NIGERIA: What To Know About The Start-up ‘Green Africa’

One of the new emerging carrier in Nigeria, Green Africa Airways LTD, is a start-up airline based in Lagos, Nigeria, it was founded since the year 2015 by Babwande Afolabi.

The carrier at its early stage of operation intends to serve the Nations domestic route before taking the step of expansion to other African country.

The airline in 2018 announced its intention to acquire 50 Boeing 737 Max and extra 50 small body aircraft which was recorded to be the largest orderBoeing had ever received from an African airline and it is valued 811.7 billion as at the time of order.

However, the airline later sent a letter of withdrawal to Boeing and opted for 50 Airbus A220-300s with deliveries expected to start from this year 2021.

In 2018 Green Africa set up is management team which consist of Jag Singgh as Chief Operating Officer(COO), Barts Roberts as Review Board Chairman and the CEO/ Founder as Babwande Afolabin, who was a former investment banker for Morgan Staly.

In 2020 Green Africa announced the recruitment of 100 personnel consisting of 30 pilots, 30 engineers and 40 cabin crew, this was in preparation to commerce flight operation from the economic capital of the nation, Lagos. Before the end of 2020 but plans were put on hold due the COVID-19 pandemic.

Again the airline had plans to launch and commence operation within the first quater of 2021 but at the moment processing its acquisition of Air Operator’s Certificate(AOC) and delivery of aircrafts to commerce operation.

The Green Africa is taking three ATRs through an agreement with ACIA Aero Leasing, which is part of Mauritius-based ACIA Aero Capital and has leasing offices in several countries including Ireland and France.

Recently, the Nigerian start-up carrier Green Africa Airways received its first aircraft, an ATR 72-600, at its base in the city of Lagos.

The newly delivered aircraft arrived at Lagos Murtala Muhammed airport on 23 April bearing the temporary South African registration ZS-XZD.

Green Africa says a second former Azul aircraft (5N-GAA) and a third ATR, to be registered 5N-GAD, have also undergone painting and that the Nigerian carrier is on the “final lap” of the AOC process. This will include demonstration flights on the network.

According to the airlines CEO Babawande Afolabi, “Arrival of our first aircraft is a precursor to the completion of our AOC process,” he says. “Very soon, customers from across Nigeria will be able to make bookings on our website and take their first flight with Green Africa.”

The carrier again, last week took another delivery of its ATR 72 -600 aircraft as part of preparations for the issuance of its Air Operators’ Certificate (AOC) by the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) and commencement of its demonstration flight.

Senior Manager, Marketing and Communications of the Lagos-based value carrier, Oyinade Osobajo, said the airplane was the first of three leased from ACIA Aero Leasing.

While the Chief Executive Officer of ACIA Aero Leasing, Mick Mooney, said: “Whilst the industry is going through a period of significant disruption, there are a few carriers with a strategic roadmap, such as Green Africa, that are looking to provide effective solutions that the current market opportunity brings. We at ACIA are pleased to provide Green Africa with the first set of aircraft to launch its commercial operations, starting with Nigeria and eventually, the broader African continent.”

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