It was Air Peace, Nigeria’s new bird of choice, that landed me and four of my COSON colleagues at Ibom International Airport, Uyo last Sunday as an unforgettable week-long experience began.
As the Boeing 737 negotiated the skies and avoided the thick clouds, I could not but wonder how quickly Arik Air and Aero have ceded the skies to Air Peace. Air Peace is clearly the new hit song in town.
It makes you wonder what they are doing right at Air Peace that the others have got wrong. Then, you ask yourself how long the present state of affairs will last remember that until recently, you did not go anywhere in Nigeria except by Arik Air. Before that, it was Aero or Virgin Nigeria. Dana is back but for how long?
Nigerian skies have become a notorious burial ground of many a dream or ambition. Practically everyone who has tried to run an airline in Nigeria has had his fingers badly burnt.
The Igbinedions have a thriving university. For many years, they had a very successful car dealership. The Esema of Benin has done very well in real estate. For many years Igbinedion’s Okada Air was the way to get around in Nigeria.
These days, when you mention Okada, your mind goes to the two-wheeled vehicle driving everyone crazy all over Nigeria. I am sure many do not know that the ubiquitous commercial motorbike borrowed its name from Igbinedion’s dead airline.
Captain Okon appeared to have assembled some of Nigeria’s top notch professionals in the airline business to start the celebrated carrier, ADC Airlines. I was so intrigued by the efficiency of ADC that when I wanted a savvy airline to operate the ‘Soul Flights’ taking Nigeria’s top glitterati to the first Nigerian Music Awards in Abuja, the choice was clear: ADC!
Okon and co ran those 12 historic chatter flights with red carpet boarding, choice hostesses, sizzling delicacies and live entertainment like clockwork.
On board were the likes of Ikemba Odimegwu Ojukwu and Bianca, Justice Chukwudifu Oputa and wife, Sir Victor Uwaifo, King Sunny Ade, Chief Commander Ebenezer Obey and everyone that was a true star in Nigeria.
Two horrendous crashes after and ADC became history.
It was the same route that Bellview which for a period was Nigeria’s preferred airline took to its entry into the history books of Nigeria’s dead airlines. Sosoliso went the same way after a big crash.
Buba Marwa was reputed to be a wiz kid as Lagos State Governor. When he went into the airline business with his Albarika Air, it did not take long for the bubble to burst and Albarika to disappear from the skies.
Marwa’s senior in the military, former governor of Imo State, former External Affairs Minister, former Labour and Employment Minister, former Senator, Ike Omar Sanda Nwachukwu suffered the same fate with his Zenith Air.
Do not for one minute think that the disastrous history of airlines in Nigeria is a military thing.
Do you remember Iwuanyanwu’s Oriental Airlines or Abiola’s Concorde Airline. Not even the internationally acclaimed business guru, Richard Branson could make Virgin Nigeria fly for long. The story of Nigeria Airways, the dead national carrier is a story better not told.
For a long time, everyone was sure that the Chanchangi family knew what no one else knew about how to make an airline continue to fly in Nigeria.
I actually became friends to the Chanchangi boys. They operated two big charters for me with respect to the Soul Flights to the NMA in Abuja in 2007 and Owerri in 2008. That got me a free business class ticket on any Chanchangi flight anywhere in Nigeria for quite a while.
Unfortunately, that luxury is gone. Chanchangi does not go anywhere any more. Neither does its brother, Kabo Air.
I will be flying Air Peace again today as I have done consistently in the last several months. I like their work ethic. I like their attempt to be on time. They also have some good girls in the sky!
But then I remember that I liked ADC and Bellview and Aero and a few others.
Then I ask whether Air Peace will still be there this time next year and the year after.
For how long will this current hit song continue to rule the airwaves? Put simply, are Nigerian airlines jinxed?
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