Green Africa Airways Commences First Commercial Flight After Years-Long Delay

Green Africa Airways operated its first scheduled commercial flight on Thursday, 12 August 2021, with an ATR 72-600 aircraft departing Lagos and touching down at Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, marking the official launch of Nigeria's newest low-cost carrier after more than two years of delay.

The airline received its Air Operator's Certificate from the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority earlier in the week, clearing the final regulatory hurdle after a launch date originally set for June 2021 was pushed back due to the certification process. Green Africa had first been expected to commence operations as early as 2019.

A Long Road to Launch

Founded in 2015 by Babawande Afolabi, Green Africa Airways positioned itself from the outset as a low-cost carrier aiming to make air travel more affordable and accessible across Nigeria and the wider region. The airline's path to launch was unusually long even by the standards of Nigeria's aviation sector, having initially targeted a 2019 start before repeated delays tied to aircraft delivery, financing, and certification pushed the timeline back by more than two years.

An airline spokesperson said the wait had allowed Green Africa to build a more robust operational foundation, and that customers who had booked earlier flights before the delays would have their bookings honoured on the new schedule.

Initial Network and Fleet

Green Africa's initial route network from its Lagos base is expected to expand in the following weeks to include Akure, Ilorin, Owerri, Port Harcourt, and Enugu, using a small fleet of ATR 72-600 turboprops suited to Nigeria's shorter domestic routes. The carrier has previously signalled ambitions to grow its fleet substantially over the following two years as it establishes its network.

Industry observers say Green Africa's entry adds a further low-cost option to a domestic market historically dominated by a handful of larger carriers, at a time when the sector is still working through the effects of pandemic-related disruption to passenger demand.