Chanchangi Airlines Nigeria Limited is set to return to the country’s airspace, having been re-issued with an air transport license, ATL by the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, NCAA.
The Director General of NCAA, Captain Musa Nuhu, who disclosed this, said the Kaduna based airline was preparing a comeback, and they want to use Avions de Transport Régional (turboprops).
He said, “They are planning to come back, nine years after ceasing operations, because the demand is there.”.
Captain Nuhu gave the hint while explaining the high demand for air travels in the country.
The Nigerian carrier, which the NCAA grounded in October 2013, was granted an ATL by the NCAA on April 22, 2021, valid for five years until April 22, 2026.
It entitles the airline to operate domestic and international scheduled and non-scheduled passenger and cargo air services.
Chanchangi was forced to suspend its services after the NCAA grounded all airlines that only operated with one aircraft in the wake of an Associated Aviation (SCD, Lagos) crash in September that year.
At that time, Chanchangi had three aircraft – two B737-300s and one B737-500 – but two aircraft had been in maintenance.
Capt Nuhu equally observed a new trend in airline operations where operators are now shifting to smaller aircraft against the bigger ones.
The DG said: “You mentioned the issue of not using the right fleet. Yes but with the new trend I see people going for Embraer, CRJ, ATR42.
“So there is a paradigm shift. People are beginning to realise you can’t use 737 for short flights.
“I can see Air Peace had got an E2195, he is gotten two and he said on the long term, he is going to replace all its 737.
“United Nigeria is also using Embraer 145, and Green Africa is using ATR 42, 72.
“There is one that has started processing its documents, he wants to use Embraer 145. The thinking is changing because this 737 business is not working for us.
It is going to take a while. The economics is forcing the change. It is a positive change in the industry.”
Confidence Okwuchi
