NG Eagle's inaugural flight took off on Dec. 10.
Nigerian startup NG Eagle has operated its first commercial flight, entering the market on the West African country’s busiest domestic route.
The airline’s inaugural flight took off on Dec. 10, connecting Nigeria’s capital Abuja with the nation’s most populous city Lagos. The service was operated using Airbus A320 aircraft, wet-leased from Lithuanian charter carrier Heston Airlines.
NG Eagle’s booking platform shows the airline initially intends to offer 11 flights per week between Abuja’s Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport (ABV) and Murtala Muhammed International Airport (LOS) in Lagos.
It will compete on the sector with 10 other operators, which collectively provide some 25,800 two-way weekly seats at present, OAG Schedules Analyser data shows. Air Peace has a 31.7% share of the market, followed by Dana Air on 23.4% and Ibom Air on 9.8%.
NG Eagle flights are also on sale between Lagos and Benin City in southern Nigeria, which are slated to operate three times per week; between Yola and Abuja, which are also set to be 3X-weekly; and between the northwestern city of Sokoto and Abuja, which will be 4X-weekly. In addition, the carrier has outlined its intention to begin Kano-Abuja and Lagos-Port Harcourt routes.
NG Eagle was formed in 2019 by Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON), a government vehicle set up to recover debts, and designed to succeed Arik Air, which is in receivership. However, when AMCON’s plan to transfer assets from Arik to NG Eagle was blocked, the agency sold NG Eagle to a private investor, reported to be Alhaji Abdul Ahmad.
The airline was initially granted an air operator certificate (AOC) in September 2021 that expired two years later. However, the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority extended the AOC for a further six months in September 2023, paving the way for NG Eagle’s first commercial flights. Its fleet will comprise two A320s from Heston.
The launch of the startup comes against a backdrop of uncertainty in Nigeria’s aviation market, characterized by high fuel prices and groundings caused by aircraft maintenance issues. Additionally, IATA on Dec. 8 warned that international carriers may exit the country if blocked funds are not released. It is estimated that Nigeria currently holds the highest amount of trapped funds globally, totaling $792 million.
However, attempts are still being made to establish a new national carrier, known as Nigeria Air. Speaking to Aviation Week in late November, Ethiopian Airlines CCO Lemma Yadecha Gudeta said that the carrier’s planned joint venture to launch Nigeria Air “will happen” despite political setbacks. Ethiopian had already made eight aircraft—two Boeing 787s and six 737 MAXs—available for the Nigeria Air launch fleet until the project stalled.
Nigeria has been without a national carrier for more than a decade. Nigeria Airways closed in 2003, while Air Nigeria ceased operations in 2012. The country’s largest carrier at present is Air Peace with a 31.4% share of all seat capacity from and within the nation, with Dana Air on 8.7%, and Ibom Air on 8.2%.
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