United Nigeria Airlines carries over 260,000 passengers, creates over 500 direct jobs in 1year of operations

Photo Caption:
From left: Director Administration, United Nigeria Airlines (UNA), Mr. Linus Awute, Chairman/CEO, UNA, Dr. Obiora Okonkwo and Chief Operation Officer, UNA, Mazi Osita Okonkwo, during the Press
Conference on the Forth coming 1st Anniversary Celebration by UNA, at the LAAC Press
Centre in Lagos on Wednesday, 9/06/2022.

The Chiarman/Chief Executive Officer of United Nigeria Airlines, Dr Obiorah Okonkwo has disclosed that the airline has carried over 260,000 passengers to their destinations safely by operating 40 daily flights, created over 500 direct jobs and more than a thousand indirect jobs in one year of its operation in Nigeria.

Speaking during a press conference at the League of Airport and Aviation Correspondent, LAAC Secretariat at the Murtala Muhammed airport, Ikeja, Lagos on Wednesday to celebrate one year of its flight operations, Dr Obiorah said the airline is now in the process of expanding its domestic operations to reach, in the next few weeks, Benin, Kano, Jigawa and Yola.

He said the airline has trained young men and women who were coming into the industry for the first time in area of aircraft miantenence, cabin crew and others.

United Nigeria boss noted that the routes are part of its immediate expansion programme to ensure that none of its aircraft remains on ground.

Dr. Obiorah who stressed the need for good customer relationship, stated that the safety and security of Airport personnel should be priority at all times.

He frowned at the situation where passengers will result to violence on the airline officials on the issue of flight delays and cancellations.

United Nigerian Airlines boss called for a better understanding by the passengers and sensitisatio on th issue of flight delays, saying that flight delays in most cases are in the interest of passenger to take them safely to their destination.

Obiorah explained that the delay sometimes maybe wheather related, poor airport infrastructure slowing facilitation process, and aircraft developing fault among others.

He stated that since the aviation industry is a source of revenue to the government, it requires special attention and special funding.

He said the airlines need to be protected from failing since they provide job opportunitie and revenue to the government.

Obiorah stated that the airline is planning that within the next 12 months to double the number of its fleets with larger passenger capacity aircraft.

He said: “This is because it was our strategic plan to start with smaller body aircraft with 50 passenger capacity to develop and strengthen our operations. Having achieved that, we are now ready to introduce bigger body aircraft as add-ons. Hopefully, we will add two aircraf every quarter till the end of the year. That will give us the opportunity to expand our operations even beyond our borders.. “With the expansion of our fleets comes the extension of our operations into the West Coast region and then, obviously, continental. This also comes with the strengthening of our staff strength and our capacity in the area of human power”.

United Airlines boss stated further that: “The past one year has been for us, an eye opener. It has brought us to real terms with the delicate processes of managing an airline in Nigeria. While Nigeria may be a peculiar case, we reckon that airline operations in our great country comes with challenges that we believe, are systematically tailored towards Nigeria. I can assure you that while it has not been a roller-coaster journey, it has however been a worthy experience.
Last year when we met, we shared our expectations with you and told you that God willing, we have joined the industry to stay. Today, I can affirm that we are here for the long haul. Starting off on February 12, 2021, amidst Covid-19 disruptions, with inaugural and commercial flight operations to Enugu and Lagos from Abuja, we have today expanded our operations to reach Owerri, Port Harcourt, Asaba, Yenagoa and lately, Osubi in Warri and Anambra airports.
“It is on record that on 12th of February, 2021, our first flight took to the air within 24 hours of the final approval with our AOC (Air Operator Certificate). Also, within six hours of opening the flight, we had almost 90 percent passenger load. We have enjoyed our customer client patronage and confidence ever since then.
It has been a year that has seen whole lot of challenges, no doubt. But beyond all those, we have seen great achievements in our strategic plan, our expansion plan, our growth plan. We had opened new locations. We have also increased our fleet from an initial 4 Embraer 145 aircraft to include one Airbus A320”.