Nigerian airlines to fly direct to the US

Arik Air, Bellview and Virgin Nigeria, will start flying directly to the United States in 2008 as the US Federal Aviation Administration, known as FAA, has granted waiver to the domestic airlines.

The Director of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Dr. Arnold Demuren recently said the three airlines had almost fulfilled all the requirements to lease aircraft from a recognised Category One country and with the acquired aircraft they would start operations to the United States. “They must get an aircraft from a country that is already category one and that’s what they are doing right now and I believe that Arik has already given a name of the airline it will use. I believe also Bellview and Virgin Nigeria have done the same”, he said.

North American Airlines currently flies direct to New York and Delta Airlines, which recently began operations in Nigeria, flies direct to Atlanta, both using Boeing 767 aircraft, but plans to fly direct to New York from June 2008.