Nigeria Airline to acquire Six More Planes in Readiness for Ghana Operations | United Nigeria Airlines (UNA) will acquire six Embraer190 (E190) aircraft next year to boost its operations as it prepares to launch regional flights to Accra, Ghana.
Speaking on plans to boost its fleet to BusinessDay in Nigeria, Obiora Okonkwo, ChairmanCEO United Nigeria Airlines (UNA), said between now and the second quarter of next year, United Airlines would acquire six Embraer190 (E190) aircraft.
He said United which just acquired a new E190 aircraft, plans to acquire another aircraft by the first quarter of next year and another two by the second quarter of next year.
“For us, this is a new fleet. We have to develop the capacity, of both the cabin crew, the cockpit crew, and the ground engineering crew. And this is also part of the partnership we have signed. As we speak, our first set of cockpit crew are starting their training. And then, when they finish their ground training, they will be flying outside the country for their simulator. The engineering team that is on the ground are already signed to start training with our line engineers on the ground.
“Our cabin crew that will man the E190, which is our new fleet, had completed a greater part of their training, some of them overseas. They have just returned and the continuing part of the training should be line training, while they are flying before they are signed up.
He said this training will earn them not only Nigeria certification as cabin crew but European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) certification.
“So in United Nigeria, we take training very seriously and a good number of our staff have benefited from that. So, that EASA certification, as you know, is not only operating on Nigerian standard but European standard,” he added.
UNA’s plans to Enter Ghana Market
United Nigeria Airlines, which currently focuses on domestic flights within Nigeria, serves airports in Abuja, Asaba, Lagos, Owerri, Port Harcourt, Yenagoa, and Enugu, is preparing to launch its first regional flight to Accra, Ghana.
United Nigeria Airlines, which has already received regulatory approval, will become the third Nigerian-registered airline to serve Accra’s Kotoka International Airport. Africa World Airlines (AWA) is currently the only Ghanaian-registered airline that flies to Lagos and Abuja.
The Ghana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) communicated to United Nigeria Airlines on July 13, 2023, that it had approved the airline’s request to fly into Ghana. According to the letter, United Nigeria Airlines is approved to operate both passenger and cargo flights into Kotoka International Airport, Accra.
The Director General of GCAA, Ing. Charles Kraikue, who signed the approval, stated that: “Approval is hereby granted United Nigeria Airlines Company Limited in accordance with Ghana Civil Aviation (Flight Standard) Directives Part 10 to continue commercial transport operations into, or from Ghana in accordance with the Air Operators certificate and its associated Operations Specifications issued by the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority.”
By Joojo Maapa | AviationGhana | Nigeria Airline to acquire Six More Planes in readiness for Ghana Operations
