Recently, there have been indications that the management of defunct Bellview Airlines is trying to breathe new life into the airline. The airline would be renamed ‘First Nation Airways’ and operate a fleet of A320 aircraft. Airbus has added a new African operator called ‘First Nation Airways’ to its orders and deliveries spreadsheet in August with a fleet consisting of three A320s. If First Nation Airways regains Bellview Airlines’ AOC, it might be possible to actually see Airbus aircraft in Nigeria in the near future.
September 14, 2010
July 14, 2010
This Week’s Update
- Air Nigeria settled the old Virgin Nigeria debt of $237 million with UBA. The airline has now cleared all its outstanding debts.
- Aero re-introduced a fuel surcharge of N500 on all its tickets. The surcharge is now approved by the NCAA.
- Aero announced the introduction of the first mobile web and SMS ticketing service in Africa. The service enables passengers to book and pay for their flight tickets using their mobile phones, and is aimed at empowering more passengers to travel by air regularly.
- Arik Air received the first Air Operator Certificate (AOC) under the new Federal Government mandatory recertification order.
- Two of Arik Air’s four B737s currently abroad for maintenance will return this week. The airline hopes that this will end the disruptions to its flight schedule. The airline is yet to pay its employees for last month though.
- Overland Airways’ ATR42 (5N-BCS) was ferried back to Nigeria after an overhaul at Dinard (France).
- The Federal Government will seek fresh bids for the construction of a second runway at Abuja’s airport after canceling a contract earlier awarded for the project.
- According to rumours the management of Bellview Airlines is trying to make a restart as ‘Nation Airways’ or ‘First Nation Airlines’, operating a fleet of A320s.
May 9, 2010
Bellview Airlines In Liquidation
Bellview Airlines is now in liquidation. Creditors should contact the liquidator: RSM Tenon Recovery, Hampshire.
March 26, 2010
Bellview’s New B763ER Returned To Lessor
Even before Bellview Airlines could operate its newly acquired B767-300ER (5N-BVA), the aircraft has been repossessed by the lessor (Automatic Leasing) and ferried to Miami. The aircraft was painted at Shannon last year but stored since. It’s now even more unlikely that Bellview Airlines will resume flights in May, as is stated on the airline’s website.
March 11, 2010
Financial State Of The Nigerian Airlines
The Nigerian airlines are all heavily indebted and have severe financial problems. Read an update on the situation here.
Three short news bits:
- The claimed deal between Nigerian Eagle Airlines (formerly Virgin Nigeria) and Jimoh Ibrahim didn’t work out.
- Air MidWest uploaded its flight schedule (serving Abuja, Lagos and Owerri). It is not clear when the first flight of this new airline will take place.
- The restart of Bellview Airlines has been postponed again till 1 May 2010.
February 25, 2010
This Week’s Update
Some bits of news:
Jimoh Ibrahim confirmed in an interview that he acquired Nigerian Eagle Airlines (formerly Virgin Nigeria Airways). Still, no formal comments have been made by the airline’s management.
Bellview Airlines set a new date for the re-start of its operations. Regional and domestic flights will start again on the 2nd of April, while the airline will commence a daily service to London Heathrow on April 24, 2010. Seeing is believing.
Arik Air’s fleet is down to 25 aircraft after the wet-leased aircraft from bankrupt Denim Air were withdrawn. Asky Airlines will fill the gap that Arik Air left in Niger by closing down Arik Niger. The Togo-based airline will start a three weekly Lomé-Niamey-Bamako service.
Ailing president Umaru Yar’Adua was flown into Abuja airport onboard a Saudi Medevac GV (HZ-MS5A) on Tuesday night.
The Nigerian Aviation Fire and Safety Association (NAFSA) condemns the “poor state” of fire cover across airports in Nigeria.
Plans by the Federal Government to bail out the aviation industry may fail, because the airline operators could not reach an agreement about the allocation of the funds.
Yemenia announced it will commence flights to Nigeria soon. Possibly to Kano?
