Hillview Travels Ltd, the operators of Mambilla Air, said they are investing about N2 billion to revive the airline while operating flights to the Mambilla Plateau in Taraba state.
The CEO of the company, Aliyu B. Malabu in an exclusive interview in Abuja said the firm was leveraging on the 3050 megawatts (MW) Mambilla Hydropower Project and the tourism potential of the area.
He noted that Mambilla Air had operated since the 1980s until 2011 when its operation was suspended.
He said the management suspended the flight operations into its Gembu Airstrip in Taraba in 2011 over the high cost of leasing new aircraft and as it could not access its traditional equipment, Dornier 228 aircraft.
The firm is in partnership with the Sokoto and Taraba State governments to acquire their Dornier 228 aircraft while adding a helicopter to the fleet.
“We will start with two aircraft and one helicopter. The Dornier 228 are here. We are just waiting for the helicopter. Each Dornier 228 will be between $800,000 to $1 million in terms of acquisition and their maintenance.
“We will be raising funds from financiers who have expressed interest in financing the deal,” Malabu noted.
