Prominent American airline, United Airlines, would return its aircrafts to Nigeria as it resumes operations in the country following a five year hiatus, aviation authorities have announced.
The Nigerian Aviation Handling Company, (NAHCO ) Plc, has said that the airline is returning to Lagos airspace in November.
According to NAHCO, it would be handling contracts for United States-based United Airlines for the next three years, adding that it is the preferred partner, providing passenger and ground handling services.
The airline exited Nigeria following challenges with crashed oil prices and a declining economy. The Lagos-Houston route which was once a favourite especially for oil sector workers and executives had suffered a major decline in patronage.
In addition, airlines operating in Nigeria at the time faced a hard time with foreign exchange restrictions.
Prince Saheed Lasisi, NAHCO’s group executive director, Business Development and Commercial, who expressed excitement on the feat while making the announcement, described it as a boost for the industry.
‘’NAHCO is excited to be the chosen one, we welcome United Airlines back to our airspace, and we are ever ready to provide the airline quality handling at all times, as being currently provided to our numerous client airlines’’.
In the same vein, the company recently signed a five-year contract with Qatar Airways in Abuja, as well as renewed the Lagos contract for another five years.
According to Prince Lasisi, ‘’with the new contracts, which run for five years and coupled with the additional frequencies of Qatar flights to Nigeria and Ghana, we are glad to go even further to provide the top-notch services for which we are known and have offered the airline for the past nine years’’.
The renewed contracts cover all service areas, as it will see NAHCO provide passenger, cargo, and ground handling services to Qatar Airways. It also includes the provision of crew transportation and other ancillary services to the respected airliner.
