High costs may force airlines to merge flights

Local airlines are already looking into signing interlining agreements with one another as hard time and competition are hitting the sector heavily.

The Assistant General Secretary, Airlines Operators of Nigeria, Alhaji Muhammed Tukur, in an interview with newsmen in Lagos, on Monday, said that three airlines, which were not receiving good patronage, were considering the option in order to mitigate the skyrocketing cost of operations.

Interlining is a voluntary commercial agreement between individual airlines to handle passengers travelling on itineraries that require multiple airlines.

This means that when a ticket is issued for an interline itinerary, one of the carriers marketing flights in that itinerary will be selected by the ticketing agent as the “plating carrier.”

According to Tukur, the global financial crisis; devaluation of the naira; and low traffic as well as high cost of operation among other challenges facing the carriers had made such an option necessary.

He said, “Airlines are really suffering. Some of them are closing routes and they are trying to interline. We are planning interlining with each other to survive.”

He explained that the interlining agreement would help airlines to overcome the problem of having to operate to a destination with less than 20 passengers.

Three airlines for instance, he said could combine 20 passengers each in one aircraft for the trip, rather than picking 20 passengers each to the same destination.

The system was said to have been first introduced in the late the early 1990s between EAS and Bellview Airlines could not work for long for reasons unknown.

Analysts say that ego by airline operators may not allow such method to hold ground in the sector.

London to Lagos flights price comparison

London to Lagos flights price comparison

Flights to Lagos from London are very expensive because demand almost always outstrips supply. There are currently four airlines operating direct flights from London to Lagos -- British Airways, Arik Air, Virgin Atlantic and Bellview Airlines.

There is also a small range of connecting flight options via African and European hubs such as Amsterdam (KLM), Madrid (Iberia), Frankfurt (Lufthansa) and Tripoli (Afriqiyah Airways). We selected three different types of flight for our comparison; a last minute booking (leaving February 13, returning February 20), a mid-week trip (Tuesday March 17 to Thursday March 19) and an advanced fare (Saturday October 17 to Saturday October 24). The prices for flights to Lagos listed below are per person in economy class including taxes, charges and card fees.

Flights to Lagos from London February 13 to February 20

• Arik Air – £481.16
• British Airways – £1229.50
• Virgin Atlantic – Not available
• Cheapest connecting flight - £383 KLM via Amsterdam

Flights from London to Lagos March 17 to March 19

• Arik Air - £463.16
• British Airways - £1246.50
• Virgin Atlantic - £1330.20
• Cheapest connecting flight - £325 Afriqiyah Airways flights via Tripoli

Flights to Lagos from London October 17 to October 24

• Arik Air - £556.16
• British Airways - £601
• Virgin Atlantic - £670.70
• Cheapest connecting flight - £389 Iberia via Madrid
  
  

Our research shows that the new boy on the block, Arik Air, consistently offers lower fares on direct flights to Lagos than perennial rivals British Airways (BA) or Virgin Atlantic. Unfortunately Bellview’s antiquated website made it impossible to find any prices without having to input a whole load of personal information first – a big no no in our book.

We have to admit that we have never flown with Arik Air, so cannot compare their customer service levels with the other airlines offering flights to Lagos. We have used BA and Virgin on countless occasions, including BA flights to Lagos, and they both offer a very similar in-flight experience. Choosing between these two simply comes down to price and whether you prefer to fly overnight (Virgin) or during the day (BA).

Not surprisingly, huge savings can be made if you don’t mind taking connecting flights. This is great if your priority is getting a cheap flight, but it will add a minimum of four hours on to your journey time.

Next week we pitch five of the major online travel agents (Ebookers, Expedia, Lastminute, Opodo and Netflights) against each other to compare which one has the lowest average prices.

18 Airports Record 1,000 flights Weekly

Eighteen Harcourt of the 21 airports under the management of the Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), record about 1,000 scheduled flights weekly.

