New private airline launches in Nigeria

A new airline begins commercial operations in Nigeria on Friday, 12 February.

The Enugu-based United Nigeria recently received approval to commence operation and was handed an Air Operators Certificate (AOC) by the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), having fulfilled all mandatory regulatory requirements.

 The airline will conduct its inaugural flight on Friday, taking off from the domestic wing of Murtala Mohammed International Airport (MM2) in Lagos and terminating at the Akanu Ibiam International Airport Enugu, its operational base. The flight will also visit Abuja from Enugu and finally return to Lagos.

Head, Corporate Communications United Nigeria, Achilleus-Chud Uchegbu, said the inaugural flight will be conducted with an EMB145 aircraft.

The airline said regular daily flight operations to Lagos, Abuja, Asaba, Enugu airports would commence immediately while Owerri and Port Harcourt will follow shortly.

United Nigeria carried out demonstration flights in January to show its readiness to operate from Lagos to Enugu, Owerri and some other airports with its Embraer E145s.

Private Airlines Services Ltd. (Operators of United Nigeria) is a wholly Nigerian company incorporated under the Companies and Allied Matters Act of 1990 at the Corporate Affairs Commission to offer commercial air transportation services.

United Nigeria is not the only airline launching despite the downturn in the industry caused by COVID-19. Others like Green Africa and Cally Air have also scaled various rungs of the certification ladder and may well be on their way to obtain the AOC to qualify them for commercial operations.

Doyin Ipede

Visit United Nigeria at its website HERE