Abuja – Azman Air Services Limited, based in Kano, has acquired five new aircraft to enable the airline expand its flight operations within and outside the country.
The President/Founder of the company, Dr Abdulmunaf Sarina, made the disclosure in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Monday.
He said that the aircraft were two B737, two 777-300 and a cargo plane which arrived at Aminu Kano International Airport Kano on Nov. 23.
Sarina said that the remaining aircraft were expected to be brought into the country soon.
He explained that with the arrival of the new aircraft, the airline would be able to expand its operations to other local routes, such as Port Harcourt and Asaba.
According to him, the expansion will enable the airline to begin international operations and contribute to the development of the country’s aviation industry.
“We acquired five more aircraft recently out of which one arrived at Aminu Kano International Airport, Kano, on Monday because that is our base.
“We currently have four B737-300 aircraft, one cargo aircraft which is 737-400 and there are two 777-300 that are coming which we are going to operate on international routes.
“When they arrive, we will put them on the international route after all the necessary documentations are done,’’ he said.
The Azman boss disclosed that the airline currently operated Kano-Abuja , Kano-Lagos, Kano-Yola, Kano-Kaduna and Kano-Sokoto routes.
He explained that the focus of the company currently was to stabilise its operations and provide jobs for unemployed Nigerians.
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Sarina said that the airline began operation on May 15, 2014, with two B737 aircraft after securing the Air Operator Certificate from the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority.
“Our mission is to see that we bring in more aircraft to our country and make our contributions to the economy in terms of job creation,’’ he said.
Sarina said that aside the airline business, the company was a major player in the road transport sector with over 300 trucks on Nigerian roads for about 30 years.
He appealed to the Federal Government to put the roads in good shape in order to reduce frequent accidents and losses for the operators.
“We are incurring a lot of losses because when you load and put the trucks on bad roads and get involved in accident, the impact will not be on the vehicle owner alone.
“It can involve a third party and once it involves a third party, all the claims will be on the vehicle owner.
“Our road transport sector can be as good as what is obtained in other countries if our roads are put in good condition,’’ he said. (NAN)