The United Arab Emirates’ mega carrier, Emirates Airlines has suspended flight operations indefinitely to Nigeria over its trapped funds.
The airline had earlier announced that it would suspend its operations from October 29, 2022, over the failure of government to make dollars available to the foreign carriers to repatriate their revenue during a meeting held at the National Assembly recently between the legislators, the Minister of Aviation and aviation stakeholders, including airlines and travel agents.
Emirates operated twice daily to Lagos and once daily to Abuja, recording 21 flights every week with high load factor. But an attempt to book flight from its portal between Dubai and Abuja or Lagos failed because the airline did not indicate that it still operates to those destinations and had kept mum after that initial announcement during aviation stakeholders meeting in Abuja.
However, in a statement by Emirates yesterday, the airline said it had no option but to suspend flights to/from Nigeria from 29 October 2022, to mitigate against further losses moving forward. According to the airline, “Emirates has continued to actively seek a solution for the repatriation of the remainder of its blocked funds in Nigeria. We were encouraged by the Central Bank of Nigeria’s efforts of reviewing our request and considered that this critical issue would be swiftly resolved with the subsequent clearance of our remaining funds.
“However, Emirates has yet to receive an allocation of our blocked funds to be repatriated. Without the timely repatriation of the funds and a mechanism in place to ensure that future repatriation of Emirates’ funds do not accumulate in any way, the backlog will continue to grow, and we simply cannot meet our operational costs nor maintain the commercial viability of our operations in Nigeria.”
The airline explained that it had officially communicated its position and attended multiple hearings with the Nigerian government, and had made its proposed approach clear to, “alleviate this untenable situation, including a plan for the progressive release of our funds.”
This it stated included the repatriation and receipt of at least 80 per cent of its remaining blocked funds by the end of October 2022, in addition to providing a guaranteed mechanism to avoid future repatriation accumulation challenges and delays.“We hope to reach a mutual resolution with the Nigerian government around the repatriation of blocked funds to enable the resumption of operations and connectivity for travellers and businesses,” the airline said.
A fortnight ago, UAE stopped issuing visa to Nigeria and 19 other African countries.
The stoppage of visa issuance to Nigerians was announced by licenced travel agents in Dubai who told their Nigerian counterparts in mid-October that the UAE would no more issue visa to Nigerians.
Recently it was announced that foreign airlines trapped funds in Nigeria had risen to $700 million.
ValueJet Airline on Monday commenced commercial flight operations in Lagos. The airline made this known during its launch party in Lagos on Monday, noting that it would be a hybrid carrier offering both low-cost and legacy options for everyone to fly.
According to the airline, the booking portal was open and would commence flight operations on October 10, 2022, with a flight to Abuja, Port-Harcourt, Asaba and Jos daily.
Speaking at the event, the Chairman of ValueJet, who is also the founder of Bet9ja, Kunle Soname, in his opening remarks, said the airline was no stranger to the industry.
He noted that it would base its services on the need for the right pricing.
He said, “ValueJet is hardly a stranger in the industry and all operational insights from previous partnerships have been applied in building our business plan and propositions. We have identified a niche in the sector, the need for fair pricing amidst the rising cost of commercial aviation to the average customer compounded by tough economic realities for air operators.”
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Azman Air has suspended indefinitely its flight operations following the alleged failure of the carrier to meet the Air Operators Certificate (AOC) renewal process.
A source close to the airline confided in our correspondent on Thursday morning that the airline had on Wednesday evening told its staff not to report to duties on Thursday.
The airline allegedly told the workers that it was suspending operations ”due to operational reasons,” but was not specific about the reasons.
However, another source close to the airline told our correspondent that the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) suspended its operation for failing to meet the requirements for AOC renewal.
It was also learnt that the regulatory body had given it much time to renew the AOC, but failed despite issuing the airline another 30 days ultimatum to meet the requirements. A check on the website of the airline currently revealed that all flights to and from different routes have been cancelled. The suspension is coming few months after the NCAA suspended the AOC of Dana Air over frequent incidents.
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Thailand, officially the Kingdom of Thailand, a Southeast Asian country located at the centre of Mainland Southeast Asia recently announced the launch of a new 10-year long-term resident visa for foreigners.
The country has also begun accepting applications for new ‘Long-Term Resident (LTR)’ visas beginning September 1, 2022.
Thailand Long-Term Resident (LTR) Visa
Thailand’s new “Long-Term Resident (LTR)” visa provides holders with numerous benefits, including a 10-year visa (extendable), fast-track airport service, multiple re-entries permit, and the ability to work in the Kingdom of Thailand.
Benefits
- 10* years renewable visa Permission will be granted to stay in Thailand for the first time for five years which can be extended for 5 more years if qualifications are met.
- Exemption from 4 Thais to 1 foreigner employment requirement ratio.
- Fast Track Service at International Airports in Thailand.
- 90-day report extended to 1-year report and exemption of re-entry permit.
- Multiple re-entry permits.
- Permission to work in Thailand (Digital Work permit).
- 17% Personal income tax for Highly skilled professionals.
- Tax exemption for overseas income.
