Federal Government has approved four to five international routes for United Nigeria Airlines, including services to New York, Canada and Dubai, as part of efforts to boost local carriers’ share of the country’s air traffic.
Aviation and Aerospace Development Minister Festus Keyamo announced the approvals during the unveiling of two new Boeing 737-800NG aircraft acquired by the airline in Lagos on Thursday.
“We are giving United about four or five routes now. We are giving them New York. I think we are giving you New York. We are giving you Canada. We are giving you Dubai. We are giving you some very fruitful routes now,” Keyamo said.
The minister described the move as a deliberate policy to address the imbalance in which foreign airlines handle 90 to 95 percent of international passenger traffic out of Nigeria.
“If you look at the traffic in Nigeria… 90 per cent of the airlift from Nigeria to all parts of the world is not by our local carriers… why would I not pursue the empowerment of these people to take that market away, half of that market away?” he added.
Keyamo said the route approvals, which precede full operational capacity, are backed by government financial measures including a new Nigerian aircraft leasing company approved by President Bola Tinubu.