According to the latest edition of Business Travel Information Guilde, the scheduled flights include landing and take-offs.

The airports, which on a weekly basis operate 140 international flights, 65 regional flights, and 630 domestic flights include, Lagos, Port Harcourt, Abuja, Kano, Benin, Ibadan, Akure, Ilorin, Warri, Port Harcourt Air Force Base, Calabar, Enugu, Owerri, Kaduna, Maiduguoi, Jos, Yala, and Sokoto.

Murtala Muhammed International Airport Lagos, leads the pack with about 388 flights daily as Jos airport handles the lowest number with two flights.

Other airports are Abuja 147; Port Harcourt International Airport 35, Benin 32, Port Harcourt Air Force Base, 19, Calabar 17, Enugu and Warri 14 each; Ilorin and Owerri 10 each; Kano 9, Ibadan 8, Yola 7, Sokoto and Kaduna 6 each.

Lagos Airport has flights to 17 airports, Abuja has flights to 15 airports; Benin has flights to three airports including Calabar, Lagos and Abuja, and Port Harcourt has flights to Lagos, Abuja and Warri.

Two new airlines, Afrijet and Dana, have joined the nine domestic schedule operators since the publication of the last Flight Information Guide bringing the number of operators to 11 as at today.

High costs may force airlines to merge flights

Local airlines are already looking into signing interlining agreements with one another as hard time and competition are hitting the sector heavily.

The Assistant General Secretary, Airlines Operators of Nigeria, Alhaji Muhammed Tukur, in an interview with newsmen in Lagos, on Monday, said that three airlines, which were not receiving good patronage, were considering the option in order to mitigate the skyrocketing cost of operations.

Interlining is a voluntary commercial agreement between individual airlines to handle passengers travelling on itineraries that require multiple airlines.

This means that when a ticket is issued for an interline itinerary, one of the carriers marketing flights in that itinerary will be selected by the ticketing agent as the “plating carrier.”

According to Tukur, the global financial crisis; devaluation of the naira; and low traffic as well as high cost of operation among other challenges facing the carriers had made such an option necessary.

He said, “Airlines are really suffering. Some of them are closing routes and they are trying to interline. We are planning interlining with each other to survive.”

He explained that the interlining agreement would help airlines to overcome the problem of having to operate to a destination with less than 20 passengers.

Three airlines for instance, he said could combine 20 passengers each in one aircraft for the trip, rather than picking 20 passengers each to the same destination.

The system was said to have been first introduced in the late the early 1990s between EAS and Bellview Airlines could not work for long for reasons unknown.

Analysts say that ego by airline operators may not allow such method to hold ground in the sector.

29 teams for NPA Lagos International Polo Tournament

Twenty-Nine teams will participate in this year's edition of the NPA Lagos International Polo Tournament scheduled to take place at the Lagos Polo Club from Saturday to February 7.

Host Lagos will have 11 teams in the competition, Kaduna will have eight teams, Bauchi, Niger and Kano will have one team each in attendance, Katsina has five entries while Oyo State has registered two teams.

Some of the participating teams are, Kaduna, El Amin, Kaduna Kawo, Kaduna Barnawa, Katsina Danmarna, Katsina Jag, Rubicon 1, Ashbert/Good fellows, Lagos Caverton, Lagos HST, Lagos Power Horse, Ibadan Challenge, Ibadan Dream Team, Bauchi Kano Meridian, Minna Jamila Ville Farm among others.

At the press conference held yesterday to usher in the event at the Lagos Polo Club, captain/tournament director, Francis Ogboro said that Majekedunmi Cup, Open Cup, Low Cup, Dansa Cup, Independent Cup, General Hassan Cup and Stanbic IBTC Cup are the trophies that would be vied for.

Ogboro noted that the players who have proved their mettle in the game of Polo would vie for honours in the different cups and also entertain the crowd throughout the competition.

