AVIATION MEGAFORCE

The Federal Government, has approved the sum of  N1.7bn for the design of second runway at the Nnamdi Azikwe International Airport, Abuja .   The Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika, who briefed State House  Correspondents on Wednesday, said the sum of  N1, 659, 592, 908.78 was approved for the proposed second Abuja Airport runway . The amount, according to the Minister, covers consultancy services for design, with  a completion period of 12 months. He explained further: “Today in council, a memo from Aviation was considered and it is the consultancy services for design; pre contract services for the construction of a new runway here in Abuja.  “The contract went to a consortium of consultants, at a total contract sum of N1, 659, 592, 908.78, this included 7.5 percent of Value Added Tax VAT also with an exchange rate of N360 to dollar and this was approved”.

 The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has announced the postponement of the 76th Annual General Meeting (AGM) and World Air Transport Summit scheduled to take place on 22-23 June in Amsterdam. The 76th IATA AGM and World Air Transport Summit will be held when it is both safe and practicable to do so. IATA anticipates that will be in the late third or early fourth quarter of 2020. An announcement will be made when a date is confirmed. “Our members are in the deepest crisis the air transport industry has ever faced. With much of the passenger business grounded as part of the global fight to contain the virus, many airlines are in a struggle to remain viable. On the cargo side, airlines are doing whatever they can to keep global supply chains moving with vital shipments, including those for critical medical supplies. We will come together as an industry when the freedom to travel has been restored and we can focus on air transport’s critical role in driving the

24 0 The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has appealed to governments in Africa and the Middle East, as part of a worldwide campaign, to provide emergency support to airlines as they fight for survival due to the evaporation of air travel demand as a result of the COVID-19 crisis. “Stopping the spread of COVID-19 is the top priority of governments. But they must be aware that the public health emergency has now become a catastrophe for economies and for aviation. The scale of the current industry crisis is much worse and far more widespread than 9/11, SARS or the 2008 Global Financial Crisis. Airlines are fighting for survival. Many routes have been suspended in Africa and Middle East and airlines have seen demand fall by as much as 60% on remaining ones. Millions of jobs are at stake. Airlines need urgent government action if they are to emerge from this in a fit state to help the world recover, once COVID-19 is beaten,” sai