Remembering the #Biafra Kids: The Sosoliso Air Crash 10 years later #HNNTravel #HNNMemorial

Grace Ilabor lost all 3 kids and Pastor Bimbo Odukoya among others

On 10 December 2005, Sosoliso Airlines Flight 1145 from Abuja to Port Harcourt crashed on landing with 110 people on board. 2 persons survived. Bimbo Odukoya (A popular Christian speaker) and over 50 students of Loyola Jesuit College, an Abuja-based secondary school, were among the dead. It is reported that a witness states that the plane was struck by lightning about 40 or 50 metres from touching down and the fuel in the wing caught fire and it exploded. This has not yet been confirmed by any authorities. Following the crash, president Olusegun Obasanjo ordered all Sosoliso planes grounded. An act of God and tragic story. Just last year a British Airways plane made an emergency landing in Birmingham after it was struck by lightning leaving Abuja to London. Bukola Saraki and Boko Haram Governor Shettima was in that one. One of these days Karma will meet the right people. 

Rest in peace to the many Biafran kids on that flight. Sosoliso Airlines operated flights to Enugu, Port Harcourt, Owerri, Abuja and Lagos.

How US Refugees are SCREENED #HNNTravel

Refugees undergo more rigorous screening than anyone else we allow into the United States. Here is a step-by-step guide to the rigorous process for refugee entry into the U.S: 

FULL STORY: go.usa.gov/cbgeW

What was the noise heard in the cockpit recorder of crashed #Russian plane? #HNNTravel

SHARM EL-SHEIKH, Egypt -- A noise was heard in the last second of the cockpit voice recording from the Russian plane that crashed last week in Egypt's Sinai, killing all 224 people onboard, the head of the investigation team said Saturday. Ayman el-Muqadem told a news conference in Cairo that an analysis of the noise was underway to identify its nature. He said the way the debris was scattered over a wide area indicated the Airbus A321-200 broke up mid-air, but initial observations don't shed light on what caused it.

Sources told CBS News on Friday the sound of an explosion can be heard on the cockpit voice recorder although that still does not conclusively point to a bomb, CBS News homeland security correspondent Jeff Pegues reports.

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Watch what this Secret Service dumbass did to President Obama's plane? #HNNTravel

Here is President Obama's 5 storey plane called Air Force One reserved for US Presidents. It arrived at night somewhere and the airport people had not pulled the steps up yet hen this military secret service dumbass open the door. Need I say more. Someone could have fallen to their death!

High Speed Magnetic Levitation trains coming to Maryland, USA #HNNTravel

The Governor Larry Hogan posted on his Facebook page. I lived in this state for 21 years out of my 30 years in the USA.
"Maryland has been awarded $27.8 million in federal funds to support efforts to bring high-speed magnetic levitation trains to the Northeast region, Gov. Larry Hogan announced Saturday. ...

'The ability to travel between Baltimore and Washington, D.C. in only 15 minutes will be absolutely transformative, not just for these two cities, but for our entire state,' Hogan said in a news release Saturday. 'This grant will go a long way in helping us determine our next steps in this transportation and economic development opportunity.'

Hogan's office said the Maryland application for the federal grant was submitted in April with the understanding that the Japanese government will be a source of significant financial backing for the project, along with private-sector support from Baltimore-Washington Rapid Rail LLC."

Remembering Bellview Airlines Flight 210 victims 10 years later #HNNMemorial #HNNTravel #Nigeria

                                                            Credits: Capt Akinwale Makinde

TEN years ago today, on 22 October 2005, Bellview Airlines Flight 210, a Boeing 737-200 aircraft, crashed shortly after taking off from Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos en route to the Nigerian capital Abuja, killing all 117 people on board.The crash occurred at Lisa Village, Ogun State.

It was one of the worst crashes ever. the pilot of the plane did not have adequate training, their was a passenger on board with tons of cash which littered the crash site and people in the village rushing to grab the money rather than help the victims, TV station AIT was there filming it all and they were suddenly sanctioned and finally the flight and data recorders were never found. More than likely, the villagers stole that too.

Today marks 10 years and we sympathize with the families. Bellview airlines went out of business shortly after.

With files from Wikipedia

#BREAKING UPDATE American Airline Pilot dies mid flight and co-pilot lands safely #HNNTravel

Capt Michael Johnson courtesy of Betty Jean Johnson

These are the stories you never want to hear and only see in movies like when Snoop Dogg died in Soul Plane. Who then lands the plane. American Airlines Capt. Michael Johnston died of a heart-attack mid-flight from Phoenix to Boston early Monday morning, his wife Betty Jean Johnston told NBC News.

The 57-year-old veteran pilot had a double-bypass heart surgery in 2006, but had otherwise been in good health, his wife said, adding that the airline required Johnston to have a physical every six months to continue piloting. "He loves flying," Johnston said. "He is very loving and caring, and he'll do anything for anybody - bend over backwards, try and help out anyone as much as he can. He's always been that way."

