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Nigeria Grounds UK’s Flair Aviation

By
Ndubuisi Ekekwe
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0

The normalization is coming. Lufthansa will fly into Abuja and Port Harcourt from June 7, 2020. But the biggest news is the grounding of Flair Aviation, a foreign carrier, by the Nigerian aviation regulator for flouting the “no flight” rules when not on humanitarian services: “COVID-19: Flair Aviation, a UK company, was given approval for humanitarian operations but regrettably, we caught them conducting commercial flights. This is callous! The craft is impounded, the crew being interrogated. There shall be maximum penalty. Wrong time to try our resolve,” Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika,  wrote on Twitter.

The Federal Government of Nigeria announced on Sunday that a British airline company, Flair Aviation, has been grounded for flouting the “no flight” rule. The Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika, disclosed this on Twitter, explaining that the company was only authorized to operate humanitarian services but went on a commercial business.

“COVID-19 Flair Aviation, a UK company, was given approval for humanitarian operations but regrettably, we caught them conducting commercial flights. This is callous! The craft is impounded, the crew being interrogated. There shall be maximum penalty. Wrong time to try our resolve,” Sirika wrote on Twitter.

It could be recalled that the Federal Government had earlier this month, extended the “no flight” to four weeks, limiting flights to essential services only. The Aviation Minister said the Flair Aviation company would be penalized. However, the development tells of the struggle of the aviation industry to survive the COVID-19 pandemic that has brought it to its knees.

It is extremely surprising that some Nigerians are taking unusual risks to leave the UK, Canada and U.S. to return back to Nigeria. Typically, you would expect the reverse. But Covid-19 is not normal in any dimension. As they always say, there is no place like home!

Meanwhile, CBN and NNPC have promised to support Nigerians returning back to the nation as a result of the pandemic.

“The governor of CBN, very generously and very kindly, agreed; he said the amount I was talking about, over N1 billion because we have over 4,000 Nigerians out there… he said he was ready to explore and share the cost with NNPC. ..And I spoke to the GMD of NNPC and he said he was going to consult. And thanks be to God, today, he got back to me to say he was ready, he was going to meet up with the CBN governor and together, they will fund this portion; a very important portion, the accommodation and feeding of evacuees.”

Comments on LinkedIn Feeds

User: The opportunities are drying up. Nobody wants to stay aboard without pay.

My Response: I think you are 100% correct. It is very surprising that the hope is back home, as least the bills freeze unlike UK and US when they continue to come, job or no job. We may see a repeat of 2009 again where many professionals returned to Africa. I just hope the governments can take advantage and use their skills to help the continent. With this paralysis projected to run for quarters, economically, Africa may be a safer place for many before things normalize again.

The Aviation Industry is Getting Desperate to Survive

The Aviation Industry is Getting Desperate to Survive

By
Samuel Nwite
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0

The Federal Government of Nigeria announced on Sunday that a British airline company, Flair Aviation, has been grounded for flouting the “no flight” rule. The Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika, disclosed this on Twitter, explaining that the company was only authorized to operate humanitarian services but went on a commercial business.

“COVID-19 Flair Aviation, a UK company, was given approval for humanitarian operations but regrettably, we caught them conducting commercial flights. This is callous! The craft is impounded, the crew being interrogated. There shall be maximum penalty. Wrong time to try our resolve,” Sirika wrote on Twitter.

It could be recalled that the Federal Government had earlier this month, extended the “no flight” to four weeks, limiting flights to essential services only. The Aviation Minister said the Flair Aviation company would be penalized. However, the development tells of the struggle of the aviation industry to survive the COVID-19 pandemic that has brought it to its knees.

Punch has reported on Sunday that some foreign airlines are planning to resume flight activities to Lagos, Abuja and Port Harcourt airports. The Ministry of Aviation has however vowed to penalize any airline that flies into Nigeria in defiance of the ban. The Transport Service Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (TSSSAN) said no foreign or local airline is allowed to fly until the ban is lifted.

Despite the stance of aviation authorities of Nigeria on the matter, some foreign airlines are reportedly making plans to resume flight operations in June. Lufthansa Airlines has reportedly added Abuja and Port Harcourt among its 20 long-haul routes that is scheduled to kick off in June. Lufthansa has made its first batch of flight reservations available in its booking system according to people familiar with the matter.

On the other hand, Virgin Atlantic is reportedly lining up flight schedules for London Heathrow to Murtala Muhammed Airport Lagos. And beginning from May 16, services for its March 28, 2021 summer schedule flights. Though some other cities around the world are part of their flight plan, Nigerian Aviation authorities are not seeing the possibility in the nearest future unless the ban is lifted.

“They (foreign airlines) can’t operate scheduled passenger flights as long as the ban remains. The PTF on COVID-19 has the final remains. The PTF on COVID-19 has the final say on when flights can resume, based on the level of control of the pandemic.

“Of course, we in the sector can’t wait for activities to resume at the airports to forestall further loss of jobs and revenue. Aviation has been one of the hardest hit by the pandemic and it will be a great relief to have flights resume,” said James Odaudu, Director, Public Affairs, FMA.

