US airline quits Nigerian route

After almost two years of plying the lucrative Lagos-New York route, US airline North American has quit the route due to high fuel costs .

North American Airlines, which started flying the route in July 2006, operated its last flight from Lagos Sunday night.

Local press reports Monday quoted the airline’s Managing Director, Africa, Mr. Obed Owusu-Kissi, as saying fuel costs had increased by 60 per cent since the airline started off on the route.

The decision by the airlines to quit the route leaves only Delta Air Lines as the only American airline operating on the route.

A number of Nigerian airlines has also been certified to fly the Nigeria-US route under the Open Skies Agreement between the two countries.

The decision by North American Airlines means several passengers on the route will have to resort to flying through Europe, with only Delta Air Lines now the only airline flying direct between Nigeria and the US.

Meanwhile, one of Nigeria’s private airlines – Arik Air – was billed to take delivery of two new Boeing 737-700 Monday.

Officials of the airline are already in Seattle, US, headquarters of Boeing, to take delivery of the new generation planes.

Last year, the airline also took delivery of two new Boeing 737-700, and currently has a total of four new Boeing 737-700 in its growing fleet.

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