Update of the update: the sale of Nigerian Eagle Airlines to the Nigerian businessman seems to be off and here is another picture of Arik Air’s A330. The aircraft is named ‘Sultan of Sokoto’, surprisingly. An Arik B738 (5N-MJP) is also baptised with this name.
February 5, 2010
NCAA Revokes AOC of Afrijet, Bellview, And Capital
The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority yesterday revoked the Air Operator Certificates (AOC) of Afrijet Airlines, Bellview Airlines, and Capital Airlines. All airlines suspended their operations last year due to financial problems. Since Bellview acquired a B767-300ER (5N-BVA), but failed to recommence flights as the aircraft is still stored at Shannon. Afrijet returned their two MD-80s (5N-BKO and 5N-BKI) to the lessors, but has four ATR 72-500s on order; it’s unlikely that they will actually get these props. Finally, Capital was operating a single EMB120 (5N-BLN). At one point, there were reports that start-up Red 1 Xpress would acquire Capital as well as their AOC.
Update: The director of the NCAA stated that Bellview and Afrijet haven’t lost their AOC, but merely have to meet some criteria again before being allowed to operated commercial operations.
It will take a long time before two Nigerian operators will fly intercontinental routes again. This is a unique picture, showing an Arik Air A345 and Bellview Airlines B762 side by side at London Heathrow (Terminal 2) last summer.
Arik Air and Bellview at London Heathrow (2009) - (Copyright Aero Icarus)
January 21, 2010
This Week’s Round-Up
Just a few minor reports:
Chanchangi Airlines reduced its daily flights between Lagos and Abuja from five to three. The schedule on their website has not been updated however. Reportedly, the airline has serious financial problems.
Bellview Airlines has postponed the re-start of its Lagos-London service to 1 March, 2010. Again, the airline has sold tickets without being able to provide any flights.
An EMB-170 (PT-TQE) destined for Nigerian Eagle Airlines as 5N-VNJ has been ferried from Brazil to Casablanca. It’s unlikely Nigerian Eagle Airlines will take delivery of the aircraft though, as it wil reportedly be leased to Gulf Air.
Nigerian Eagle Airlines introduced special onboard envelopes on flights across its route network this week to raise funds to support the ongoing humanitarian and rescue activities in Haiti.
The governor of Gombe State announced that a second airline will start daily services to Gombe Airport this year. Arik Air currently has a four weekly service from Abuja to Gombe.
The World Bank financed ten fire trucks for Port Harcourt Airport, but overall the Nigerian agencies are slow in implementing other aviation infrastructure projects.
The new Asaba Airport, Delta State, will be ready for operations in April 2010.
Jos Airport was closed this week due to civil unrest. Aero, Arik Air and Overland Airways cancelled their flights to the airport.
January 9, 2010
From The Olden Days: Russian Aircraft In Nigeria
Some parts of Africa are well-known as places where old Russian aircraft find their last home. Nigeria is one of the exceptions. There is no carrier that currently operates Russian aircraft nor have there been many in the past. Nigeria never had a strong focus on the Soviet Union. And in the 1990s, when many private airlines were established in Nigeria, it was probably easier and cheaper to get secondhand aircraft from Europe and the United States.
Here is a list of Nigerian Airlines that leased or owned Russian metal:
- Associated Aviation (2000s): An-12B
- Dasab Airlines (2000s): An-12B
- Trans-Sahel Airlines (1990s): 2 Yak-40s
- Bellview Airlines (1990s): Yak-40
- Harco Air Services /Harca Airlines (1990s): Tu-134 (overshot the runway at Lagos in 1995)
- Kolkol Airlines (1990s): Tu-134
- Maina Air (1990s): 5 Tu-154s, 2 Yak-40s, and a Il-76
- Premium Air Shuttle (PAS) (2000s): 3 Yak-40s (5N-DAN, 5N-MAR, and 5N-BOS)
- Yvic Airlines (1990s): Yak-40
Premium Air Shuttle - Yak-40 - 5N-BOS (Copyright Roberto Benetti)
Other airlines that operated Eastern European made aircraft were Oriental Airlines with a LET L-410 (late 1980s) and Lamonde Air that had two of this type (5N-BEA and 5N-BEB) in the 2000s. 5N-BEB was later registered as 5N-BCM and operated by Easy Link Aviation.
