17th May, 2012
Air Nigeria on Wednesday made its maiden Lagos-London flight with an Airbus 300-200 aircraft after years of losses that threatened to bring the airline down.
At an event held at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos, southwest Nigeria, the airline’s Managing Director, Mr. Kinfe Kashaye said Air Nigeria, owned by billionaire business man, Barrister Jimoh Ibrahim, is again slithering toward profitability.
He said: “This event is historic for the Nigerian aviation industry. It is a milestone that an airline that was on the brink of collapse could bounce into profitability and become a major player in the global market.
“This goes to show the resilience of Nigerians and the team spirit of the managers of the airline. We are grateful to Ibrahim for this courageous investment.”
Kashaye, who is from Ethiopia, disclosed that Air Nigeria has grown its fleet from five aircraft to 12 in recent years, adding that the airline would be acquiring more aircraft as it expands its operations across the world.
—Simon Ateba