Nigeria's Aero Contractors to restart flights

Nigeria's Aero Contractors details 1Q23 relaunch network

Aero Contractors (N2, Lagos) resumed scheduled domestic flights on December 5, 2022, to ten destinations, including Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt Omagwa, Yola, Sokoto, Kano, Benin City, Warri, Asaba, and Calabar, the airline announced on social media.

Speaking at a Lagos news conference, newly-appointed managing director Ado Sanusi said: "The airline will be operating with B737 and Dash 8 aircraft servicing ten destinations following approval by the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authorities (NCAA)." The regulator previously confirmed to ch-aviation that Aero Contractor received all necessary regulatory approvals, including a valid air operator's certificate (AOC).

The carrier's fleet comprises one in-house B737-400, three B737-500 leased from Oceanic Capital; two DHC-8-Q400s leased from Nordic Aviation Capital and UmzaXpress, respectively, plus one in-house DHC-8-Q200 and one DHC-8-Q300 leased from CHC Helicopters International (RBD, Vancouver International), according to the ch-aviation fleets advanced module. The airline plans to expand its aircraft maintenance facility to cater for other aircraft types, such as...

Nigeria's NG Eagle fails to take-off, management reassigned

The Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON) appears to have abandoned plans for NG Eagle (Lagos), having re-assigned the startup's managing director.

The NG Eagle project came to a standstill after certification was suspended - at the time nearing completion - on orders of the Nigerian Senate in mid-October 2021.

The sticking point had been AMCON's NGN235 billion naira (USD572 million) debt, including its NGN200 billion (USD487 million) exposure to Arik Air (W3, Lagos) - under AMCON's receivership - and NGN35 billion owed to various civil aviation agencies. The Nigerian National Assembly in February 2022 declared NG Eagle would not be certified until Arik Air paid back its outstanding debt of NGN10.8 billion (USD24.8 million).

The project's cancellation reportedly cost AMCON an estimated NGN22 billion (USD53 million) on three grounded B737-700s (former Arik Air aircraft), insurance premiums, staff salaries, and other operating expenses.

In the latest development, AMCON, in a statement, said it was re-assigning NG Eagle Managing Director Ado Sanusi to Aero Contractors due to the startup's...

Nigeria's Aero Contractors gears up to resume services

Aero Contractors (N2, Lagos) plans to resume commercial services latest by October 2022 in the hope that its audit by the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) will be completed by the end of this month, according to local news reports.

Aero Contractors has operated under the receivership of the Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON) since February 2016. It suspended its scheduled passenger flight operations in July, citing a harsh operating environment and lack of available equipment.

Meanwhile, the carrier has signed a partnership agreement with Nigeria's Umza Aviation Services, which is to invest USD50 million for the purchase of five DHC-8-Q400s to be operated by Aero Contractors. As reported, Umza Aviation is linked to Mohammed Abubakar, owner of Umza Farms, and is part of a new partnership between virtual carrier UmzaXpress and Aero Contractors.

Speaking to reports at Abuja, after taking delivery of the second Dash-8-Q400 last week, Aero Contractors Head of Security Adah Daniel (representing Managing Director Abdullahi Mahmoud) said: "We are looking at the end of...

Nigeria's UmzaXpress adds first aircraft, a Dash 8-400

Nigerian startup UmzaXpress has taken delivery of its first DHC-8-Q400 after C-FSRY (msn 4174) was ferried from Canada via Iceland and Europe to Abuja, Nigeria this week.

Flightradar24 ADS-B data shows the aircraft - bearing NG Eagle tail colours but UmzaXpress branding - left St Thomas on August 9 and travelled via Goose Bay, Reykjavik Keflavik (Iceland), London Southend (UK) to arrive in Nigeria on August 10. It will be re-registered in Nigeria as 5N-CAC.

The 15-year-old De Havilland Aircraft of Canada turboprop last flew with Canada's Jazz Air (QK, Halifax), ch-aviation fleets advanced data reveals.

ch-aviation research found UmzaXpress is linked to a private company called Umza Aviation Services, registered in Abuja, Nigeria, on October 30, 2019, (Number 1629233), with a paid share capital of NGN500 million naira (USD1.1 million).

The new aircraft was purchased by Mohammed Abubakar, owner of Umza Farms, and is part of a new partnership between virtual carrier UmzaExpress and Aero Contractors (N2, Lagos), which will operate...