Click on the links for pictures. Any correction is welcome.
December 22, 2009
Bellview Airlines Postpones London Flights Again…
Bellview Airlines will not resume its flights from Lagos to London before 28 January, 2010. The airline is still waiting for its new aircraft to be delivered. The airline also failed to meet its obligations to customers travelling from Jeddah to Lagos. Bellview still sells tickets for flights to domestic and regional destinations.
December 20, 2009
Nigerian Eagle Airlines Is IOSA Re-Certified
Nigerian Eagle Airlines passed the IOSA-audit again, as its first certification expired in November, 2009. Bellview Airlines’ registration will expire on Monday, December 21, 2009, leaving Nigerian Eagle Airlines the only IOSA certified airline in West and Central Africa. Arik Air and Chanchangi Airlines are currently undergoing an IOSA-audit.
The IATA Operational Safety Audit (IOSA) program is an internationally recognized and accepted evaluation system designed to assess the operational management and control systems of an airline.
December 10, 2009
Bellview Postpones London Service Again
Bellview Airlines postponed its return on the Lagos-London route with a new B763 with another week, untill December 18, 2009. It is not clear if the airline operates any domestic or regional flights with its sole B732.
Note that tickets purchased online are not refunded by Bellview Airlines according to their conditions of carriage.
Bellview did operate some charter flights to Jeddah, but failed to meet the obligations made to to passengers on this route too.
November 23, 2009
Bellview Sells Tickets Without Operating Flights
Bellview Airlines recently announced it would commence flights between Lagos and Jeddah on the 19th of November, 2009. It now appears the airline sold tickets without aircraft nor permission to operate the route. Flights to Jeddah are no longer listed as available in Bellview’s online booking system.
The restart of the Lagos-London route has been postponed till 11 December 2009.
November 16, 2009
Bellview’s New B763 Painted
Bellview Airlines’ new B767-300 (5N-BVA; ex-N183AQ) is painted at Shannon. It wears a revised livery and is named ‘Faith’. It seems the airline will indeed resume flights between Lagos and London Heathrow on 1 December 2009.
Meanwhile, one of Bellview’s old B762s (N805MT; ex-5N-BGG) is ferried to Victorville for storage.
November 10, 2009
Bellview Airlines To Acquire A B763?
Reportedly, Bellview Airlines will take delivery of an ex-Gulf Air B767-300 (N183AQ), currently at Shannon Airport.
The airline suspended all its operations last month, but announced resuming Lagos-London flights later this year.
November 8, 2009
Arik Air’s Regional Operations
Arik Niger, as a subsidiary of Arik Air, started flights to five destinations in Niger in May 2009. The scheduled flights to Agades, Maradi, Niamey, Tahoua are partly bookable although not advertised on Arik Air’s website. Flights are operated with two F50s wet-leased from Denim Air. It’s unclear how Arik Niger is developing. Some customers complained about cancellations.
Arik Niger F50 at Zinder Airport (Copyright WhiskeyDelta)
Furthermore, Arik Air operates flights to Accra (two daily flights), Cotonou (frequency unknown), and flies the route Freetown-Banjul-Dakar four times a week. There has been no more news on the earlier announced service from Freetown to London Heathrow. Additional flights and new West-African destinations may be in place now Bellview Airlines left the scene.
Recently, the CEO of Arik Air International, announced that the airline plans to launch flights to Togo, Equatorial Guinea, Angola and Egypt. He also said several West African states had approached the airline to help set up a national carrier through a franchise or a joint venture.
November 7, 2009
Nigerian Airlines On Twitter
Four Nigerian airlines have a twitter account. Nice way of keeping customers informed. At least, if they would twitter regularly.
Not a Nigerian airline, but also of interest is the LufthansaNG.
