The planned commencement of flights this Thursday by Green Africa Airways, a new local airline, has been shifted to August.
This came after the airline had already sold tickets, offering the cheapest fare of N16,500 on various routes.
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Many air travellers, it was learnt, rushed to purchase the ticket ahead of the commencement of flights by the airline.
Many passengers expressed shock over this. “I booked their flight for my brother who is to return to Lagos in two weeks, and now they have moved it till August. This is somebody who is going back to school, and they didn’t even offer to refund my N23,000,” a passenger said.
Daily Trust learnt that the Air Operator’s Certificate (AOC), the major document needed by the airline to commence operation, was not ready before it started ticket sales on May 25.
“The NCAA is not ready to waive any aspect of the AOC, and all the five stages must be completed by any new airline. This is why we initially expressed reservation over the sale of tickets by the airline.
“The truth is, because of the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently very busy revalidating the AOC of some airlines which were extended due to the pandemic, and many demo flights are ongoing and we cannot attend to all the airlines at the same time,” a source revealed.
Founder and CEO of Green Africa, Babawande Afolabi, said, “This is certainly a bump in the road, and we are mindful of the impact, especially on our customers and other stakeholders.
