North American to add BWI leg to JFK-LOS

[PhilDernerJr]

NORTH AMERICAN AIRLINES TO LAUNCH SCHEDULED FLIGHTS
LINKING BALTIMORE/WASHINGTON TO LAGOS, NIGERIA


JAMAICA, N.Y. (July 12, 2007) – North American Airlines will launch three weekly scheduled flights linking Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport (BWI) to Lagos, Nigeria beginning Sept. 4, 2007. This new service will operate with one stop at New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport.

“There is significant demand in the Baltimore/Washington, D.C., area for direct flights to Africa, and North American’s Boeing 767-300ER service will greatly reduce flying time between BWI and Lagos,” said Robert Binns, chief marketing officer. “Our departure and arrival times allow for convenient connections to a network of Africa destinations with our marketing partner, Virgin Nigeria. Customers also will appreciate our new Business Class service with all-leather seating and in-flight entertainment, including nine audio and six video channels to choose from.”

North American also serves the Baltimore/Washington area with weekly service to and from Accra, Ghana.

“We are extremely grateful for the support we have received from the Maryland Aviation Administration and the State of Maryland,” Binns said. “We look forward to providing this important link that many customers want between the Baltimore/Washington metropolitan area and Lagos.”

The flight schedule effective Sept. 4 will be:

BWI to Lagos

Depart BWI – 1:00 p.m. Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday
Arrive JFK– 2:30 p.m.
Depart JFK – 4:00 p.m.
Arrive Lagos – 7:45 a.m. Wednesday, Friday, Sunday


Lagos to BWI

Depart Lagos – 11:45 p.m. Sunday, Wednesday, Friday
Arrive JFK – 6:30 a.m. Monday, Thursday, Saturday
Depart JFK – 9:00 a.m.
Arrive BWI – 10:30 a.m. Monday, Thursday, Saturday


Reservations can be made through travel agents or by contacting North American Airlines at 1-800-FLY-NAA2, or online at http://www.flynaa.com.

North American has a 17-year record of financially successful operations offering both charter and scheduled service. Its charter operations serve destinations around the world. North American also has scheduled service to Georgetown, Guyana from JFK. North American is a U.S.-certificated air carrier offering air transportation services throughout the world for the U.S. military and commercial customers. Founded in 1989, North American has 600 employees and operates a fleet of 10 passenger aircraft in charter and scheduled service. For information, visit http://www.flynaa.com

World Air Holdings, Inc., based in Peachtree City, Ga., has three wholly owned subsidiaries, World Airways, Inc., North American Airlines, Inc., and World Risk Solutions, Ltd. For information, visit http://www.worldairholdings.com.

[Matt Molnar]

HOOK ME UP, PHIL!

[Nycfly75]

A good and necessary move I think for them. The NY-Nigeria market is going to get very active in the next year or so. Delta is rumored to be announcing JFK-Lagos by the end of the year (they already have JFK-Accra and ATL-Lagos). Also, while Virgin Nigeria does have the marketing agreement with North American, Virgin Nigeria is very keen on flying their own metal to the US. Next week, the FAA is going to audit the Nigeria's Civil Aviation Authority and its airlines to see if they meet the standards to operate routes to the US. If they pass, Virgin Nigeria (and perhaps Bellview Airlines) will be launching its own flights on their own metal. I dont know what would happen with the agreement with NAA if that happened.

[PhilDernerJr]

The Virgin Nigeria/North American codeshare is a smart move, as well as the continuing leg form NY to BWI. It's a good link-up.

North American is also more used to flying to exotic locales, and I'd be interested to learn how Delta is doing on their ATL-LOS flights, as I know it's very different from what they are used to. NAA is also much more known and trusted in Africa.

NAA recently also added economy class amenity kits to their service, which are really nice and add to the comfort on a flight that is already NAA's bread and butter service.

[T-Bird76]

NAA is also much more known and trusted in Africa.

However the opposite is the case in the U.S. Lagos is an oil city and the ability for Oil Company’s to do business with a carrier with the network expanse that Delta has is far more attractive. NAA is targeting the O&D passenger while Delta is relying on its feeds into Atlanta to fill its flights. LOS I'm sure doesn't go on sale that often so these are probably high yeild flights for Delta.

[Matt Molnar]

JFK-LOS fare comparison!

