Etihad makes a second bid for Nigeria route

Etihad Airways yesterday said it is planning to launch services to the Nigerian city of Lagos starting July 1, subject to regulatory approvals. The move will be the Abu Dhabi carrier's second attempt to launch operations to Nigeria. Etihad Airways was initially scheduled to start operations to Lagos in March 2009 with four services a week, as the carrier had announced in August 2008. But it failed to do so. The airline's intention at the time was to launch "triangular" flights between Abu Dhabi, Lagos and Abuja, as it stated in a news release it issued in August 2008. In yesterday's statement, however, Etihad said it would operate direct flights to Lagos six times a week, marking the airline's first destination in West Africa. Article continues below It also stated that Lagos will become the airline's 83rd destination in its global network and that the return flights will create a new link between Nigeria, Africa's third largest economy, and the UAE. "The Lagos schedule will provide seamless connections over Abu Dhabi to key North and Southeast Asian destinations and markets in the Indian Subcontinent and Australia," James Hogan, Etihad Airways President and Chief Executive Officer, said in a statement. Hogan also stated that the UAE is a major trade partner of Nigeria. "The country is rich in natural resources, such as oil and natural gas. Our new point-to-point services will strengthen the oil and gas links between the UAE and Nigeria and facilitate further growth in these industries," he added. "The country is also enjoying strong economic growth driven by significant foreign investment, particularly from China, which means there is increasing demand for travel between Lagos and other emerging economies." The Lagos route launch follows the carrier's launch of services to the Seychelles last November and Tripoli last month.