News
Aero Delivers New Aircraft, Commences Third Party Maintenance
Aero as part of its fleet renewal programme is taking delivery of Boeing 737-400 and -700, including the Dash 8-Q400 new generation aircraft commencing from next month.
The new generation aircrafts are expected to assist the airline in its expansion programme and add new destinations and offer greater customer service and comfort.
The new generation B737 aircraft is equipped with the latest navigation equipment with lower fuel burn and increased reliability making the aircraft more efficient, environmentally friendly and easier to maintain.
Aero, a high efficiency carrier is Nigeria’s oldest aviation company (52 years), and has been operating scheduled services since 2000 with huge success. It has consistently operated with 80% load factors over the last two years, and a completion factor of 98% for all its flights.
Captain Akinlawon George, managing director of Aero said: “We are currently focusing on a niche market of small medium sized oil and gas companies, not only the majors. We believe these companies have very great prospects in the future, and we can partner with them to grow as well.
“Aero adhere strictly to the maintenance schedule of our aircraft as prescribed by the manufacturers and the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority {NCAA}. We are audited at least four times a year by the NCAA and three of our top customers who engage aviation inspectors from Europe and the US.
“We are venturing into emergency medical evacuation, search and rescue as we expand our rotary wing fleet size”.
He added that the airline is working to expand its market domestically and regionally in the near future and guaranteed customers its commitment to the highest safety standards.
Meanwhile, following the success of Aero’s aircraft maintenance, the airline is about to commence third party C-Checks.
The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) in 2011 approved Aero as an Aircraft Maintenance Organization (AMO) for: “A” and “B” checks on Boeing Airplanes, various levels of checks on other Airplanes, Boroscope, Wheels and Brakes (Assembly, Overhaul, Replacement, NDT), Air Frames (NDT), and Avionics and Battery (Cap Check, Overhaul).
“C” checks on Boeing by the airline will commence soon.
With the certification of Aero as an Aircraft Maintenance Organization (AMO), Aero intends to expand existing hangar to enable it meet the requirements of aircraft maintenance work including third party work, service the West African sub-region market for third party maintenance work, provide employment opportunities, training and staff enhancement programmes for employees.
Capt. George said: “A lot has been said about carrying out “C” and “D” checks abroad. The expected savings currently anticipated from doing the checks in Nigeria are quite little due to the current taxation policy.
“Nigeria has relatively high import duties on aircraft parts. Airlines typically fly their aircraft to, say, Turkey to have them serviced and relevant parts replaced. Once that aircraft flies back to Nigeria, the new parts are not subject to import duties as they are already installed on the plane. This puts any Nigerian maintenance provider in a big disadvantage against foreign players. A Nigerian maintenance provider would need to import all spares used in maintenance and thus incur the import duties that those maintaining their aircraft abroad avoid completely.
“The resolution to this issue can be either that spares imported as installed on a plane are subject to import duty, or that Nigerian maintenance businesses would get import duty relief. If Nigeria ever wants to allow for aircraft maintenance business to develop in Nigeria, it needs to create a level playing field between domestic and foreign operations. Right now, Nigeria is subsidizing maintenance businesses abroad and as a result is not allowing the same business develop in Nigeria.”
Two Nigerian lawyers have sued promoters of the Nigerian Law Society (NLS) over allegations of electoral fraud and unlawful use of personal data.
The legal actions follow the recent election conducted by the NLS, a breakaway association formed as an alternative to the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), to elect its national officers.
In one of the suits, marked FHC/ABJ/05/1506/2025 and filed before the Federal High Court in Abuja, a lawyer, Timothy Tersugh Ahua, is challenging the conduct of the election and the legitimacy of the electoral process.
Ahua named several NLS promoters, including prominent lawyers, as defendants.
They include Senior Advocates, Chief Mela Audu Nunghe, Dr. Ugoji Eze, Secretary of the NLS Electoral Committee, and Chief Bolaji, Chairman of the NLS.
Others named in the suit are Ferguson Chioma Blessing, Chief Emeka Ichoku, and Tejumola Adigun.
Citing provisions of the Federal High Court Civil Procedure Rules, Ahua is asking the court to declare that the NLS electoral process violated its constitution.
He is seeking a declaration that all unopposed candidates, including himself, be declared elected, as published by Dr. Tonye Clinton Jaja, the alternate Chairman of the NLS Electoral Committee.
Ahua claims he was duly nominated for the position of Secretary General but was unjustly excluded, accusing the defendants of hand-picking candidates in breach of the rules.
He further alleged that the exclusion caused him financial loss, reputational damage, and personal hardship, urging the court to correct what he described as a grave injustice.
In a separate suit before the Federal High Court in Abeokuta, another lawyer, Oluwadare Thomas, sued Chief Mela Nunghe, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Dr. Ugoji Eze, the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC), the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), and the Nigerian Data Protection Commission (NDPC), over alleged violation of his data privacy rights.
Thomas is asking the court to determine whether the use and publication of his personal data by NLS election officials without his consent amounts to a breach of Section 37 of the 1999 Constitution and the Nigeria Data Protection Act, 2023.
He also wants the court to consider whether the use of the NLS name for the election, despite a CAC notice and a pending suit, constitutes contempt of court and abuse of legal process.
He is seeking several declaratory and injunctive reliefs, including a court order restraining the continued use of his personal data and an order compelling NITDA and NDPC to investigate and sanction the respondents.
Thomas is also demanding N50m in compensation for the alleged unlawful processing and exposure of his personal information.
