Medview Airline to Begin Direct Flights to London

Medview Airline, one of the fastest growing domestic airlines, will on November 20, 2015, begin direct flight services to London from Lagos.
By this development, Medview has joined Arik Air as indigenous airlines that now operate the lucrative London route, which had been dominated by British Airways and Virgin Atlantic Airways, UK carriers that for years introduced exploitative fares, which in comparative terms, are the highest in West Africa.

With two Nigerian airlines operating to London, it is hoped that fares to Europe’s busiest city would crash in coming months.

The airline’s managing director, Muneer Bankole, said at news conference in Lagos that the flight fare will start with N149,000 (Economy) and N599,000 (Business class) with a 32kg (2-piece) baggage allowance for economy and a 32kg (3-piece) baggage allowance for Business class.

He said the airline has also secured slots at Gatwick Southern Terminal in London with additional services such as Limousine service for Business class travelers and bus connections to Victoria station and various points in central, south and East London.
“The Lagos-London route has remained one of the busiest in the world yet remained the most expensive, it is against this backdrop that Medview airline is entering the route as a Nigerian flag carrier to supply the missing link- capacity, reasonable fares, good customer care ad excellent in-flight entertainment.

“Our introductory fare on Economy is as low as N149,000, in addition, African/continental meals will be served on board with a variety of music and films to compliment, the B767 aircraft has been configured in 30 Business class and 191 Economy cabin. We are starting with four weekly flights on Sundays, Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays”, he said.

Bankole, who disclosed that Medview has entered into partnership with Ethiopian airline and Boeing on maintenance of its aircraft, said the airline would operate from the second busiest airport in London, Gatwick. He added that it would by the first quarter of 2016, attain its International Operational Safety Audit (IOSA), a benchmark for global safety management in the airline industry.

Bankole said since it started operation Medview has trained many personnel as pilots, engineers and others and because of the airline’s commitment to manpower development, Medview has provided pilots, engineers and others to other airlines in the country; this Bankole said, makes him happy for that invaluable contribution to the development of air transport in the country.

Also speaking at the event, media consultant and CEO of Belujane Konsult, Chris Aligbe said Medview operations to London would crash the fares on that route, noting that Nigerians have always been cheated there has not been reasonable competition on that route.

“If you check what a passenger pays for one kilometer in other countries in West Africa and other sub-regions in the continent and compare it to what Nigerians pay to international carriers you will realise that we have always been cheated,” Aligbe said.

Credit: This Day Live