Nigeria's Enugu State plans to acquire 14 additional aircraft in 2026, taking the fleet of its virtual carrier Enugu Air to 20, Governor Peter Mbah announced in his 2026 budget speech to the Enugu House of Assembly last week.
"As you know, we procured three aircraft earlier in the year, and we have already concluded the acquisition of another three, which are due to arrive shortly, but certainly before Christmas. So we currently have six aircraft," he said to loud applause.
He said Enugu Air had become "an economic enabler and a strategic platform for our emergence as a regional hub".
Enugu Air is operated by Nigerian air operator certificate (AOC) holder Xejet (4U, Lagos) with a fleet of three Embraer regional jets, all purchased outright by Enugu State. This includes one E190 and two E170s acquired from Egypt's CIAF Leasing - Air Operation (Cairo International). ADS-B data shows that only one E170, 5N-ENU (msn 17000274), is currently active on domestic routes serving Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt City, and Benin City. Sistership 5N-ENR (msn 17000175) is parked at Asaba.
ch-aviation has contacted Xejet for more information about the additional aircraft.
