Mamaj's Aviation Blog Travel News, Events, Trends, Jobs, Gossip and Inspiration

A Bradford travel agent has thanked Etihad Airways’ “over and above” customer service after a flight returned to the gate to allow her customers to rush to their grandson’s hospital bedside. Tragically the client’s grandson died the following day, but not before they were able to see him. Travel Counsellor …

President Buhari’s administration has pledged to look into the re-establishment of a new national carrier for Nigeria. The subject has been one that conjures up, memories of costly, previously failed attempts at national airlines. With this in mind, I also recall the famous quote by George Santayana: “those who fail …

Senegal plans to launch a new national airline to replace loss-making Senegal Airlines, which had its air operator’s certificate revoked last month amid mounting debts, Finance Minister Amadou Ba said on Monday. “Senegal has initiated the creation process of a new airline”, he said at a news conference with his …

China’s HNA Group has made an offer to buy Gategroup, a Swiss-based airline catering firm for 1.4bn Swiss francs ($1.5bn; £1bn). Conglomerate HNA Group owns Hainan Airlines and is led by billionaire Chen Feng. HNA has offered 53 Swiss francs a share for the Swiss firm, an offer which has …

Singapore Airlines (SIA) has, for the first time, hired women to fly its planes. Two of them joined last August during the last intake of cadet pilots. Their training – in Singapore and Australia – will take between two and three years, after which they will be rostered for commercial …

Airspace Managers across the nation’s airports under the aegis of Airspace Managers’ Forum has thrown their weight behind the current management of the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA), led by the Acting Managing Director of NAMA, Engr. Emma Anasi in its effort to sustain the gains of air safety in …

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has warned that the European economy may lose about one million jobs and EUR245 billion in 2035, if the inefficiencies observed in the management of its airspace are not quickly and properly addressed. In a report, IATA stated that Europe is well served by …

Virgin Australia is boosting its international network and frequent flyer program through a codeshare agreement and frequent flyer partnership with Alitalia. Initially, Virgin will place its VA airline code on the Italian flag carrier’s flights from Abu Dhabi to Rome and Milan (Malpensa), which are operated by Boeing 777 and …

Muslim flight crew don the hijab while non-Muslim crew are forbidden from wearing revealing clothing on board the airline, which launched last December. In-flight meals are completely halal and alcohol consumption is strictly banned. In recent weeks, however, the carrier had drawn increasing criticism from passengers and the government due …