He stated that three international players, Clive Mailman, Martin Roman and Selby Williamson would light up the tournament that would also have the likes of Dantata Brother, (Sayyu and Bashir), Mohammed Babangida, and Idimu Mohammed in attendance.

The main sponsor, according to Ogboro, is Thisday Group. Others are Cowbell, Stanbic IBTC, Dansa, Chapelhill, Leadway Assurance and Mercedes.

While commending the sponsor for standing by the club, Ogboro called on other well-means organisations to partner the club to take the game to an enviable height. He said that the competition had a new main sponsor because of the better deal it got.

President of the club, Bayo Amusan stated that the club would always be in the forefront of polo development while calling on more sponsors to join the club in making the game more popular, as the game was capital intensive.

Thisday's Gboyede Shomiyiwa said his outfit was happy to be associated with polo and commended the Lagos Polo Club for its sustained drive to take the game to an enviable height while urging the club to encourage younger players to come into the game.

Carol Obekwe, Corporate Affair Manager of Leadway Assurance said it had been worthwhile identifying with the tournament and charged the organisers to give the game and sponsors more publicity.

Life returns to Lagos

CALL it Isale Eko! Name it Eko! Still, it is Lagos Island! The premier Central Business District (CBD) Nigeria ever knew. It is the home of the legendary Balogun Market and the Lagos monarch. It hosted the colonial and post- independence administrations. In fact, Nigeria's financial nerves grew from here with over six million people moving in for business daily.

In the '60s and early '70s, the environment was a beauty to behold and more like a tourist attraction with organized formal and informal markets. It hosted the headquarters of most corporate organisations in the country.

But all of a sudden, the beauty of the area was overtaken by societal nuisance that turned the city of Lagos to a jungle.

Traffic was no longer moving, commercial activities took over the roads, hoodlums, armed robbery and other criminal activities overwhelmed orderliness and decency as governance and security flew from Lagos Island.

Corporate organisations took their flight one after the other while commercial bus operators converted available spaces to parks.

Carter Bridge, which serves as major link between the Mainland and Island, was turned to market with the collaboration of hoodlums and council officials.

But today, it is a different story. The state government, as part of its determination to rid the metropolis of all traffic and commercial hindrances, recently extended its arms of sanity to Lagos Island.

Last Thursday, when an octogenarian, Pa Simeon Olatubosun visited his old-time friend who resides on the Island, he was surprised at what he saw.

For the past 20 years, he had identified the area with a high rate of crime, frustrating traffic jam caused by commercial drivers and the menace of hoodlums, popularly known as area boys.

He was amazed with the level of sanity and orderliness he saw on Carter Bridge, which used to be a haven for hoodlums, traders and commercial drivers.

On both sides of the bridge, pedestrians walked through the walkways and there was no commercial activity on the bridge.

He was also surprised that the long queue of commercial buses and the officials of National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) as well as touts were no longer visible on the bridge.

He did not see any trader or hawker on the bridge. Traffic was free, streets were neatly swept while commercial buses formed a single lane on queue.

The old man was further baffled when he peeped out of his car and was able to catch a glimpse of the Eyo Cenotaph and Clock Tower at Idumagbo, including activities going on at Idumota, right from the bridge.

"This is wonderful. Lagos Island has really changed from what it used to be in the past," he said.

Another Lagosian, Mr. Dare Ogudeko, a businessman who had made it a matter of policy to forfeit anything that would take him to Lagos Island due to the traffic nuisance and activities of hoodlums, could not contain his emotion after witnessing the level of sanity on the Island.

He told The Guardian, "Lagos Island was an abode for criminals and centre of lawlessness. With what the state government achieved in Oshodi,I deliberately drove to Lagos Island to see things after a long visit to the area.