She said the couple, parents of eight kids ages 12 to 34, would have celebrated their 35th wedding anniversary on Oct. 18.

Johnston's final flight, which carried 147 passengers and five crew members, was diverted to Syracuse, New York. The airline said the co-pilot landed the jet safely at 7 a.m. ET Monday. "We landed and had no idea what was going on," said passenger Louise Anderson. "Airport security was waiting for us. They let us know that they were going to get another crew to fly us to Boston."

It wasn't until the second flight with a new crew that passengers were told the pilot had passed away, so "there was no time to panic when we were on the flight," Anderson said. She added that American Airlines "handled the situation really professionally."

"All of us at American extend our condolences to Mike's wife, Betty Jean, and to his entire family," American Airlines CEO Doug Parker said in a statement to HNNAfrica. "

With files from NBC News

#BREAKING UPDATE: 220 people killed, at least 450 injured in a stampede of pilgrims during Hajj outside #Mecca

(Photo: Courtesy of Saudi Arabia's civil defense Twitter)

About 220 people were killed and 450 hurt in a stampede of pilgrims Thursday during the annual hajj in Saudi Arabia, the civil defence service said.

Rescue operations were under way, the service said on Twitter, after the stampede in Mina near Mecca, where hundreds of thousands of pilgrims were taking part in the last major rite of the hajj.

The Saudi civil defense service said on its Twitter account that i4000 of its personnel are currently sorting out casualties and rerouting pilgims to other routes.

This story is still developing so pls stay tuned @HNNAfrica on twitter--KOO

With files from Ahram Online

Check out Vladimir Putin in this submarine like thing.

#BREAKING Lagos Helicopter in crash had BAD communication with AVIATION Tower and excess passengers!

Capt Wyatt and First Officer Bello Credits: Facebook

It is truly a sad day in Nigeria for many who knew the pilot and co-pilot of the Bristow chopper that crashed yesterday. We are now hearing that there was ineffective communication between the helicopter and the control tower. Only recently did I read a CNBC report revealing the state of aviation towers and equipment outdated and in dangerous state here in Nigeria. So bad that the CNBC report tweeted "Nigerian Travelers beware."

That got my attention and I worried about the airplanes but now we have had a chopper crash. CNBC Africa reported this lingering problem in Nigeria these days due to poor outdated equipment where air traffic controllers have to guess an aircraft's altitude. Another thing the Aviation ministry said in today's presser was that the Bristow helicopter was an eight seater with 12 passengers on board. Why they had an overload is not clear yet. Now we have a total of 6 dead and 6 in critical condition in local hospitals.

The crashed Bristow helicopter

The Captain Joseph Wyatt was an American and First Officer Peter Bello a Nigerian popular on social media with tributes pouring in from the US and Nigeria for both. Officials have not named the other passengers. Listen to my newscast update below. The investigation continues. My heart goes out to the families. I am a licensed helicopter pilot and airborne traffic reporter for years in the USA. This is the worst nightmare anyone could think of.

Here are the members of the #BinLaden family that died in plane crash! #HNNTravel

Pictures released of #BinLaden family killed in UK plane crash

READ MORE:  ara.tv/b9kzk 

Second piece of #MH370 debris is not debris afterall #HNNTravel

A second piece of possible MH370 debris turns out to be a 'domestic ladder' 

READ MORE: sfg.ly/1SwmC8W 

British Airways crack down on hand luggage #HNNTravel

Credits: Alamy

British Airways has reduced the size of hand luggage after claiming that passenger bags were getting so big it was causing regular flight delays.

The airline, which allows each person to have two bags in the cabin, is almost halving the size of the “personal” bag.

Thousands of BA passengers will be affected by the tighter restrictions which will be enforced later this month. From August 18, passengers will be limited to personal bags no bigger than 40x30x15cm – compared with the current maximum of 45x36x20cm.

It could lead to many travellers having to buy new luggage or even buying smaller laptops.

The size of the main piece of hand luggage – which is often a wheel-on bag – will remain the same at 56x45x25cm.

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Officials confirm likelihood of Flight 370 debris #HNNTravel

Malaysian officials said Sunday that they would seek help from territories near the island where a suspected piece of the missingMalaysia Airlines Flight 370 jet was discovered to try to find more plane debris.

Government officials will ask territories near the French island of Reunion in the western Indian Ocean to alert them if they find any debris that could be from a plane, said a transport ministry official who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media.What happened to Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370, which disappeared March 8, 2014, carrying 239 passengers and crew after taking off from Kuala Lumpur headed to Beijing, remains the most baffling mystery in aviation.

Flight MH370, operating a Boeing B777-200 aircraft, departed Kuala Lumpur at 12.21 a.m. and had been expected to land in the Chinese capital at 6.30 a.m. the same day. Since then an exhaustive search with 26 countries involved has continued covering a withering 120,000 square kilometers (46,000 square miles) of remote ocean floor up to 6.5 kilometers (4 miles) deep combed with sonar and video.

