IRS and Sosoliso

[Amadu]

IRS and Sosoliso designated to fly continental and Intercontinental Routes

According to various nigerian dailies of today which quoted the Nigerian aviation minister :

Yuguda gave details of the routes for the two designated airlines

According to him, Sosoliso Airlines is to ply the Lagos -Lome-Abidjan-Bamako-Dakar route, the Lagos-Freetown- Monrovia-Banjul and the Lagos-Douala-Congo Libreville-Malabo routes.

IRS Airlines will fly the Port Harcourt-Libreville, Port Harcourt-Douala, Kano-Beirut and Lagos-Dakar routes.



By the way, what is happening to some of the airlines earlier designated to fly international.I only know that aero and belview have since started.Kabo,Chachangi,ADC?

Will IRS and Sosoliso make it? Come to think of it, IRS has been finding it difficult to maintain its domestic routes, and now they are going international.Anyway, this is naija!!

[Rani]

Thanks for the scoop, Amadu.

Indeed, Bellview, Aero, and ADC are already operating some of their designated international routes. (ADC started Libreville via Port Harcourt around last November).
Don't know if Sosoliso will ever start scheduled services to West Africa.
The FG ought to review all privileges granted to Kabo (Nairobi and Rome routes) as this operator is probably facing recapitalization problems since the death of its owner, Alhaji Dan Kabo. This is besides the logistical challenges ahead, FCO and NBO scheduled flights are no Hajj run, the new owners should look into potential new revenues besides carrying criminals to Saudi Arabia (no offense meant to anyone, as I am Muslim).

IMO the Govt. should devise new rules and requirements for operating international flights, instead of throwing a small cucumber at airlines of each geopolitical zone. I am fond of the Taiwanese rules where all international aspirants are required to operate a certain number of scheduled flight hours (domestic and charters) before they are qualified for the international stage.

Regards,
Rani

[Engine Noise]

i heard Kabo is still yet to be paid for the hajj operations it did some months ago.

[Capt. Manuvar]

IRS and Sosoliso sent their a/c for checks over the past months. I don't understand their practice of sendin most of their fleets at once instaed of one at time. Sosoliso's dc9s just got back so they've resumed normal domestic ops, even though they seem to be using a leased Macedonian 737-300 Z3-AAA in place of their MD81 5N BGL. Their new routes seem to be short hops that the DC9 may be able to handle, but i dont know if the current flrrt can handle the new routes or if new ac will be needed as i dont really know their workload.
IRS sent its 2 F28s to SA, one 5N-SSZ for paintin and its now back in Naija with a much much better livery, and the other is expected back in july. The F100 has been working overtime that's when its not gone tech. Whrn the 2nd F28 gets back they may be able to resume normal domestic ops. Rumor has it that 2 more f28s are on the way from the US.