with the help of
Airlines, while continuing to ban other pilots and cabin crew working on domestic the transaction advisors (Rand Merchant
European carriers over reciprocal visa routes, and airline management, were Bank),” said Sam Mokokeli, spokesperson
issues. exempted, it said. for the Department of Public Enterprises
From October 2, British Airways and In a letter quoted by Reuters, Air Namibia (DPE), SAA’s shareholder representative.
Turkish Airlines, along with Ethiopian Acting Chief Executive Theo Mberirua said “The department is not in a position to give
Airlines, RwandAir, ASKY Airlines, and Air only 57% of the airline’s workforce had any details.”
Côte d'Ivoire have approval to operate daily been working during the past six months.
flights to Lagos and Abuja, according to He said Air Namibia would reduce FOUNDERS OF INDONESIA'S LION AIR
the latest flight schedule update from the salaries by 50% until such time that regular MULL NEW AIRLINE
Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA). operations resumed. Mberirua said a A group of founders of Lion Air Group,
Africa World Airlines has approval to op- plan to restart operations was heavily including its co-owner Rusdi Kirana, has
erate twice-daily flights to Lagos and daily impacted by a lack of funds to pay critical filed an application for an Air Operator's
ones to Abuja; while Virgin Atlantic, Qatar creditors and salaries. “The financial losses Certificate (AOC) for a new airline that
Airways, Delta Air Lines, and Kenya Airways incurred by the airline over the previous would allow the group to distance
may now fly daily to Lagos, according to the five financial years have left (it) in a state itself from the 2018 Lion Air (JT, Jakarta
approval signed by NCAA Director-General requiring immediate intervention on all Soekarno-Hatta) B737-8 crash, Bloomberg
and Chief Executive Officer, Captain Musa fronts,” he said. has reported.
Nuhu. While a Lion Air spokesperson declined
Meanwhile, the West African country ETHIOPIAN OFFER MAY BE IN THE MIX to comment on the development, a
continues to blacklist Lufthansa, Air France, FOR SAA Ministry of Transport official, Budi Prayitno,
and KLM Royal Dutch Airlines over travel The administrators of South African confirmed that authorities were processing
restrictions imposed on Nigerian tourist Airways say they are unaware of a reported several new AOC applications but would
visa holders by the European Union. This offer from Ethiopian Airlines help out the not go into details about their identities.
despite a meeting between Nigeria’s stricken flag carrier, but those close to the At this stage, it is unclear if the recerti-
Aviation Ministry and EU ministers last process say it is one of the options being fication procedure has been launched by
month. considered. Lion Air Group (which also includes Wings
The administrators are to decide on the Air (Indonesia), Batik Air,Malindo Air, and
CASH-STRAPPED AIR NAMIBIA future of SAA this week after considering a Thai Lion Air) itself or by the same founders
SLASHES WAGES scenario where South African banks would but without formal affiliation with the
Almost half of Air Namibia's 800 employees provide only a portion of the ZAR10.3 group.
have had their salaries slashed in half as the billion rand (USD636.1 million) required The October 2018 crash of Lion Air's B737
airline battles a revenue drop worsened by for the implementation of SAA’s business MAX 8 PK-LQP (msn 43000) shortly after
the government’s continued international rescue plan. However, they were unaware take-off from Jakarta Soekarno-Hatta was
travel ban. of any offer from Ethiopian Airlines, said the first of two fatal crashes attributed
The Namibian newspaper reported the Louise Brugman, spokesperson for business to the failure of the type's Manoeuvring
airline had slashed wages for three months rescue practitioners Siviwe Dongwana and Characteristics Augmentation System
from September to November for cabin Les Matuson. (MCAS) system. Q

World Airnews | November Extra 2020
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