U.S. Grants Nigerian Carriers Waiver To Fly America

 12th JUNE 2007

The American Government has granted waivers to Nigerian national carrier, Virgin Nigeria and two other airlines - Arik and Bellview - to commence operations into the U.S. The concession, The Guardian learnt, was a fall-out of the November 2006 aviation sector audit in which Nigeria came out impressive.

The Director-General of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Dr. Harold Demuren, speaking with journalists on Monday in Lagos, said the approval came following the performance of the Authority in the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) audit inspection of November 2006.

 According to the NCAA chief, the performance of Nigeria at the audit inspection prompted the United State to give Nigeria a waiver for the carriers to begin operations into the American airspace.

Under the waiver, Virgin Nigeria, Arik and Bellview would operate between Nigeria and America unhindered under the open skies agreement signed between the two nations in 2001 during the visit of former President Bill Clinton to Nigeria.

To this end, experts from the American Federal Civil Aviation Administration (FAA) will arrive Nigeria next month for an inspection exercise on the NCAA for a certification for the America Category 1 status.

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