What's new in Nigeria?

[Capt. Manuvar]

There doesn't seem to be much Nigerian Info/news on this board so i've decided to post some info on what's happening among nigerian operators. Its all rumor so i stand to be corrected

Chanchangi - added 3 (or 4) 737-200s to their fleet this year and rumor has it that 4 more and the way, seem to be getting good passenger loads, have amonopoly of Kaduna route and seem to have snatched los-owerri from sosoliso. They seem to have won a contract that would see them adding B757s to their fleet very soon. There are rumors that they would participate in the next hajj using B757? 767? 747?. They have a shiny new office at the intl terminal in lagos and i hear this is for intl routes that will be starting in november.

Bellview- Seem to be doing well on their west african routes. 2 X B767 are used on Los-Bombay and Los-freetown-london. Have plans to replace 5 X B737-200s with -700s.

ADC- nearly collapsed due to financial problems earlier this year when they could only keep one a/c flying but seem to have bounced back thanks to an external creditor. right now 3 X B732 are flying, 1 in check and rumors say one more may be added to the fleet soon.

EAS - seems they've got a deal with air gabon or somebody in gabon. As a result 3 X 737 may be added to the 3/4 they already have.

Sosoliso - seem to have had problems this year keeping all their aircraft flying and haven;t been able to service all their routes, allowing Chanchangi to break into ABV-PHC and LOS-Owerri routes. their Md-82 has been missing in action for a while. They are rumored to acquired 1 X DC9 + 3 X MD83 in addition to the 3 X DC9 and 1 X MD82 already in the fleet. Right now only 2 DC9s are flying. They were awarded intl routes a while back andAre supposed to be new national carrier of Liberia.

Aero - have been showing of the latest shiney addition to their fleet B737-300 5N-BHZ. More Dash-8s are supposed to be added to the fleet soon. Don't know much about their helicopter side of thins

IRS- 2 X f-28s (one wet leased from South Africa) flying LOs/ABV/KAN/CQB. also using Fresh air B732 to supplement their fleet. The f-100 has been out since the incident a few months back but rumors has it that it should be back in service this month. are yet to commence intl ops.

Capital - Under new management/ownership, standing by to recommence ops soon with 3 X Emb-120. there are rumors that F-100s will be added to the fleet later.

Associated - Expecting 1 or 2 EMB-120s this month to replace the flying box (SD360). Using 1 X B727 and 1 X antonov thing for cargo ops and 3 X HS125 for charter. The C152 and 2 X 172s are being worked on for the flying school thingy in ibadan.

Overland - 1900ds and 1 X ATR42-320 monopolizing the hinterlands.

Fresh Air - 1 X B732 chartered to other airlines for local routes and used for charters. 1 X DC-9 for cargo. expecting a Saab 340 for charter.

Spaceworld - only 1 of 2 B732s flying.

DASAB - Only one of 2 B732s flying. This airlines was completely out of service until a month or two ago.

ARIK - rumored to have secured some contracts. They own the 800xp that is/was parked near the panafrican hangar. expecting 3 X 737-300/400, 2 X Bae 146, maybe 3 X B1900d.

Albarka - it seems to be a shadow of its former self, with only one B732 flying. the 727s are monuments in abuja.

Virgin Nigeria - Good pax loads, some very nice deals (LON-LOS-LON N45000) horrible pilot pay, hope this will be rectified soon. Everyone is waiting for them to expand.



Please feel free to add any additional info or correct any errors

[ZAZOO]

Thanks for that news update capt manuvar.


AND A HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY ANNIVERSARY TO NIGERIA:ok:

Zazoo

[european champion]

Thank u capt manouever,very useful info.do u think there is any hope for new pilots with average experience?when is the best season for someone to turn up to look for job?

[femialpha]

Hi Capt, how well is Overland doing with its service to the hinterland? I have flown with them a few times and the load factor appears to be very low.

[ambidextrous]

Capt.Manuvar,
Far be it for me to cast doubt on your info., but where are the pilots/engineers/ancillary staff coming from in order to fly/maintain/operate these large numbers of incoming aircraft?
With fraternal greetings, ambi

[european champion]

What do u mean where are the pilots?there is so many pilots around the world with no jobs.just tell me where is the job and i will fly tomorrow.

