Is Nigerian Air still flying??

[Flight Detent]

I understand Nigerian Air has stopped flying it's sole B747-200, leased from Air Atlanta, due to lack of funds forthcoming!

Who knows anymore about this?

Cheers

[abra]

The local papers say that Nigeria Airways owe Air Atlanta $10 millionThey say Atlanta will not fly without pre payment for each trip.The 767 is at LHR since the 31st,and the 747 is sitting at LOS.A broker friend says that Nigeria Airways are trying to get other operators to fly for them.Caveat Emptor!
Even the cleaners at LHR would not start work unless cash was upfront.The pensioners and most Nigerain workers haven't been paid for three months or so according to the local papers.

[newswatcher]

Still having problems on their Dubai route!

From the UAE Gulf News(7/1):

"Nigerian Airline passengers stranded in Dubai owing to technical difficulties protested at the airline's office yesterday. Some of the more than 100 passengers have been stuck here since Thursday. The police intervened and detained the manager of the airline. They will release him only after he provides accommodation and food for the passengers.

Nigerian Airline, the country's national carrier, has only four planes. They have routes to America, Britain, the UAE and Africa. The plane for Dubai is suffering technical problems and is stranded in the Nigerian capital Lagos. The flight is bi-weekly with flights on Thursday and Monday.

Major Essa Abdullah Al Dabal, Director of Al Rashidiya Police Station, said the passengers went to the airline office in the morning but found it closed.

"It seems the manager and the staff were too scared to face the angry crowd and closed shop. He was waiting for a call from Nigeria about what to do but the call never came through," he said.

The police managed to trace him through records and called him over to solve the issue.

"When we remanded him in our custody, he promised to provide accommodation and food to the passengers," he said.

The airline is also trying to tie up with other flights to send the passengers back to their home country.

"They are currently negotiating with Kenya and Sudan Air to see if they can rent a plane from them," said Major Al Dabal.

"They are expecting the plane to be fixed in a day or so."

As for those who have overstayed their visas, Major Al Dabal said the airline and the travel agents of the passengers will bear the cost. Gulf News spoke to some of the passengers who complained that they were running out of money.

"I have been stranded here since Thursday. All the money that I earned has been spent on hotel fees," said one passenger who is here on business."

[abra]

Local papers in Nigeria say that Nigeria Airways are having problems because they have leased a 777,which has very narrow cargo holds.They actually have leased a 747 and a 767 from Atlanta..and both run reasonably well,with no major technical prolems.But nigeria Airways take..money for pax tickets ...money for cargo..so leave bags behind to maximise the return on the cargo.Cargo is sold locally,so money stays with the station rather than going to the head office black hole in Lagos.With all the delays,riots on board are usual...and the plane has even been stoned by irate pax on one occasion,who didn't get their bags.Things are coming to a head.There is a rumour that Atlanta 's contracts come to an end soon and they will cut their loses ($10 million)and run.It will be interesting to see who NA take up with next time.But you have to feel sorry for their pensioners and loyal workers,'cos it looks as though they will be dumped.

[non sched]

A press release in the US says World will begin service to Lagos from JFK and Atlanta in March with weekly service to Lagos from each. They are contracted to an outfit called ritetime aviation. Hopefully this will go better than the service described in these posts!

[Gordinho]

How did Atlanta let Nigerian Airways (not the most credit-worthy company in the world) get into them for ten mill? Did someone drop the ball in the biggest possible way or what?

Didn't Atlanta just get bought over? Did they know they were buying ten million dollars worth of West African debt?

[ZAZOO]

I guess AIR ATLANTA has got some explaining to do about how the deal was put together and also how they came about the $10,000,000 figure :rolleyes:

It all stinks and bad too Gordinho, Air Atlanta and Air Nigeria ;)

Ohh well who care's

[non sched]

Here's the latest update. Pax stranded in Lagos.:(

LAGOS, Jan 16 (Reuters) - Hundreds of travellers, stranded for weeks at Lagos airport, have staged a protest against troubled Nigeria Airways after their flights were cancelled for lack of aircraft, officials and travellers said on Thursday.


A Federal Aviation Authority of Nigeria official said the protest on Wednesday by London-bound travellers disrupted operations at the airport's departure hall.

"The passengers disrupted the operations of immigrations, customs and other airport workers for hours before they calmed down," said the official, who declined to be named.

Some travellers told Reuters they had been at the airport for about two weeks and do not know when they will travel.

About 60 New York-bound passengers are also stranded at the airport after the airline, once one of Africa's best with about 30 aircraft in the early 1980s, failed to fly them on Monday.

Many of the passengers, who had travelled home to spend Christmas with their families, said they risked losing their jobs because of their delayed return.

