Nigeria’s Overland Airways is using its new Embraer 175s to return to the international market for the first time in almost five years.
The regional airline has taken two of the small narrowbody jets into its inventory since September 2023 and plans to acquire up to six as it seeks to expand its network throughout West Africa.
It reopened its first international route on December 19 from Nigeria’s commercial center, Lagos, to Banjul in The Gambia, via a stop in Freetown, Sierra Leone. Overland has been granted fifth-freedom rights to pick up passengers in Freetown for transport to Banjul.
Overland, Nigeria’s oldest privately owned airline, plans initially to operate the route three times weekly. It halted international services during the pandemic and until now has focused on a domestic network of nine points.
Overland operates the E175 in a two-class, 88-seat layout.
Local media in Freetown reported Overland’s MD/CEO, Edward Boyo as saying Overland intended not only to provide an air service but aimed to dispense with the rules and regulations that continue to plague much African intra-continental air traffic and make it easier for people to travel across the continent.
In time, Overland plans to expand its West African route network to include countries such as Liberia, Guinea Bissau, Guinea, Senegal, Ghana and Ivory Coast.
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