[Rani]

Hello CaptM,

Thanks a bunch for the update.

Mr. Efromovich of OceanAir (Brazilian regional carrier flying Emb-120 and Fokker 50) was recently in Lagos to announce the establishment of Santo Air and an maintenance facility which would take over Okada's hanger in Benin City.

I had the pleasure to fly with Oceanair in 2003 (Rio to Cascavel via SP) I can only say they are a very professional and warm set of people.

Can you confirm any of the above? This news was reported in the dailies, and I was just delighted to hear Oceanair is coming to Nigeria because when I flew with them I thought to myself that their business model is quite compatible with the Nigerian market (point to point regional flights to small airports even dirt runways) with reliablity and scheduled flights.

Well I guess Mr. Boyo of Overland should be sweating nervous now!

[HappyPilot]

Rani,

I have never heard of Mr. Efromovich dealing with Santo Air, the info I have from the ex-capital guys who have gone bk to fly the Emb-120 is that the Igbenedion brothers are the owners of Santo. Maybe its a partnership with Mr. Efromovich but I dont know.

Just a brief update on Santo Air, they've sent 4 crews(already type rated) to flight safety in Paris for recurrency training and they are back. Last week was used to tidy up paper work like CofA, Insurance etc. They've being taxying the 3 Emb-120's around the airport and they've started using the office (shed) capital were using b4(Rumugu Air & Space). Rumours from one of their SFOs is that they'll be starting this week. Although with any rumour here, u have to see it to believe it.

I think someone at the top has their head screwed on right this time and understand that with christmas coming up, you really have to get a piece of the Lagos-Benin market, Aero has already started Benin. Associated have plans to bring in Emb-120's to ply that route since their S360 is going.

Cheers HP

[chuks]

We flew from Port Harcourt (DNPO) to Lagos (DNMM) yesterday with Aero's shiny, 'new' 737-300 departing close behind and landing just ahead of us. We went up to FL310 to get out of the weather while they went steaming past three thousand feet lower and about Mach .12 faster.

They were reporting something like 60 souls, which is about a 50% load factor, I guess, and not bad for a Monday afternoon.

One of my esteemed colleagues was handling the radios, when you could almost hear how happy he was to be finally flying a proper, US American-built airplane after all those mis-spent years in helicopters and what-not. Well, that is my supposition. Certainly he sounded happier than I.

You see, they are supposed to be adding a few more Dash 8s within a couple of weeks, including one on the very run that I do, DNPO-DNSU (Osubi Air Strip). The heartless b*stards! Not that we wouldn't have done the same to them, given the chance.

The rest of it looks like the usual confusing mess of operators going down, starting up, moving sideways and all that sort of thing. Calverton, for instance, has ceased to be a topic of interest in the bar where a year ago we were all busy with the 'rumour of the week' about what they were up to. Now we just look at the new hangar and grunt skeptically.

I can never figure out what is really going on, just by using normal logic and whatever is reported in the papers and across the bar. Some outfit starts up with some big-big business plans and then ... nothing. Practically empty aircraft flying to places no one wants to go. Or else, some guy you never heard of making heaps of moolah with a Central Bank contract. It's just weird!

The hatchet squads have been busy at both Lagos and Port with demolishing various BAC 1-11s and a 707 that had become mouldy blots upon the landscape. So we should soon see aviation-grade aluminium sauce pans hit the local markets.

[Rani]

AERO website suggests they will start service to Calabar (CBQ) soon. I guess the new DASH-8s will be utilized on this route. This compliments AERO's management contract at Obudu resort up the mountain from Calabar.

Good news for Mr. Duke & Co. and their tourism initiative :ok:

[Nigerian Expat Outlaw]

Rani,

Good news for CBQ pax who have had no choice except ADC until now. A bit of healthy competition would not be amiss, however I wonder how much ACN will charge ? I may be wrong but I think CBQ-LOS is around N 12k on ADC. ACN charge more than that on the PHC-LOS route don't they ?

I thought Obudu was run by Protea these days ? Whoever it is, definitely good for Mr Duke et al.

Cheers,

NEO

[Rani]

NEO,

AERO is in fact running Bebi Airstrip, which is about 20km from Obudu Resort. AERO also runs weekly charter flights to this facility. Protea runs the hotel and presidential lodge at up the mountain. The whole area is well packaged and I wish Duke good luck in his Tinapa project also.