The National Space Research and Development Agency (NASRDA) has congratulated Chief Owolabi Salis on his successful space flight. He becomes the first person of Nigerian birth to travel to space.
Chief Salis privately funded his space mission, demonstrating the deep interest of Nigerians to participate in scientific, exploratory, tourism and commercial space activities. His achievement highlights new opportunities for private sector engagement in space Program.
This milestone brings significant international attention to Nigeria’s space program, capabilities, while positioning the nation among countries where citizens actively participate in space activities.
In a statement signed by Dr. Felix Ale, director, Media and Corporate Communications, NASRDA, stated that chief Salis’s successful mission represents one pathway for Nigerian space participation. “His achievement complements NASRDA’s ongoing efforts to expand access to space exploration for Nigerian citizens.
“NASRDA received notification of Chief Salis’s mission through our partner organization, Space Research and Exploration Agency (SERA), prior to the flight. His success demonstrates the expanding opportunities now available to Nigerians in the space sector.
“However, it must be emphasized that the NASRDA-SERA collaborative mission, announced in June 2024, remains on course for an upcoming Blue Origin flight. This program represents a different pathway, providing opportunities for broader Nigerian participation through open competition.
“Our collaborative mission will enable Nigerian citizens to participate in astronaut selection and contribute to the development of research proposals. Eligibility extends to all Nigerian citizens aged 18 and above through transparent, merit-based selection criteria.
“Research priorities for the NASRDA-SERA mission will also be determined through public input from Nigerian citizens. This approach ensures the mission addresses national priorities identified by Nigerian citizens,” the statement added.
The application portal for the NASRDA-SERA program will open in the coming weeks. Detailed application procedures will be announced prior to the portal’s activation.
NASRDA celebrates Chief Salis’s contribution to raising awareness about space exploration opportunities for Nigerians. His private investment demonstrates the practical commitment of Nigerian citizens to advancing our national space participation.
Chief Salis’s achievement marks a defining moment for Nigeria’s space ambitions. Nigeria now has both private citizens and government programs actively pursuing space exploration, positioning the nation as an active participant in the global space economy.
For additional information regarding NASRDA programs or the SERA collaborative mission, contact the agency’s Media and Corporate Communication Department.
The Nigerian Insurers Association has urged the House Committee on Capital Market and Institutions to respect the constitutional separation of powers as it carries out a probe on over 20 insurance firms.
In a statement on Tuesday night, the Director General/Chief Executive Officer of NIA, Mrs Bola Odukale, said the decision of NIA and the affected firms to approach the court was to seek clarity on the constitutional limits of the House Committee’s probe.
It would be recalled that the House of Representatives on Monday is investigating no fewer than 25 insurance companies operating in the country for various financial infractions spanning financial reporting, claims settlement, premium remittance, and issuance of policies.
The Chairman, House Sub-Committee on Capital Market and Institutions, Kwamoti Laori, during a meeting with the management of the insurance companies at the National Assembly Complex in Abuja, said the meeting was convened following the receipt of a petition on infractions by the insurance companies.
In the statement, Odukale said, “The Association wishes to state unequivocally that all actions taken by the NIA and the affected member companies in response to the Committee’s invitations and pronouncements were based entirely on legal advice by its Solicitors. It was on the firm instruction of legal counsel that recourse was made to the courts.
“The objective of approaching the Court is to seek judicial guidance on the legality, propriety, and constitutional limits of the Committee’s intervention in order to safeguard institutional integrity, uphold regulatory independence, and ensure that legislative oversight remains within the bounds of law.
“The Court action seeks to determine whether the current posture of the Committee reflects an exercise of legislative judgment, which, by constitutional design, is the exclusive province of statutory regulators, such as the National Insurance Commission, Securities and Exchange Commission, Nigerian Exchange, Financial Reporting Council, Nigeria Data Protection Commission, and the National Information Technology Development Agency.
“This raises serious questions about legislative overreach and an erosion of the doctrine of separation of powers, a cornerstone of Nigeria’s constitutional democracy.”
Odukale maintained that the NIA was committed to lawful and constructive engagement with all arms of government, provided that such engagement respects the autonomy of statutory regulators and the boundaries established by the Constitution.
“The NIA will continue to provide its full support to all member companies while upholding the principles of legal compliance and sector-wide integrity,” Odukale concluded.
17 of the companies that went to court were represented by their lawyer, Mr Abimbola Kayode, at the meeting with the committee.
Edun, Finance Minister Inaugurates NDIC New Management
Court Upholds AVRS Legal Rights to Licence Audiovisual Works in Hotels
Huawei Unveils AI Computing System to Challenge Nvidia’s Flagship Product
Lawyers Drags NLS to Court for Alleged Election Fraud, Data Violation
New Tax Law Empowers NRS to Fine Offenders up to N10m
General News3 days agoFG Plans N50m STEEM Grant to Support Student Innovation in August
E-Business3 days agoTranscorp Hotels Delivers Stellar H1 Results, Declares Over ₦1Bn Dividend
E-Financial3 days agoCardoso, CBN Boss Risks Arrest over Alleged N5.2 Trillion Unremitted Funds
Telecom3 days agoMTN Media Innovation Programme Fellows Gain Insight into Nigeria’s Connectivity Backbone
E-Financial3 days agoNIBBS: Banks Close 29.4m Accounts, Dormant Accounts Hit 33.39m
General News3 days agoExperts Champion Sustainability at Lagos Green Economy Forum
Telecom3 days agoDriving Digital Inclusion: Anambra’s Mobile Tech Hub Brings Free WiFi to the People
General News3 days agoUK Businesses Look to Africa As Strategic Growth Partners