The latest entrant into the airline sector, DiscoveryAir Limited, says it plans to improve passengers’ travel experience without compromising safety as it commences flight operations next Monday.
The carrier also said it would slash airfares to attract more people to air travel.
This came barely one week after the carrier was issued Air Operators Certificate by the aviation industry regulator, the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority.
A statement by the airline quoted the Managing Director, DiscoveryAir, Capt. Abdulsalami Mohammed, as saying that air travellers had not been professionally handled in the past by some airlines, adding that with its entry into the market passengers would get value for their money.
Mohammed said he was confident that with it experienced personnel the airline would be able to raise the bar of air travel experience in the country and attract passengers.
According to him, the management will give priority to such issues as timely departure of flights and quality onboard experience.
DiscoveryAir presently has two Boeing 737-300 aircraft in its fleet with a plan to increase the fleet before the end of third quarter.
Mohammed explained that Discovery Airways was set up about a year ago with the aim of providing the Nigerian travellers very good customer service, and to also fill the gap of shortage of commercial aircraft in the country.
He said, “We are not coming into the system just like any other airline. We want to make a difference in the industry. Over the years, I want to categorically say that passengers have not been enjoying value for money, but with our entry into the sub-sector, passengers would experience a difference.
“We want to raise the bar in the industry and make our services be competitive with what we have abroad. Without the passengers, there can never be the airlines.”
Mohammed, who put the average age of Nigerian airlines at five years, gave the assurance that the new airline would remain in the air for several years due to the recruitment of capable hands.
He specifically noted that unlike in Europe and America where there are finance companies that are willing to lease aeroplanes to operators; Nigeria is however seen as a high risk country and operators are therefore forced to pay upfront making them to grapple with limited resources.