[Capt. Manuvar]

Rani,
The Oceanair thing is probably true. I heard a brazilian airline had acquired a 40% or 60% (can't remeber which) stake in Santo(s)/capital, but didn't get the name.

[Nigerian Expat Outlaw]

Rani,

Thanks for that. Where do ACN fly to Obudu from ? PHC, LOS ? If they start a LOS-CBQ route with Dash 8's (or whatever they decide), any idea what they'll charge ?

Cheers,

NEO

[GlobalFlyer]

This rumour of Bellview introducing 737-700s has been there for a while now. Does anyone have credible sources to confirm B3 is about to introduce the -700 bird? Are they hiring or sending pilots overseas for training?

Thanks

[chuks]

A Saab 340 has appeared at Lagos. It belongs, supposedly, to the guy with the contract to build the new domestic terminal.

So I suppose there should be some sort of regional service starting up using this aircraft, but I haven't heard anything on the 'bush telegraph' about that.

Got a close look at the Aero 737. It's pretty nice, with decent legroom for tall people rather than the usual attempt to squash everyone in there. It even has a little 'First Class' section.

It has a nice cockpit, too. It's not the very latest sort of glass but it has big EHSIs flanked by clockwork and electronic (round) engine instruments.

It will be interesting to see how they do competing with Virgin Nigeria.

[ColeFace]

Maybe slightly off topic but Aero's parent company is or was advertising for fixed wing drivers.

It was posted Aug 1st on the CHC site under Global.

Also a nice maintenance posting if you want to live in Vancouver.

Voted the best place to live 3 out of 4 yrs but a 1600 sq ft home costs $450,000 so I doubt the salary will cover the mortgage payments.

The CDN $$ is quite strong now so its a bitch for expats.

[Rani]

NEO,

Cross River State and AERO have recently signed an agreement giving AERO some incentives to fly LOS/ABV-CBQ and CBQ-Bebi -CBQ on "exploratory" basis (daily frequency). The Bebi service would surely make tourists' access to the Obudu resort a whole lot easier + faster. The overland alternative is a breakthaking yet tediously long 5 hour drive from Calabar.

Most probably the deployed a/c will be DASH-8-300.

[Engine Noise]

kABO AIR is having a tough time in Kano and Abuja ferrying pax to pilgrimage in saudi.Learnt they have over issued boarding passes with hundreds of pax sleeping at kano airport for days.

[Rani]

AERO's latest 733 is ex-UAL with registration 5N-BHY. (1990 model). Will be used on ABV-PHC and other, unspecified routes.

[Flying Touareg]

Trans Saharan seems to have appeared again annoncing resumption of services from 27th covering yola, abuja, maid? Any body has an info on their fleet?

Bristow is also looking for individuals to train as heli pilots!

[Rani]

Just heard Arik is negotiating to acquire the Nigeria Airways hangar, as well as its rotting 737-200 and DC-10 fleet :yuk: :yuk: and their spares !
Capt. Manuvar, this contradicts your earlier statement that this airline is shopping for "new" planes like 737-300 and BAe 146.

[LGW Vulture]

Rani....you are way off the mark with your inference! Some of your statement might be true however, your racing mind appears to have overtaken the facts.

[Capt. Manuvar]

You're right about ARIK. I don't know what they intend to do with the rotten WT aircraft though. They seem to operating 1 or 2 Hawker 800XPs or Horizons for now, but i'm not sure of the nature of their ops.
Trans saharan seem to be another unserious operator. Fleet, what fleet? They've been making noise for the last one year about starting off with b737/3/4/500s, bu the best they could come up with is by borrowing Fresh Air's B732, How inspiring:hmm:

[Towerman]

Rani is correct that Arik bought the Ex NA facility and some old DC10 / 727 but I seriously doubt these aircraft will fly again.

If the NCAA lower the 22 year rule as well they might this may cause some headaches.

Fleet plans for Arik believed to be BAe RJ 70, B737-300 x 2 already purchased and being prepared for Feb launch. Heard Arik Air has appointed an ex Oman Air guy Clive Redmond (?) as their top Exec.