"As a matter of fact, I lost hope of sanity returning to Lagos Island. Carter Bridge was turned to market and motor park while hoodlums and NURTW officials took charge. Heavy commercial activities went on in the middle of the road at Idumota, Bamgbose, Balogun, John Street, Nnamdi Azikwe streets among others. Motorists no longer had passage.

"The worst was the spate of organised crime and armed robbery that frequently occurred. All the walkways were converted to shops while street fights and parties further compounded the problems in the area. It got to such an extent that most corporate bodies relocated from Lagos Island.

"Monuments of significant importance were turned to criminals' abode. All hope of sanity was lost.

The few corporate organizations that stayed behind also collaborated with the informal sector to debase the area.

For instance, some of them deliberately placed their generating sets on walkways, extending their activities to the road while using part of the road as car parks.

But today, the story is different. It is possible to drive through Iddo to Carter Bridge, ascend Idumota Bridge, then proceed to Nnamdi Azikwe Street, which links Broad Street with Victoria Island without any obstruction."

Another Lagosian, Ifeanyi Ode, also noticed that the usual long traffic jam at Idumagbo Roundabout was no longer there. He also observed that the Clock Tower Monument built over 74 years ago and the Eyo Quadrangle are now renovated and manned by the CBD security agents.

Similarly, Adeniji Adele Foreshore, one of the main entrances to the CBD, that was previously occupied by shanties up to the monarch's palace, has also been cleared.

A resident, Fatai Oladele, told The Guardian that Adeniji Adele Foreshore used to be one of the most dangerous parts of Lagos Island.

The Special Adviser to Governor on CBD, Mr. Oyinlomo Danmole told The Guardian that government could not afford to allow traders and hoodlums to rubbish over N22 billion it spent on upgrading the CBD to what it is at present.

According to him, "The office has taken decisive steps to ensure that the nation's foremost business enclave inched towards becoming an acceptable international shoppers' and investors' delight. We have gone beyond improving on the precarious traffic and sanitation situation as it was in the past years, to serving as government's eye in protecting lives and property within the area".

He noted the drastic traffic reduction in petty traders along the roads and organized crime such as pickpockets, bag snatching, extortion of shoppers, and traders, bank robbery and frequent street fights among youths in the area.

Most of the ring leaders are positively engaged by CBD or routed by security forces while illegal structures and shanties used as hideout for planning and executions of crime were demolished"

He added that several streets, which Lagosians hardly knew were in existence, due to commercial activities, are now opened up for motorists. They include: Ereko; Idumagbo; John Street; Alakoro Ebute Ero ; Ejalonibu, from Obun Eko to Dosunmu by Clock Tower and from Adeniji Adele Foreshore to Ejalonibu.

"The usual traffic logjam under Apongbon Bridge has reduced. Traffic flow on Inner and Outer Marina has been enhanced with constant patrol by the CBD patrol riders and traffic officers who are stationed at major interjections, especially on Inner Marina".

However, an Estate Planner, Musthapa Abiodun, commended the state for freeing the CBD area but lamented that government still has a lot of work to do.

He also chided some corporate organizations for parking their vehicles indiscriminately along the roads.

A commercial bus driver Martins Oforie, who plies Mushin to Idumota, also commended the recent development on Lagos Island.

The Commandant General of CBD, Mr. Raimi Asunramu said the level of compliance by the informal sector was commendable.

He, however, noted that the officials of the formal sectors should endeavor to abide by the rules and regulations guiding the CBD area.

"Meanwhile not less than 16 offenders have been arrested and arraigned for environmental default ranging from street trading, indiscriminate disposal of refuse among others.

The Managing Director, Lagos Waste Management Authority (LAWMA), Mr. Ola Oresanya also added that the agency had made special arrangement for effective evacuation of refuse within the CBD arena to ensure it is clean all the time.

According to him, "LAWMA has provided over 30 static compactors for all markets within the CBD".

