Africa World Airlines Targeting To Dominate Africa

Africa World Airlines (AWA) is to increase its offering on its regional and domestic routes this year as it scales-up its operations.

The Accra-based airline, which currently operates regional flights to Lagos, Nigeria is looking to bring in more equipment and increase its offering to the populous West African country.

Captain Samuel Thompson, Chief Operations Officer (COO) of AWA told the B&FT that: “We intend to increase our frequencies to our destinations that are good. We intend to maintain a regular three or more flight to Lagos a day, increase our frequency to Kumasi and Tamale.”

AWA in December 2013 started servicing the Murtala Mohammed Airport in Lagos and has sustained the service over the past four years to the admiration of patrons; on a route also serviced by Arik, Aero and Med-view.

“We have cemented our presence on the Nigerian market. We are going to increase our frequency to the Nigerian market and we want to set the bar so high that anybody coming in will find it difficult,” Captain Thompson noted.

To see-off competition, AWA is to take delivery of two more aircraft by the end of this month to augment its fleet for the competition ahead.

“We will develop new routes with the Embraer 145 that we have. We have three now and we are bringing in two by the end of January and then in the middle of the year, we will bring in a bigger airplane. It will definitely be a bigger aeroplane with two classes.

People try to buy all this modern airplanes but you have to look at the market and look at what you want to do. Because you might get a bigger aeroplane that takes 200 people but you are always filling that with 100 people. In that case, your numbers will not look right. We have done a good study and we think we will bring the right aeroplane for what we want to do. But once we bring a medium-sized aeroplane and we think the market is growing, then we will bring a bigger one.

Africa World Airlines was incorporated on November 15, 2010 as a joint-venture between HNA Group (China) — parent company of Hainan Airlines, the only Skytrax rated five-star airline in China, founded in 1993; SAS Finance Group (Ghana); China-Africa Development Fund (CAD-Fund, China); and the Social Security and National Insurance (SSNIT).

Nigerian Airlines Record 5,399 Flights

The eight domestic airlines currently operating in Nigerian airspace recorded 5,399 flights, with 3,029 of the flights between January and March 2016 delayed and 120 cancelled.

The 5,399 flights bore a total of 714,137 passengers broken into 346, 579 inbound passengers and 367, 558 outbound passengers.

The figures were contained in a summary reports of complaints received against international and domestic airlines for the month of January, February and March 2016, as documented by the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA).

For the period under review, a total number of 1,282 flights operated on international routes with total number of inbound passengers recorded by the 35 international carriers standing at 221,136 and 242, 711 outbound passengers.

Understandably, Arik Air recorded the highest number of local flights.

The airline operated 1, 779 flight in the month of February 2016; 866 flights delayed; 28 cancelled flights. The company had a total number 98, 010 total number of inbound passengers and 102, 103 outbound passengers.

For the month of January, a total of 1, 282 flights were operated by 35 airlines on international roiutes. The airlines are Aero, African World, Air Cote d'Ivoire, Air France, Alitalia, Altas Air, Arik, ASKY, British Airways, Camair-Co, Cronos Air, Dana, Delta Air, Egypt Air, Emirates, Ethiopian Air, Etihad, Gambia Bird, Iberia, Kenya Airways.

Others are KLM, Lufthansa, Max Air, Medview, Middle East Airlines, Qatar, Royal Air Maroc, Royal Jordan, Rwandair, Saudi Air, Sudan Air, South African Airways, Turkish Air, United and Virgin Atlantic Airways.

The report shows that Nigeria's flag carrier airline, Arik Air expectedly tops the chart with 205 flights, 96 delays, three cancelled flights, 27, 791 total number of inbound passengers, 33, 055 number of outbound passengers, 28 unresolved complaints and compensation.

French carrier, Air France ranks highest with the highest number of pilferage and discourtesy. A total of 104 cases involving passengers luggage pilfered were reported and documented.

The French carrier 81 flights in January, 31 delayed flights, no cancelled flights with 133 unresolved complaints and inability to compensate travellers.

The airline had a total number of 17, 294 inbound passengers, 18, 197 outbound passengers and 361 missing baggage found.

Dubai based Emirates Airlines has the highest number of inbound and outbound passengers.

The airline recorded 35, 774 inbound passengers and 36, 627 total number of outbound passengers, making the airline the highest revenue earner to Nigeria, followed by British Airways.

For the month under review, all the international airlines operated 1, 251.

They recorded 489 delays, eight cancellations, 571 missing baggage, 275 pilferage, 1, 23, 572 inbound passengers and 138, 855 outbound passengers.

On domestic route, Aero Contractors operated 840 flights in February.

The airline recorded 557 delays, 28 cancelled flights, 56, 186 total number of inbound passengers and 60, 227 outbound passengers.

For March 2016, a total number of 1, 508 flights operated on international routes while 4, 892 flights operated on domestic routes.