The president of ATSSSAN, Ilitrus Ahmadu, said the decision to fly is not for foreign airlines to make. He said the Federal Government reserves the right to open and close its air space when it deems fit.

“It is not the foreign carriers that will decide for our country. So it is not their business and they cannot say they can fly into the country without government opening the airspace,” he said.

The aviation industry’s revenue has plunged massively since early in the year when countries started to halt flight activities. The plague has plummeted many companies into dire financial strains and near bankruptcy status despite governments’ bailout measures.

German national carrier Lufthansa, last month demanded a $11 billion bailout from the German government, on the agreement that it will take 25.1% stake in the company. Lufthansa has been losing $1.1 million per hour as a result of the global health crisis.

Virgin Atlantic also appealed to the UK government for a 500 million pounds bailout to save the airline from going out of business. In an open letter to the British Parliament in April, Virgin Atlantic founder, Richard Branson, who has already staked his private island for fund, said the coronavirus pandemic has forced the company to seek external funding.

“Because of significant costs to our business caused by unprecedented market conditions which the COVID-19 crisis has brought with it, we are exploring all available options to obtain additional external funding,” he said.

Around the world, every aviation company is on life support that requires sustainable intervention that many governments appear unable to offer right now. It seems that the desperation to survive is pushing airlines into sharp practices, and many of them are getting ready even to dare the “no flights” rules.

Uber About To Eat GrubHub, Air Peace Refreshing Its Aircrafts, Emirates to Cut 30k

By
Ndubuisi Ekekwe
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0

As Emirates plans to cut 30,000 jobs to manage the paralysis resulting from Covid-19, the conclusion is that cuts are not just due to low current demand but rather projected dislocation in global aviation. Now that firms know that doing business on Zoom is legitimate over flying across cities, Chief Financial Officers in companies will work their models to accommodate this redesign. Simply, aviation will recover but not immediate to carry and hold unnecessary liabilities and expenses.

Dubai-based Emirates Airlines is reviewing its costs, which could lead to 30,000 job cuts and the fast-tracked retirement of its superjumbo A380 fleet. Sources tell Bloomberg that Emirates, the fourth-largest airline in terms of passengers, may slash 30% of its workforce. Emirates has not made an official announcement, but carriers worldwide have cut jobs after the near-total shutdown of travel during the pandemic.

Arik Air has spoken: 90% of staff are going on compulsory leave without pay while those remaining will see 80% pay cut. We are yet to read from Air Peace, the industry leader in Nigeria. But we do know that it is using this downtime to scale “up technical maintenance and cabin refresh of our aircraft to keep them safe for the skies again” Nigeria must not allow its aviation sector to collapse.

Arik Air, one of Nigeria’s major airline companies has ordered 90% of its staff to go on leave until further notice. This is as a result of lockdown that has paralyzed commercial activities in many states in Nigeria, and put aviation transportation to a halt.

The aviation company has also implemented an 80% pay cut for its personnel while the rest of its workforce has been sent on leave without pay.

Meanwhile, Uber plans to eat GrubHub, a meal delivery service competitor to Uber Eats, breaking apart the construct of antitrust.  I expect the regulators to bless it as this time is not normal.

Uber and GrubHub are continuing their takeover discussions, with GrubHub signaling over the weekend that the ride-share giant’s offer “is too low,” reports The Wall Street Journal, citing anonymous sources. Uber, which operates Uber Eats, approached its rival after the pandemic started, according to The New York Times. Uber has relied on its meal-delivery service to make up for severe losses in its main business amid the current crisis — the company reported losses of nearly $3 billion in the first quarter. A merged Uber Eats and Grubhub would account for 55% of the U.S. food delivery market, says the Times. DoorDash, which accounts for 35% of the market, would be its largest rival.

The one marketing mistake you mustn’t make during the COVID-19 pandemic

By
Adekeye Damilola
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0

Nothing is going to be back, as usual, the situation presently at hand is the ”new normal” whether you like it or not, your disposition to this fact isn’t going to change a thing.

Many small and medium-sized businesses are shutting down, most companies are laying off staff and even the big guns in the world markets are losing millions of dollars by the day.

Although there are various downsides to the present COVID-19 economy, some businesses have found a way to remain afloat in these turbulent times. 

Apart from the health industry’s who are fighting on the front line to save our lives, Remote businesses offer the best potential of any form of survival during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

However, many remote businesses might be tempted to reduce or stop their advertisement altogether in order to reduce costs and sustain their business while the economy is at a low. 

This strategy looks like the fastest way to go out of business, but it is one that seems to make sense to the majority of business owners because it looks safe. 

Advertisement during this period shouldn’t be all about conversion, you must find a way to contribute and emphasize with your customers and prospect in these difficult times. 

In the process of doing this, you’re creating a positive image of your product/services in the kinds of your customers thereby giving you an edge over your competition when your audience decides to make a purchasing decision either during or after the COVID-19 pandemic. 

