NIGERIA: Kabo Air

Kabo Air is an airline headquartered in Kano, Kano State, Nigeria. It originally operated special charter services for corporate bodies, executives and government officials. However, in 2009 the airline received approval to start international scheduled services. The airline operated scheduled flights from Kano to Abuja, Dubai and Jeddah for a short period. Its main base is Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport.

The airline was established in February 1980 by Dr. Alhaji Muhammadu Adamu Dankabo and started operations in April 1981.It is wholly owned by Kabo Holdings. The company stopped operating domestic services in 2001. They focus solely on Hajj flights and international charters. Traffic rights were given to Kabo Air for operating scheduled services to Rome, Nairobi and N'Djamena, but have not been used. For some time there were flights to Cairo. EI-ASJ and EI-ASI, two Aer Lingus 747-100, were bought by the airline.

Kabo Air met the requirements set by the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) for re-capitalization in May 2007.

Kabo Air operates no scheduled operations as of November 2011.

The Kabo Air fleet consists of the following aircraft :

- Boeing 747–200 2

- Boeing 747–400 2

Kabo Air has had the following incidents and accidents:

- On 6 August 1986, a Sud Aviation SE-210 Caravelle III overran the runway at Calabar Airport, Nigeria. Passengers and crew survived but the aircraft was written off.

- On 16 September 1991, a BAC 1-11 landed at Port Harcourt Airport, Nigeria without lowering its gear. All passengers and crew survived but the aircraft was written off.

- In 1992, a 707 made an emergency landing in Istres Air Base following a fire caused by overloading.
- On 23 August 1992, a BAC 1–11 overran the runway at Sokoto Airport, Nigeria. None of the 53 passengers and 4 crew were killed but the aircraft was written off.

- On 12 January 2010, a Middle East Airlines Airbus A330 collided with a parked Kabo Air Boeing 747 while taxiing to its arrival gate at Kano International Airport, Nigeria; none of the passengers or crew were injured. The Boeing 747 left wing and main fuel tank were badly damaged and the right wing of the Airbus A330 was damaged. Officials believe the accident could have been avoided if there was more ground lighting to help the pilots of the Airbus A330 to see.

- On 4 October 2013, a Boeing 747-200 registration 5N-JRM performing Hajj flight NR-1245 from Kano to Sokoto (Nigeria) and on to Jeddah (Saudi Arabia) with 494 passengers and 18 crew, was cleared to land on Sokoto's runway 08 but landed on the opposite runway 26 at about 21:00L. The aircraft hit the localizer antenna for runway 08, touched down and rolled out coming to a stop with a number of body gear tires burst. No injuries occurred, the aircraft sustained minor damage.