The Chairman of United Nigeria Airlines, Prof. Obiora Okonkwo, says that the airline will operate daily flights between Abuja and Accra and four weekly flights between Lagos and Accra.
Speaking at the inaugural flight of the airline on Monday, a Bombardier CRJ 900, which departed Abuja at exactly 11:32 a.m. and landed at Kotoka International Airport, Accra, at 12:57 p.m, Prof Okonkwo said that the airline would operate daily flights between Abuja and Accra and four weekly flights between Lagos and Accra.
He assured passengers of the safety of Nigerian carriers, describing local airlines as among the safest to fly within and outside the country.
According to him, Nigerian airlines are IATA Operational Safety Audit-certified, and that pilots undergo certification every six months, more frequently than in many developed nations.
Prof. Okonkwo also urged the Nigerian Government to make single-digit interest loans accessible to operators in the airline industry, stressing that a nation’s success depends heavily on an efficient transportation system, particularly aviation.
He added that President Bola Tinubu’s ambition of achieving a $1trn economy will be unattainable without a thriving aviation sector.
“However, we are appealing to the Nigerian government to continue to support the aviation industry. A $1trn economy can never be achieved without aviation.
“What we are asking for is a single-digit interest because we are competing with international airlines that have access to credit facilities and also have government backing,” he said.
GIK/APA