- Immigration and work permit facilitation services at One Stop Service Center for Visa and Work Permit.
Eligibility
According to the official website, Thailand’s new Long-Term Resident visas will be available to four types of foreign nationals including Wealthy Global Citizens, Wealthy Pensioners, Work-from-Thailand Professionals, and Highly Skilled Professionals. Spouses and dependents of LTR visa holders will also be eligible.
- Wealthy global citizens with total assets of at least US$1 million and personal income of at least US$80,000 per year in the previous two years who invest in Thailand for at least US$500,000.
- Foreign retirees (wealthy pensioners) – have an annual personal income of at least US$80,000.
- Work-from-Thailand professionals must have a personal income of at least US$80,000 per year in the previous two years, five years of work experience, and work for a legally registered company with a revenue of at least US$150 million in the previous three years.
- Highly skilled professionals – with a personal income of at least US$80,000 per year, expertise in the target industry, and at least five years of experience.
Spouses and children under 20 years of age of an LTR visa holder also qualify (up to four dependents per visa holder). However, they…
- Must be the legal dependents (spouse and children). (Same-sex marriage or partnerships are not yet currently recognized by the law of Thailand.)
- Health insurance with at least USD 50,000 coverage or social security benefits insuring treatment in Thailand or at least USD 25,000 deposit
Application Process
- Application Submission: Register on https://visa.boi.go.th/register and submit online an application for qualification endorsement for LTR Visa and supporting documents.
- Qualifications Endorsement: Applicants will be notified of the result within 20 working days after receiving complete documents.
- Visa Issuance: Within 60 days of the issuance date of the endorsement letter, qualified applicants may apply for LTR Visa issuance at Royal Thai Embassies/Royal Thai Consulate Generals overseas or Immigration offices in Thailand.
- Digital Work Permit Issuance: Applicants who work in Thailand, may collect digital work permits at the Department of Employment at One Stop Service Center for Visa and Work Permit, Chamchuri Square Building, Bangkok or provincial labour offices.
Processing Fees
If you collect your LTR visa in Thailand, the processing fee for a 10-year visa with multiple entries is 50,000 Baht per person.
Fees for collecting LTR Visas at Royal Thai Embassies/Royal Thai Consulate Generals abroad or for obtaining an E-visa may vary depending on the currency exchange rate of each country.
The annual processing fee for maintaining a digital work permit is 3,000 Baht.
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The flag carrier of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) disclosed this in a statement, blaming its decision on the inability to repatriate its earnings in foreign exchange from Nigeria.
This is coming about three weeks after the airlines appealed to the Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika, to support the repatriation of its revenue said to be $85 million. Nigeria is facing a Forex exchange crisis and this has also affected the nation’s local currency; Naira to depreciate against the dollar.
In a letter addressed to the minister and signed by Sheik Majid Al Mualla, Emirates airline’s Divisional Senior Vice-President (DSVP), International Affairs, Emirates said the planned reductions in its operations in Nigeria would take effect from August 15, 2022.
It stated that flights would be reduced from 11 per week to seven per week at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos.
“We have had no choice but to take this action, to mitigate the continued losses Emirates is experiencing as a result of funds being blocked in Nigeria,” the airlines said.
“As of July 2022, Emirates has US$ 85 million of funds awaiting repatriation from Nigeria. This figure has been rising by more than $US 10 million every month, as the ongoing operational costs of our 11 weekly flights to Lagos and 5 to Abuja continue to accumulate.”
Noting that the funds are urgently needed to meet its operational costs and maintain the commercial viability of its services to Nigeria, the airlines said it cannot continue to operate at the current level “in the face of mounting losses, especially in the challenging post-COVID-19 climate.”
It added, “Emirates did try to stem the losses by proposing to pay for fuel in Nigeria in Nairas, which would have at least reduced one element of our ongoing costs, however, this request was denied by the supplier.
“This means that not only are Emirates’ revenues accumulating, we also have to send hard currency into Nigeria to sustain our own operation. Meanwhile, our revenues are out of reach, and not even earning credit interest.
“Your Excellency, this is not a decision we have taken lightly. Indeed, we have made every effort to work with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to find a solution to this issue. Our Senior Vice-President met with the Deputy Governor of the CBN in May and followed up on the meeting by letter to the Governor himself the following month, however, no positive response was received.
“Meetings were also held with Emirates’ own bank in Nigeria and in collaboration with IATA to discuss improving FX allocation, but with limited success. Despite our considerable efforts, the situation continues to deteriorate. We are now in the unfortunate position of having to cut flights, to mitigate against further losses going forward.”
It further asked the Nigerian government for support to address its financial constraint, said to be a primary issue to the airlines’ operations.
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Bahrain recorded a 38 per cent increase in visitor arrivals in the second quarter of this year compared to the first quarter, according to latest statistics.
Tourism Minister Fatima Al Sarafi said the latest data released by the Tourism Statistics Survey at the Information and e-Government Authority (IGA) confirms that Bahrain’s tourism sector is on the right track to make a full recovery post pandemic.
“The number of tourists visiting Bahrain in the second quarter (April to June) of 2022 has increased by 38 percent compared to the first quarter,” the ministry said in a statement yesterday.
