SEATTLE – New Boeing Co. 737 airplanes will fly over the skies of Nigeria for the first time in decades, thanks to an acquisition by a recently launched airline.
Nigerian aviation officials hope the new jets will usher in a safer era of air travel for a country plagued by plane crashes in recent years. And Arik Air intends to continue to add new aircraft to its fleet, announcing an order for three of Boeing’s 787 Dreamliners and four 777s on Thursday. The deal, worth $1.5 billion at list prices, was previously listed on Boeing’s Web site under an undisclosed customer.
“Prior to the advent of Arik Air, not a single new aircraft had graced the Nigerian skies in so much as 20 years,” said J.A.I. Johnson, Arik Air’s chairman, during a delivery ceremony for two 737-700s Thursday. “During this barren period, the country had the misfortune of bearing witness to a litany of inexplicable, and in many cases avoidable, air crashes which resulted in the loss of innocent lives.”
From October 2005 to October 2006, three plane crashes in Nigeria led to the deaths of more than 300 people, including one of the executive directors of Arik Air. Poor infrastructure and aging aircraft contributed to Nigeria’s air troubles. The government and aviation officials since have taken steps to reform commercial aviation in the African country.
But there is still work to be done, Johnson said. He hopes that Boeing will participate in developing the aviation industry in Nigeria.
Harold Olusegun Demuren, director general of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, was pleased with Arik’s step toward safer air travel in the country.
“The traveling public in Nigeria particularly have not been happy at all with the old aircraft,” Demuren said. “This will promote safety.”
The two Boeing 737s picked up by Arik Air on Thursday were planes originally slotted for Airtran, Johnson said. The Nigerian airline worked with the carrier and Boeing to secure the new jets.
Arik Air flies routes within Nigeria but will be expanding service to Central and West Africa as well as to the United Kingdom and United States. The airline likely will use its 777s and 787s on its new routes.
Boeing’s Lee Monson noted the “forward-thinking” airline’s aspirations. He credited Arik Air with “trying to transform aviation in Nigeria.”
Arik Air is the fourth airline on the African continent to order a 787 Dreamliner and the fourth to order a Boeing 777. The airline also is pursuing options for additional Boeing jets.
For more on Arik Air, visit reporter Michelle Dunlop’s aerospace blog at www.heraldnet.com.
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