…..Low-cost, cheap and cheerful approach aimed at business travelers
A new airline, JetWest, is set to begin operation in the Nigerian aviation industry. The airline, founded by a Nigerian entrepreneur, Dikko Nwachukwu, is being cleared for take-off and is billed to begin operation in December.
Speaking about the plan, Mr. Nwachukwu said the guiding vision for JetWest is to make air travel accessible for more people.
“We are about democratizing the skies,” he said JetWest plans to launch this year with 100 employees and a fleet of three Airbus A320 jets flying local routes in Nigeria. It aims to project a fresh and vibrant image, adding that the company’s social media accounts are already trailing colorful cocktails and memes ahead of launch, aimed at youthful, savvy consumers.
The Nigerian aviation industry has suffered a prolonged spell of economic turbulence. “Nigeria looks like a low-cost operator’s dream with massive population density,” Ivan Nadalet, vice president at industry analysts’ CH Aviation disclosed “But Nigeria is a very difficult operating environment… the economy has collapsed and there is no foreign exchange, so it is very difficult to get revenue out of the country for leases.”
Mr. Nadalet added that JetWest may struggle to secure access to the airspace of neighboring countries, where governments might fear competition that undercuts their own fleets.