“The tourism recovery rate reached 82 percent compared to the pre-pandemic period, especially the second quarter of 2019.”
The tourism ministry said that the country’s hospitality and hotel sector witnessed a growth of 422 per cent in business, while the total tourism revenue during the same period also grew by 562 per cent as compared to the same period last year.
Tourism Minister Fatima Al Sarafi said the latest data released by the Tourism Statistics Survey at the Information and e-Government Authority (iGA) confirms that Bahrain’s tourism sector is on the right track to make a full recovery post pandemic.
“The hospitality and hotel sector recorded 2,973,000 nights of tourism during the second quarter of this year as compared to 569,000 nights of tourism in the second quarter of 2021, an increase of 422pc.”
“Total tourism revenue during the same period was BD330.4 million, an increase of 562pc compared to the same period last year, when total tourism revenue was BD49.9m.”
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Air Peace has announced the suspension of its flights between Nigeria and Johannesburg in South Africa.
In a statement issued by the airline on Monday evening, it attributed the decision to suspend flights into the Southern African country to what it called the delayed issuance of South African visas to Nigerian travellers.
Other reasons given by the airline included; the skyrocketing price and scarcity of aviation fuel and the unavailability of forex.
While informing that the suspension takes effect from August 22, 2022, the airline however expressed optimism that it will resume operations from October 8, 2022, after the South African government must have addressed the visa issuance problem.
The statement from the airline partly read: “We hereby inform the flying public that effective from August 22, 2022, our Johannesburg flight operations will be suspended till October 8, 2022.
“This development is regretted but has become inevitable due to the delayed issuance of South African visas to travelers, worsening forex crunch and the increasing cost of aviation fuel as well as its scarcity.
“However, having informed the South African High Commission in Lagos of the effects of the difficulty in getting SA visas by Nigerians, which consequence is the abysmally low passenger loads on our flights to and from Johannesburg, we believe that the situation will have improved within the next 60 days. Hence, our willingness to resume operations on the October 8, 2022.”
The airline however assured passengers whose flights are affected by the development of the option of rescheduling their flights to fly before August 22, 2022 or from October 9, 2022 or ask for “a refund via callcenter@flyairpeace.com and our team will attend to it promptly.”
While apologizing for the inconveniences the decision may have caused, the airline promised to keep the public updated even as it hoped for an improved situation.
The suspension of Air Peace from the Johannesburg route may create serious hardships for many Nigerian travelers residing in the African country who constitute the largest travelers on the route.
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An announcement has been made that Israel and Nigeria will soon be connected by a regular flight service. The announcement was made by Israel’s Tourism Minister Yoel Razvozov during a meeting in Jerusalem with the Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Christian Pilgrim Commission, Dr. Yakubu Pam. The route is intended to provide direct service for Christians in Nigeria to visit religious sites in Jerusalem.
A pilgrimage
During a trip to Israel, The Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Christian Pilgrim Commission, Dr Yakubu Pam, met with the Israeli Tourism Minister Yoel Razvozov. During the meeting, Razvozov announced that there will soon be a regular non-stop flight connecting Israel and Nigeria.
The meeting was centered around the mutual benefit that will come to both parties with the opening of this new route. No specific airline has been declared to operate this route, but it was noted that the service will be provided by a Nigerian airline. Razvozov further noted the potential demand for this route, specifically the high number of Christians in Nigeria (around 50% of the population).
Both parties see the route being backed by popular demand as Nigerian Christians are anticipated to make a pilgrimage to Jerusalem. This will benefit Israel’s tourism industry immensely as pilgrims regularly come to visit the holy sites in Israel.
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About this event
The Abuja International Hotel Conference and Exhibition aim to bring together leading hoteliers, investors, operators, regulators, and academic researchers together to share their experiences, research, and knowledge on all aspects of hotel investment, operations, and management.
It also provides a premier interdisciplinary platform for researchers, think tanks, practitioners, and educators to present and discuss the most recent innovations, technologies, trends that could solve some of the critical concerns of the industry.
Hotel Owners Forum Abuja (HOFA)
Date and Time:
Wed, Aug 10, 2022, 9:00 AM – Fri, Aug 12, 2022, 11:30 PM WAT
Location
Sheraton Hotel, Ladi Kwali Street
Abuja, Federal Capital Territory 021189
Fee: $54.59 – $107.59
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About this event
Themed “Rebirth of African Culture, Arts, and Technology in Africa’s Development “.
Ladi Kwali Summit brings together experts, professionals, and startup founders to serve as mentors to the youths, educating them on new technology innovation trends, arts and culture capacity, and other topics that will enable them to make a positive impact in their communities.
The event is anticipated to benefit project partners and activities significantly contributing to Nigeria’s foremost cultural heritage research and development foundation. The summit will facilitate research and development collaborations centered on culture, arts and technology, the economy, and healthcare to have immediate and long-term societal impacts.
Event Title: Ladi Kwali Summit
Date & Time: 12th August 2022. / 10AM prompt
Event Location: FCT, Plot 903 Tafawa Balewa Way, Garki 900103, Abuja Nicon Luxury – Abuja
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