Dozens of other passengers booked to fly the airline are stranded in London and New York, travellers said.

Aviation sources said the airline took advantage of end-of-year demand to sell tickets without arranging for aircraft after creditors seized its lone aeroplane on international routes.

The debt-ridden airline had operated two leased aircraft -- one on domestic routes and the other on the Lagos-London and Lagos-New York routes.

NEVER AGAIN

"This is sad. They should stop selling their tickets if they don't have aircraft," Abiodun Akinola told Reuters, vowing never to fly the airline after his ordeal.

Some frustrated travellers accused officials of selling boarding passes and demanding bribes to put them on planes.

"They asked me for $200 to put me and my son on the New York flight on Monday," said a female traveller who asked not to be named said. "I gave them a $100, but they refused."

Officials of the crisis-ridden national carrier denied the allegations and said the airline was doing its best to fly the aggrieved travellers.

"They have bought our tickets, they are here, and the contract is not completed until we have taken them to their destinations," airline spokeswoman Obi Aseme told Reuters.

The airline's joint venture with South African Airways, which operated flights on its behalf, collapsed last year shortly after Nigeria ended a similar partnership with British Airways (London:BAY.L - News) in March.

A controversial deal with Airwing Aerospace Ltd to reorganise the battered national carrier suffered a setback last year after Nigerian aviation experts criticised it for conceding equity to the UK-based company.

[Gordinho]

"Aviation Sources" in this case are a bit wide of the mark. Nigerian have not had any aircraft operating International routes for a very long time.

They DID have two wet-leased aircraft from Air Atlanta Icelandic (a B747-200 and a B767-200) flying internationally but these services were pulled recently, evidently because Nigerian hadn't been paying their bills for many months and had built up a very large debt with Air Atlanta.

Air Atlanta, who must be one of the few companies in the world dumb enough or desperate enough to extend credit to Nigerian Airways are not commenting on the situation, but I bet they regret letting their Saudia contract go so they could chase this kind of business. Maybe they'll be lucky enough to get it back though, since it looks like no-one is able to step into the breech.

[Woodpidgeon]

Apparently the Nigerian Govt were supposed to underwrite any losses but pulled out of the deal early Dec leaving Atlanta high and dry. Its a shame because the business is obviously there but corruption rules with the inevitable consequences.

[GBXRE]

http://allafrica.com/stories/200301210253.html

SUCCOR has finally come to the distressed Nigeria Airways Limited (N A L) as the Federal Government has agreed to assist the airline to clear its $10.6 million (about N1.346 billion) debt owed Air Atlanta, the leasing company. Air Atlanta had refused the national carrier further use of its leased B747 aircraft on account of the debt. The development according to sources has affected the operations of the airline on the international routes as Nigerians who travelled from the New York and London to the country by the airline to celebrate the Christmas and New Year were yet to be airlifted back to their destinations. The New Managing Director of the airline, Mr. Andrew Okonuga told newsmen that the problems of Nigeria Airways were enormous and therefore, required the attention of the Federal Government. He explained that despite earlier statement by President Obasanjo that government was yet to give serious attention to the plight of the airline, the new management was in close contact with the government through the Aviation Ministry towards resuscitating the ailing airline.

According to him, 'Government is supporting us in spite of what the President said, it has approved some of the proposals because the problem of 'pay as you go thing' is a problem enormous enough to embarrass not only the airline but the government. We cannot run away from the Government because it has 100% ownership of the airline.

"On Air Atlanta debt, like told you we are getting support from the government and since it is an airline to airline issue, Nigeria Airways on behalf of the Federal Government will settle the debt. It is our duty as management of the airline to negotiate with the creditor airline and agree on modality of payment.

We are competent enough to negotiate payment, we cannot deny that we are owing".

Mr Okonuga further said that management was also making entreaties to the Government to allow it get some money from the Bilateral Air Service Agreement BASA account so as to enable it offset outstanding debt owed it's staff especially those of the pensioners. It was also disclosed that operations of the airline was now going to be without undue interference adding that the era of unnecessary manipulations of the airline was over.

[radartostby]

I wonder if this means the Air Atlanta will get some/all of it's money, and will they start flying there again, under, of course, very modified financial arrangements??

I believe the B747-200 is still parked there, but the B767 went back to Europe somewhere a while ago!

We'll see, I guess

[aeroground]

had the recent opportunity to meet a group who claimed to be the new nigerian airways, led by saeed rashi from dxb, and his friends gupta from auh and premm from mumbai, apparently the nigerian govt had given 49% to this group of !gentlemen! use of the term you should take lightley,

will wait and see scouring the market for aircraft and suckers to lease them a/c

beware