United Nigeria Airline, one of the new entrants into the domestic aviation space, has airlifted over 260,000 passengers in its first year of operation.
The airline marks one year in the industry, having started operations in February last year using Enugu Airport as its hub. The carrier also plans to spread its tentacles to the regional markets in the next few months.
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The Chairman/CEO of the airline, Chief Obiora Okonkwo, who disclosed this at a briefing to mark the one-year anniversary of the airline, disclosed that expansion in their operation is targeting Benin, Kano, Jigawa and Yola.
The airline’s inaugural flight departed Murtala Muhammad International Airport Lagos to Akanu Ibiam International, Enugu on February 12, 2021.
One year later, the airline said it has come to stay, as it increased its fleet from an initial four EMB 145s to five with the addition of an A320.
Okonkwo stated that the 260,000 passengers’ figure represents 75 per cent of their total capacity.
According to the CEO, the airline opened the Owerri and Port Harcourt wings and in May, responded to demand by creating additional flights to Lagos and Abuja.
“We hit Yenagoa in July, becoming the only airline operating into Bayelsa International Airport. We further responded to high demand on the Owerri, Asaba and Enugu routes by creating additional flights to those airports in November and in December, we started flying into the newly built Anambra Cargo Airport at Umueri.
“Through this, we have created over 500 direct jobs and more than a thousand indirect jobs.
“We are now in the process of expanding our domestic operations to reach, in the next few weeks, Benin, Kano, Jigawa and Yola,” he said.
