Virgin Nigeria To Announce Partner On U.S Route Soon
 5th JAN 2007

Virgin Nigeria Airways may partner with an American airline to actualise its operation on the Lagos-U.S. route early this year, its Chief Executive, Mr. Conrad Clifford, has said.

Clifford spoke in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recently in Ikeja on the projections and aspirations of the airline for 2007.

The airline chief executive, who spoke soon after the airline's wings ceremony in Lagos, said that Virgin Nigeria would come out with details of the partnership arrangement early in the year. He said that the airline was poised to commence the Lagos-U.S. route this year.

Virgin Nigeria, which emerged as the nation's private flag carrier in 2005, won some lucrative routes reserved for the defunct Nigeria Airways, including the Lagos-New York route, which it won a seven and half year exclusive right.

The airline also intended to deepen its U.S. operation to Houston and Washington once it commences operation on the route. Clifford reiterated that Virgin Nigeria was poised to expand its operations locally, regionally and internationally this year.

NAN recalls that Virgin Nigeria has since inception been battling to get approval from the U.S. Department of Transport to operate directly to the U.S. from Nigeria.

On other challenges, Clifford said that Virgin Nigeria would assist the country in raising more professional pilots, engineers and crew members, which the nation was in dire need. Clifford said that the airline would graduate another set of professionals in the New Year, to further boost safety in the industry and meet manpower demands.

The airline is also partnering with the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology (NCAT), to train young Nigerians from the scratch to become pilots, aircraft mechanics and engineers. To date, the airline has held four airline graduation (Wings) ceremonies for 62 pilots and more than 180-cabin crew.

Clifford said that Virgin Nigeria also had a fleet expansion programme in the New Year. The airline, which is owned 51 per cent by Nigerian institutional shareholders and 49 per cent by Virgin Atlantic, plans to operate 40 aircraft by 2010.

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