As the oracle of Omaha, Warren buffet rightly stated; “Be greedy when others are fearful and be fearful when others are greedy”.

Now is the time to be greedy, For your business to have a chance during and after this pandemic you can’t afford to cut down on advertisement, you have to continually put your product/service out there for your prospect to see.

Don’t fall into the trap of reducing the amount of your advertisement. The time to be greedy is now, the time to be fearful is tomorrow.

As you already know, you can’t afford to be late to the party in the business world 

Your advertisement is key to your business sustainability, you’ve got to get it right or you risk going out of business after the COVID-19 global pandemic.

Enterprising Muslims: Leading Muslims from Spiritual Knowledge to Sustainable Livelihood – A Book Review

By
Rasheed Adebiyi
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0

Book: The Enterprising Muslims

Author: Mutiu Iyanda,LASISI

Publisher: Tekedia.com

 

A book is a treasure trove that contains nuggets. It is an avenue for a writer to propagate his philosophy or narrate an account of his experience. This captures Mutiu Iyanda Lasisi’s effort to propose a new approach to doing business the Islamic way. Iyanda marries Islamic principles with established scientific business management approach. As a research, data and business management consultant who has conducted trainings for business owners and entrepreneurs, his background reflects in the writing of the book. Having handled a number of business proposals for both local and international companies, he seems to know the terrain of business management and deploys all his management know-how in the book titled simply as Enterprising Muslims.

The book is a simple do-it-yourself piece that focuses on business development with a lens of Islamic principles and practice. The author combines so many roles at the same time. At a point in the book, he becomes an Islamic scholar providing copious textual references from both the Quran and the Hadith. At another point, he assumes the responsibility of a teacher and a knowledge management expert taking the readers through the process of establishing a data-driven, value capturing businesses built on a sustainable model solely on Islamic principles of business management. All in two modules- aided by an introduction and a strategic position- the author lays the facts bare.

The book, divided into four parts, opens with a look at Islam, Muslims and the rest of the world. The author rolls out data that could assist readers to have a clear understanding of the numbers, peculiarities and needs of a segment of the world they seek to serve in business. Certain demographic information and economic data contained in the book are capable of moving a willing person to invest in a vehicle that would cater for the needs of the Muslims both on the global stage and in Nigeria. For instance, the author quotes a statistics from Dinar Standard which puts spending by Muslim consumers on food and lifestyle at approximately $1.8 trillion in 2014. This is said to have an expectation to increase $2.6 trillion by 2020. The book establishes the need for Halal businesses run by Muslims both through data and textual references from the two guiding books of Islam.  With this, the writer has cleared the issues on why Muslims should be involved in doing businesses. However, he identifies the challenges militating against Muslim enterprises. Thus, he proceeds to the second module to address some of the identified challenges.

The second module takes the baton from the introduction by delving into the issues that affect and facilitate  Muslim entrepreneurship. Again, the chapter is rich in data. The author had sampled opinions from a class on same topic he had earlier organized before the book was published. Responses that are thematically organized yielded the existing problems and likely solutions to them. The chapter explores problems militating against Muslim entrepreneurs and some other factors that could contribute or facilitate entrepreneurship among Muslims. Identified factors in the section touches personal traits, organizational support, need to diversify or restrategize and others. However, it does not stop there. The section also highlights the risks that a Muslim entrepreneur faces in the course of establishing a business. They range from financial to knowledge, relationship to compliance and operational risks. For any reader curious to understand more, reading from the knowledge distilled in the chapter would go a long way to assist their quest for a sustainable business.

The third module delves into the meat of the book. The first section examines key business management concepts and ideas. It is here the author takes the reader into a mini-MBA class where concept and idea generation, idea refinement, value creation, value capturing and it tactics are discussed. He caps it up with a brainstorming unit for readers where they are challenged to describe how they would create and capture value for 50 business ideas! The second segment of the chapter brings in business model and its validation as well as the business model development plan. The do-it-yourself approach clearly reflects here again as readers are taken through a step-by-step process of creating a business model, validating it and developing a sustainable plan from the model. The key components of these critical framework documents are explained. The author goes further to show the expectations of funders from a business plan. The emphasis is on value creation.

The closing paragraph is just like an afterword where the author reiterates his belief that the Muslim Ummah in Nigeria could reduce the grinding rate of poverty among Muslim geographies in the country drawing from the principles of the religion. He again calls for the need to encourage members of Islamic organizations by the leadership of these organizations to go into establishing businesses based on Islamic principles.That this, however, should be done scientifically is his thesis.

Having described the content of the book so glowingly, does it mean the book has no limitation or blemishes? From my reading of the book, it has a limitation. This is inherent in its nature. It is a short book. Most of the concept and ideas discussed could be said to be introductory. The author needs to expand these concepts and demonstrate them with real life case scenarios. This would go a long way to fulfil the yearnings of both existing and  aspiring  entrepreneurs. Nevertheless, the piece is a must-read for anyone who intends to start a business. It is this that would fulfil the yearning of the author. He preaches a knowledge-driven, scientifically designed business ventures that would not only create and capture value but also be sustainable.

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