Depart: December 8th
Return: December 12th

NA (nonstop)
(minimum outbound travel time 11 hours)
Non-refundable economy: $1,015
Refundable economy: $1,410
Business class: $2,035

DL (change planes in ATL)
(minimum outbound travel time 18 hours)
Non-refundable economy: $2,655
Refundable economy: $4,346
Business class: $5,881

[Nycfly75]

Well, thats not really fair.

A) You dont know what booking class both fares are derived from.

B) DL obviously doesn't have a nonstop yet to LOS from JFK.

Clearly, NA has the current advantage from JFK to Nigeria right now.

[tsnamm]

Virgin Nigeria is very keen on flying their own metal to the US. Next week, the FAA is going to audit the Nigeria's Civil Aviation Authority and its airlines to see if they meet the standards to operate routes to the US

I was under the impression that Virgin Nigeria was banned from flying to the US because they (the FAA) considered it a UK company and NOT a Nigerian carrier, Then the Nigerian government retaliated and banned Continental from starting EWR/LOS.

[Nycfly75]

Virgin Nigeria to commence flights to US before December

By Shola Adekola, Lagos



There are strong indications that Virgin Nigeria might commence direct flight operations to the United States before the end of the year. The development became obvious following the presence of the American Aviation Adminstration [FAA], in the country last week to assist the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority in its mock audit. Virgin Nigeria, alongside Arik and Bellview are designated on the profitable New York, Atlanta and Newark routes respectively. Chief Operating Officer of the airline, Dr.Yemi Osindero, had told journalists in Lagos last week that the United States Department of Transport [DOT]has assured of approving the papers of the airline presently before it. He noted that before the eight months of certification process by the US which ends in March,2008,Virgin Nigeria would begin its flight to the country with a wet lease aircraft from a Category one-status country since it has the backing of the DOT.

Osindero lauded the working relationship between the two countries towards the certification exercise for both the airlines and the regulatory body, describing it as good news, coupled with the positive response he said they have got from the DOT on their documentation. He,however explained that the airline represented its papers before the DOT, apart from meeting with the government of Nigeria, adding that the body had assured that the papers would be approved as soon as possible. "The whole thing is a step in the right direction. I am confident that not only the airline, the NCAA will pass the audit test. "We have submitted an amendment of our first application to the DOT, we have had very positive response, they have met with the government of Nigeria and have said we will be approved and that is great news, we are waiting for the official notification of that",he added. "Meanwhile, before the end of the eight months, we can start operations to the U.S., using a wet lease aircraft from a category one status country with Nigerian crew on board, but we will look at the possible date of take-off", he said.

Reacting to the visit by the FAA to Nigeria, Director General of NCAA, Dr. Harold Demuren confirmed his agency’s readiness for the visit saying;“We are ready for the audit. We have done it before. Only last year we went through International Civil Aviation Organization successfully."We are expecting American FAA team in Nigeria for technical assessment between 16 - 20 July",he said. Demuren further affirmed that the full-blown audit would commence and last for 8 months. Our success in this program will determine whether or not Nigeria carriers that have been designated will fly direct to the USA," he added.

[T-Bird76]

Virgin Nigeria to commence flights to US before December

Anyone know what kind of metal they are going to use here?

[Nycfly75]

Well if they wet lease an aircraft to start, perhaps one of NAA's 763s. Virgin Nigeria has 763s now, so perhaps they will try to acquire more for a NYC route.

[NYCMedic]

Well if they wet lease an aircraft to start, perhaps one of NAA's 763s. Virgin Nigeria has 763s now, so perhaps they will try to acquire more for a NYC route.

NAA would never Wet Lease one of our 763s. We are too dependant on our AMC contracts as well as the Sked LOS and ACC svc.

[Nycfly75]

Virgin Nigeria are coming!!!
•North American Airlines B767-300ER
•3x weekly Lagos JFK
•Initial Code share SEP07
–Mixed crews
–Joint livery
•Wet lease operation Summer 08
•Daily Lagos JFK with extension flights to Baltimore and Houston

765 is going to get a new coat of pain it seems Tommy.

http://www.democracy-africa.org/usafric ... IFFORD.pdf

[NYCMedic]

Hey Vin,
I think the Wet Lease for Summer 2008 is indicating that they will code share with NAA for the slow season and when AMC R&R flights peak in the summer they will lease an A/C from another source. I would hope if it was an NAA A/C, they would take 769 off our hands!

[Nycfly75]

NAA is going to have going cash flow the next year it seems..too bad they are going private, I would have put an investment group together 8)