Sleepless and speechless in Abuja and other cities

I have just returned from Nigeria, which in itself is not news to anybody, and I also visited our capital city, Abuja. Abuja is arguably one of the most beautiful cities in sub-Saharan Africa. If we don’t want to go that far, then it is the only beautiful city in Nigeria. It has got much about everything that a modern city should have – imposing beautiful public and government buildings; private abodes with exquisite out-of-this-world architecture (most of these are actually castles or villas, and not just houses, as only the Nigerian rich can build); the roads are neat, wide and motorable; well-planned lay-outs; relatively good security; centre of Nigeria’s government, etc.
But alas, somebody forgot to include an effective, cheap public transportation system for the common man - rail, buses or any other. As a Nigerian, I am always awed and proud of it, but with mixed feelings and reservations. I am always at a loss why no Nigerian government has ever considered replicating Abuja in other state capitals around the country.
They would not, would they? Abuja is a “planned city”, as it was mainly built in the 1980s and officially became Nigeria's capital on 12 December 1991, replacing the role of the previous capital Lagos. As of the 2006 census, the Federal Capital Territory has a population of 778,567.
Abuja is known for being the best purpose
-built city in Africa as well as being one of the wealthiest and most expensive. The logic used for conceiving Abuja, by the Murtala Mohammed-Obasanjo military regime of the late 70s, was similar to Brazil building its capital Brasilia.
It is of course not my first or second time in this city built with the wealth Nigeria has gained from oil, and the sufferings of the people of the Niger Delta (Sorry to put a dampener on your sensitivities).
Indeed the residents of the real Abuja are not ordinary Nigerians.
Whenever I visit Abuja, I could not but help being overcome with mixed feelings. One, and the positive thing, is that Abuja is a testimony to Nigeria’s effort to be a modern state, and one that a Nigerian should be proud of.
The second, and definitely negative of disheartening, is that Abuja represents man’s inhumanity to man, in all its ramifications.
It is a testimony or evidence to the monstrous, contagious and murderous corruption of Nigeria.
A testimony to the debilitating effect that corruption has had on us since the military took over governance of this country. It is the evidence of greed, insincerity, mismanagement and bad governance of our country. It embodies the desire and effort of the corrupt ruling class that have enslaved their people for decades. Look at it beyond the issue of beauty and modernity.
Every time I visit this city, and talk to people, it is always the same sense of futility and pessimism, and incidentally, these are expressed by both the ordinary Nigeria on the street as well as those in various levels of the society – civil servants, politicians, private and business people.
All of them believe that the deliverance of this country is only by praying to God. They all believe, and these include those in Lagos, Ibadan, Ortukpo, Kano, Kaduna, Benin, Minna, Yola, Jalingo.
Ogbomosho, Calabar, Sokoto, Ife, Ado-Ekiti, Warri, etc, that only God can save Nigeria.
Mind you, I am a fairly religious person. At least believe in God, even if I don’t attend church regularly as my mother would have liked me to do, but I have a problem reconciling this “given-up” attitude of my countrymen that only God can deliver them from the evil cabal that is ruling them.
They do not believe that they, as a people, can and have to do it themselves. And I am talking about even the people who should not be saying such things.
I am talking about people, whose remit is to ensure the smooth running of Nigeria, either as civil servants, politician, military personnel, police, business people and the likes. One thing that comes to mind is that these same people are either being deliberately insincere with me and their countrymen and women, or they really do not know what to do.
Either way, we all know it does not bode well for the country, and explains, almost graphically, why the country is in such a mess as we find ourselves in today, and in the future too.
On the other hand, such sentiments shows us to be pessimists and a people, at least those ordinary Nigerians, who have no other choice than to live and struggle it out in Nigeria, who have given up on the country itself and are convinced that Nigeria’s salvation can only come from God.
Well, I agree that God can indeed save us, but I always ask them; have you heard of the saying that “heaven only helps those who help themselves”?
Abuja, being our capital city, is supposed to be an
