Air Nigeria – Delta Air Lines Code-Share Approved

The FAA partly approved the application for approval of a code-share agreement by Air Nigeria and Delta Air Lines:

Approved in part, subject to conditions (statement of authorization for Air Nigeria to transport Delta code-share traffic on flights operated by Air Nigeria between points in Nigeria and beyond Nigeria to any open-skies point or points), remainder (statement of authorization for Air Nigeria to transport Delta code-share traffic on flights operated by Air Nigeria between the United States and Nigeria) deferred.

Delta Schedule Changes

Per 1 February 2011, Delta Air Lines will reduce its two weekly Abuja-Accra-Atlanta service to one weekly flight departing on Fridays. Meanwhile, the Lagos-Atlanta service will be reduced from six to five weekly, with no flights on Mondays and Fridays. However, the airline will service Lagos daily again from 1 May 2011, when it will make an equipment change from B777 to A330.

Air Nigeria and Delta Air Lines Apply For Codesharing

Following the codeshare agreement made between Nigerian Eagle Airlines (now Air Nigeria) and Delta Air Lines, the airlines have now applied with the US Department of Transport for authorisation to engage in codesharing services to the full extent permitted by the U.S.-Nigeria Open Skies Agreement. Delta is in the process of conducting a codeshare safety audit of Air Nigeria and will communicate the result of that audit to FAA. Air Nigeria requests that the Department approve its authority to display Delta’s code on its flights as soon as the FAA has advised that it has reviewed the audit report and found it to be acceptable. If permitted, Air Nigeria will place its VK-code on Delta-operated flights between Abuja and Accra and between Accra and Atlanta. The airlines are yet to agree on Delta codesharing on Air Nigeria flights.

Some International Flight Frequencies

AirFrance

• Paris – Lagos – Port Harcourt: 7 weekly

British Airways

• London LHR – Lagos: 7 weekly
• London LHR – Abuja: 7 weekly

Delta Air Lines

• Atlanta-Abuja (via Accra): 2 weekly per 1 September 2010
• Atlanta-Lagos: decreased to 5 weekly
• New York JFK – Abuja: 3 weekly till 31 August 2010.

Emirates

• Dubai – Lagos: 14 weekly

Ethiopian Airlines

• Addis Ababa – Abuja – Accra: increase from 3 to 4 weekly
• Addis Ababa – Lagos: decrease from 10 weekly to daily

KLM

• Amsterdam – Abuja – Kano: 3 weekly
• Amsterdam – Lagos: 7 weekly

Lufthansa

• Frankfurt – Abuja – Port Harcourt: 4 weekly
• Frankfurt – Abuja – Malabo: 3 weekly
• Frankfurt – Lagos: 7 weekly

Qatar Airways

• Doha – Lagos: 7 weekly

Turkish Airlines

• Istanbul – Lagos – Accra: 3 weekly

This Week’s Update

A few updates:

• Arik Air silently accepted a new A330-200 (5N-EIA) this week, but the introduction of the aircraft on the LOS-JNB route is delayed till June 7.
• Virgin Nigeria/Nigerian Eagle Airlines will increase its daily number of flights between Lagos to Abuja from four to seven, effective June 14. One of its three B733s (5N-VND) was ferried to Shannon, perhaps for a new coat of paint.
• Shell Nigeria signed a $630 million aviation logistics deal with Caverton Helicopters, partly because of the new Nigerian Content Development Act. Caverton and its technical partner DanCopter from Denmark will replace Bristow Helicopters.
• The Central Bank of Nigeria extended a N500 billion fund meant to stimulate credit to the power and manufacturing sectors to support the aviation industry. Airlines can now partake from the fund and those that are indebted to banks can refinance their loans and amortise them over a period of ten to fifteen years.
• Delta Air Lines will commence its seasonal direct Abuja – New York JFK service on the 3rd of June, substituting the flights via Dakar. The three weekly flights will be operated with a B763. This means direct competition for Arik Air’s three weekly Lagos – New York JFK service.
• Delta Air Lines and Virgin Nigeria are still working on a codeshare agreement.
• The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) is set to award a contract for the expansion of both the arrival and departure halls of Benin Airport.
• The opening of the new Asaba Airport is delayed till December 2010.

New International Flights To Nigeria

Delta Air Lines

A three weekly service from New York JFK to Abuja will substitute the current B757 service via Dakar this summer (31 June 2010 – 31 August 2010). Flight will be operated with a B767.

• DL036 JFK1605 – ABV 767 (Monday, Wednesday, Friday)
• DL037 ABV1055 – JFK (Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday)

The Atlanta-Lagos service will be reduced from the earlier announced seven to six weekly flights with a B777.

EgyptAir

EgyptAir will increase its flights from Cairo to Abuja from two to four weekly according to its summer schedule. New flights on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

MEA – Middle East Airlines – Air Liban

MEA will operate the following routes this summer:

• Mondays: Beirut — Lagos — Abidjan v.v.
• Tuesdays: Beirut — Kano — Abidjan v.v.
• Wednesdays: Beirut — Lagos — Accra v.v.
• Fridays: Beirut — Lagos — Abidjan v.v.

Nigerian Eagle Airlines To Partner With Delta Air Lines

Nigerian Eagle Airlines signed a MOU with Delta Air Lines to explore the possibilities of commercial cooperation. The marketing agreement should result in sharing frequent flyer programmes and in a codeshare partnership. An agreement would enable customers from Nigerian Eagle Airlines’ domestic and regional network to connect to Delta’s transatlantic flights to Atlanta and New York.

Nigerian Eagle Airlines is trying to strengthen its position in Nigeria by entering interline and codeshare alliances with several (African) airlines. For Delta a partnership with Nigerian Eagle Airlines would counterbalance the strong position of Arik Air in the West African market.