Aiming to join the league of successful airlines in Africa, Arik Air, one of Nigeria's new carriers, has placed order for 15 more airplanes to boost its fleet.
The new order will cost the airline $1.7 billion (about N200 billion) and when purchased it would be the first African carrier to take such bold leap of acquirinig such number of aircraft at the same time.
Some of the aircraft that will be acquired include the dreamliner jet, Boeing777, B737-700 and Q400 (Turboprop) and all the aircraftt would be supplied between 2008 and 2010.
With this order, the airline will achieve its goal of expanding its routes in the continent and in Europe and become a very competitive airline beyond Africa.
A source in the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) expressed optimism that with this tempo Arik will soon surpass its competitors and become a leading airline by 2011.
Gbemiga Ogunleye, Arik's head of communication, said that the order for the planes is in line with the airline's commitment to cover not only the Nigerian routes but to compete favourably with mega carriers on the Europe, America and Asian routes.
According to him, the particular orders for four Q400 high-speed turboprop airliners is aimed at dominating the local routes before launching itself into the international routes.
"The new orders will be used to consolidate our domestic routes. We intend to establish our firm presence on the Nigerian routes very well before we launch our international presence. We require the Q400 airliner especially for our Lagos-Port Harcourt service because of airstrip landing restrictions that eliminate the use of jet aircraft on this route" .
Stressing on the order for the Q400 planes which will be delivered in the first quarter of 2008, Gbemiga said that the 72-seater aircraft is a drift from the conventional Q300, which has straight cabin.
The Q400 which has double cabins with 10-business class and 62-economy class, according to the list price of the Q400 airliner, is approximately put at $104 million (about N1.2 billion).
Ogunleye also disclosed that the United States audit team would arrive Nigeria in the next two weeks to assess Arik and after the audit the airline will wet lease aircraft to operate the American route.
"When we eventually get the approval to operate the US route, we are going to lease aircraft from a category one certificated company."
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