embodiment of Nigeria, and Nigeria, in all ramifications – culture, politics, socio-political development, a testimony to a country rousing itself out of the ashes of civil war, religious riots and ethnic rivalries, on its way to being a modern and developed country. But no, you cannot see all these and many features of political and democratic emancipation in Abuja. What we see is a vagrant display of stolen wealth, outright oppression, arrogance of power, unchecked political, governmental and moral corruption, neglect of fellow Nigerians and all the vices that have virtually destroyed our nation, and turned the majority of Nigerians into paupers and/or crooks Well.
People tell me that the success of Abuja lays solely on ex-President Babangida, since it was him, more than any previous Head of State, who accelerated the building of Abuja and forced the civil service, the diplomatic corps, etc, to move into the partly-completed city in the 80s.
I might begrudgingly accept that, but then it is no wonder that the city is decadent like its “accelerator”.
What do we know? A lot of Nigerians made their money out of the building of Abuja, and are still making money, because the city is actually not complete and is still growing. All these to the grief of the Niger Delta people; no wonder they are aggrieved.
Can you blame them? However, it was for selfish reasons that IBB accelerated the building of Abuja.
He made that decision shortly after the Orkah coup, in which he was nearly bushwhacked and killed.
He surmised that Lagos, as the capital of Nigeria, was not safe for him, especially since he did not have plans to relinquish power for a long time, and made haste to retreat to the relative safety and proximity of Abuja to his Minna hometown as well as to the Nigerian Army facilities in the northern part of the country.
Also he could exercise better control of the armed forces from Abuja, instead of the coup-hardened soldiers based in Lagos.
Abuja typifies some of the failings in our society which, according to Tunji Lardner, has enough for everybody’s need but not enough for everybody’s greed; a society where the greed (of the elite) most often surpasses the need (of the populace).
You cannot be an ordinary citizen of Nigeria and live successfully in Abuja. The city is for rich, mostly corrupt Nigerians. All other people live on the outskirts of the city, called “satellite towns ”, and come into the city to satisfy the whim and services of the rich. The ostentatious ness and pretentiousness of the city are overwhelming.
The rotten smell and evil face of corruption are overpowering, nauseating and cannot be ignored, if you are not “one of them”.
But Nigerians seem to love it that way.
Mind you, I am not against being rich.
I would like, and work hard, to be rich too. Why not? I am just against corrupt enrichment. And that is what we have in Abuja.
Babangida, and subsequent leaders of Nigeria to date, ensured that living in Abuja is beyond the reach of the majority of Nigerians; not that I want 140 million Nigerians to crowd into Abuja, but you know what I mean. If a plot of land costs between 30 and 40 million naira, what would you build on it, for example? You had better build a castle.
The corrupt rich have cornered the real estate market. They have all the houses and the estates.
Most of these are politicians and ex- military leaders and civil servants.
Even the commercial properties are owned by them.
In fact, anything that is not government property is probably owned by these individuals.
I cannot know or list them all, but here’s an example. There is a large expanse of building called Sigma Apartments (I forgot which street it lies) and I was told it is owned by an ex-Minister for Sports.
See? That tells you why our football and other sports are spiraling downwards every day.
Several high quality hotels, guest houses, shopping complexes and plazas are owned by ex-military officers and serving politicians. And these people do not own one, but several each. In most of the “ big men’s” castles, you can count up to six exotic vehicles, while Abuja itself has no public transportation worth its name for the masses to travel in to and from work. Babangida forgot to include a mass transit or urban rail system in his master plan.
This rapacious land-grabbing and property- acquisition frenzy reminds me of Leo Tolstoy’s short story “How much land does a man need?” This was the story of a man, Pakhom who already had some land but went in search of more land, this time, freehold land, until he got to the land of the Bashkirs, where he was told he could take as much land as he could walk around in a day at the rate of a thousand rubles a day, but he must be back at his starting point everyday, by sunset. But Pakhom got greedy.