Nigeria's ValueJet targets A320s for launch

Green Africa Airways (Q9, Lagos) has announced it has signed for three additional A220-300s on lease from GTLK Europe.

The trio of jets will deliver by August of this year and complement the 50 that the nascent Nigerian carrier tentatively committed to with Airbus last week, whose deliveries will start from 2021.

"These three aircraft will give us the certainty we need to be able to launch in 2020 and bridge the gap until our first of fifty A220s arrive next year," an airline spokesman told ch-aviation. "We are committed to launching in 2020."

Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) records indicate Green Africa Airways was granted an Air Transport Licence (ATL) in early January 2016. The document will expire in early January 2021.

Green Africa Airways (Q9, Lagos), a Nigerian start-up, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Airbus covering fifty A220-300s.

No tentative delivery schedule was announced. If firmed, the order will become the largest commitment for the A220 programme in Africa.

"Together with Airbus, we are incredibly proud to announce the largest order ever for the A220 from the African continent. The Green Africa story is a story of entrepreneurial boldness, strategic foresight and an unwavering commitment to using the power of air travel to create a better future," Founder and Chief Executive Babawande Afolabi said.

Green Africa Airways secured its Air Services Licence (ASL) from the Nigerian Ministry of Transport in mid-2018 and is now in the process of obtaining its Air Operator's Certificate (AOC) from the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA).

In December 2018, the start-up announced a tentative order for fifty B737-8s with a further fifty options. It is unclear if the carrier has decided to switch to A220s due to the grounding of the Boeing narrowbodies or...