Debris that appears to be a wing of a Boeing 777 found in the coastal area of Saint-Andre de la Reunion in the east of the French Indian Ocean island of La Reunion on July 29, 2015 has raised new hope that the mystery of missing MH370 may be resolved.

Photo: A relative (woman in white) of a passenger onboard Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 cries as she talks on her mobile phone at the Beijing Capital International Airport March 8, 2014.

CREDIT: Kim Kyung-Hoon/Reuters and files from CBS news

Bin Laden Family: Relatives of Osama Bin Laden Die in UK Plane Crash That Killed 4, Reports Say #HNNtravel

Bin Laden's stepmother and his half-sister and her husband were killed in the crash, NBC News reported, citing a family friend. The plane overshot the runway at Blackbushe Airport in Hampshire. wait a minute, Karma is here as they get killed in a plane tragedy. Osama's family can't be trusted, that plane may have been destined for the crowd at the car auction. 

Whoops it hit the cars instead and killed them. I'm sure the 911 families are popping champagne. I still don't know why the Bin Ladens still live among civilized people. they must be watched especially on planes. Glad they had their own private jet which you see above moments before the crash. SMH.

USS Rushmore Navy ship rescues 65 people off Indonesia Coast #Newscast #HNNTravel

Amtrak engineer didn't use cellphone before fatal crash, investigators say #HNNTravel

The engineer of an Amtrak passenger train that derailed, killing eight passengers, was not using his cellphone during the Washington-New York run, investigators said today.

The revelations by the National Transportation Safety Board remove one possible cause of the excessive speed that led Amtrak Train 188 to derail on May 12 in Philadelphia.

#HNNTravel United Nation asked not to forget challenge of migrating countries

BBC REPORTS

African Union representative to the UN Security Council Tete Antonio has asked the UN not to forget the challenge of migration between developing countries.

Mr Antonio said that poorer countries bore the biggest burden of migration and need assistance.

He was talking after the EU foreign policy chief asked for UN help to dismantle criminal groups smuggling migrants into Europe.

US Govt inviting citizens to ask questions about #Cuba #HNNTravel

What does the new U.S. direction on ‪#‎Cuba‬ really mean? Can I travel to Cuba? Is Cuba open for U.S. business and investment? Ask and learn in our Reddit AMA (“Ask Me Anything”) with State Department Cuba Experts on Tuesday, May 12 at 12:00 PM ET.

Wanna go move and work in Canada? Consider it a 4yr holiday, no permanent immigration #hnntravel

FRED CHARTRAND / THE CANADIAN PRESS

thHear those Canadian ads? I lived there on refugee status and worked as a professional with my work permit. The Canadian government doesn’t want immigrants taking jobs that unemployed Canadians are available to do, says Prime Minister Stephen Harper. No country wants to but Canadians are lazy to an extent. Many women never want of out social assistance just caring for kids at home. The radio ads in Nigeria are so bizzare that you will think nobody wants to work over there.

Canada will not allow a “permanent underclass” of foreign workers filling jobs with no hope of citizenship, Stephen Harper vows. Harper made the comments Friday during an appearance with Philippine President Benigno Aquino as he justified a clampdown on the temporary foreign worker program in Canada.


Because of a four-year limit imposed on how long temporary foreign workers can remain in Canada, thousands of workers are now being forced to return to their homelands.

But Harper defended the changes when asked by a Filipino journalist, saying that the government doesn’t want immigrants taking jobs that unemployed Canadians are available to do.


“But just as importantly, we are making sure that when people come to this country to work and to work long term, they have the ability to move towards being permanent citizens of this country,” Harper said.


“This country is not going to have a policy, as long as I’m prime minister, where we will have a permanent underclass of temporary, people who are so-called temporary, but here forever with no rights of citizenship and no rights of mobility.


“That’s not the Canadian way we do immigration. So we’re going to make sure that that program does not drift in that direction.”


The low-skilled workers lost their work permits under a policy introduced on April 1, 2011 that requires any temporary foreign worker who has been here for four years to leave.


The government moved last July to even further restrict the use of foreign workers after a storm of criticism that an influx of foreign labour was driving down wages and leaving Canadian workers unable to find work.


Still, Harper said his Conservative government was “pro-immigration,” adding that the influx of newcomers from the Philippines “will remain strong and will continue to grow into the future.”


In 2013, 27,292 permanent residents were admitted to Canada from the Philippines, ranking third behind China and India.


The two leaders used their Ottawa meeting Friday to announce that Canada and the Philippines would begin “exploratory” about a potential free trade deal.


As well, Harper announced that Canada would provide just over $3 million for security initiatives in the Philippines, including port and maritime security and the deployment of Canadian police trainers.


Aquino praised the close ties between the two nations, a bond made closer by the estimated 700,000 people of Filipino background who live in Canada. He also thanked Canada for its humanitarian help in the wake of Typhoon Haiyan in 2013, which killed an estimated 6,000 people. Canada dispatched military personnel to assist citizens displaced by the devastation and pledged $90 million in aid.


“The work done has helped our local communities to get back on their feet,” Aquino said.

with Files from the Toronto Star