United Nigeria Airlines Admitted to AFRAA in Push for Continental and Intercontinental Expansion
United Nigeria Airlines has been admitted as a full member of the African Airlines Association (AFRAA), marking a significant step in the five-year-old carrier's bid to expand beyond its 14-route domestic network and establish a stronger foothold in African and intercontinental aviation. The airline, which launched in February 2021 and operates a mixed fleet of Boeing 737-800NG, Airbus A320, Embraer 190 and CRJ 900 aircraft, has already been designated by the Nigerian Federal Government to operate intercontinental routes to the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, the UAE, Italy and Turkey. AFRAA membership, which gives access to joint negotiations on fuel, ground handling and insurance, positions the carrier within a bloc that collectively handles over 85% of Africa's international passenger traffic.
Executive Chairman Prof. Obiora Okonkwo cited the membership as a platform to advance the Single African Air Transport Market (SAATM) and deepen intra-African connectivity. United Nigeria already holds IATA Operational Safety Audit (IOSA) certification and maintains membership in the IATA Clearing House - prerequisites for interline agreements and international credibility. The airline has also signed an MoU with the government of Guinea-Bissau to assist in establishing a national carrier, and has advanced plans to develop a local Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) facility in Nigeria - a development that could significantly reduce the costs currently incurred by Nigerian carriers through offshore maintenance. AFRAA Secretary General Abderahmane Berthé described Nigeria as exemplifying "the resilient, forward-looking spirit of the African airline industry."
Source: Aviation Metric
