The management of Dana Air has disclosed its plans to increase its fleet of aircraft from the present five to seven, stressing that it has applied to the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, NCAA, to commence regional flight operations soon. Disclosing this in Lagos on Monday, at the Murtala Mohammed airport Two, MMA2, during the flag-off ceremony of its Abuja-Uyo-Calabar route, the Head, Corporate Communications, Mr. Tony Usidamen said that the airline would increase the fleet by December. He said talks were already ongoing with Boeing Aircraft Manufacturer on the possibility of acquiring Boeing 733-500 to add to its fleet. Usidamen stated that when the expected aircraft arrive, it plans to begin operations into other domestic and regional routes, He noted that one of the airline’s major priorities was to offer quality services to the clients. Usidamen emphasised that there are several routes still waiting to be adequately served by domestic airline operators and informed that the airline would not hesitate to fly to such routes in the future. He disclosed further that the airline would commence either Enugu or Owerri airport by December. Usidamen, said the Calabar-Uyo-Abuja flight would depart Calabar to Abuja via Uyo early morning and hoped to commence direct daily operations to the routes from Lagos very soon. Commenting on high airfares, he said, “It has to do with cost of production and there are several promos now. We need to lobby government and corporate communications to make fares affordable. We need to have more people flying. This is a country of 150 million people and we only have five million flying. We need to have at least 10 per cent, which is about 15 million. Aircraft operations are dictated by operating cost, which include fuel burn and competitiveness. On competitiveness, we have our own target market just like other airlines and I want to say it here that we are not afraid of competition. Our service is second to none in the local scene.” Usidamen called on the Federal Government to intervene in the high price of aviation fuel, while he lamented is gulping between 30 to 40 per cent of local airlines’ costs. While commending the government for the removal of Customs duties on imported aircraft and spare parts which he said would go a long way in improving its operations, Usidamen called for the establishment of Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul, MRO, facilities in the country by the government, saying that the cost of carrying out checks outside the shores of the Nigeria was having a major effect on the performance of the local carriers.
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