FG approves United Nigeria Airlines for US, Canada, Dubai and other international routes
By Aboki Forex —
The Federal Government has approved United Nigeria Airlines to operate between four and five new international routes. These include New York, Canada, and Dubai.
The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, announced the approval on Thursday in Lagos. He said the move is part of a broader strategy to boost the share of Nigerian carriers in the international air travel market.
Keyamo stated that Nigerian airlines currently carry only a small fraction of outbound passengers. Foreign airlines dominate about 90% to 95% of the traffic. The government wants to reverse this through policy reforms and new route allocations.
“We are giving United about four or five routes now. We are giving them New York. We are giving them Canada. We are giving them Dubai. We are giving them some very fruitful routes now,” Keyamo said.
The airline also unveiled two newly acquired Boeing 737-800NG aircraft during the event in Lagos. The aircraft are part of efforts to improve operational capacity for long-haul services.
Keyamo added that President Bola Tinubu has approved the creation of a Nigerian aircraft leasing company. This will help domestic carriers access modern aircraft and reduce delays, cancellations, and operational pressure.
The approvals are based on bilateral air service agreements. Nigerian airlines are entitled to reciprocal international routes but have not fully used these opportunities in the past.