- To start regional flight to Ghana in August
(The Guardian) United Nigeria Airlines says it has entered into a partnership with Sabre Corporation, described as one of the leading global travel technology companies to enable it reach the global marketplace.
With this agreement, the Sabre-connected travel agents worldwide will gain access to the Nigeria-based carrier’s fares and inventory, supporting United Nigeria Airlines’ ambitions for growth across Nigeria and West Africa.
Speaking at the launch in Lagos, Chairman of UNA, Professor Obiora Okonkwo said that following the agreement, United would have over 50,000 Sabre-connected agents in 200 countries who would gain access to the carrier’s fares and inventory.
Okonkwo, who was reported to have spoken at the airline’s office in Lagos, also disclosed that by August 25, United would make its first regional flight to Accra, Ghana. He said: “This agreement supports our growth strategy, enhances our visibility, and enables travel agents globally to seamlessly shop and book our fares. We look forward to welcoming more travellers through this new partnership. What this means is that we have over 50,000 agents in 200 countries with the capacity to buy our tickets. That means we need a lot more seats to serve.
“By this time next year, we would have increased our capacity by over 2,000 per cent. From October to November, we will be adopting a new aircraft, no less than four big-body aircraft. And from February to April next year, we will have six 737-800 engines in our fleet. With this, we will not only be strengthening the local operations in Nigeria, but we will be properly positioned for both our regional, continental and intercontinental flights.
As you may be aware, we have been designated to a whole lot of countries in West Africa, Africa and also globally, within America and the United Kingdom. In response to this, we have fixed August 25 for our first regional flight to Accra, Ghana. We know this will be very challenging, but we are not giving up.”
Vice President, Airline Distribution, EMEA, Sabre, Alessandro Ciancimino was also quoted to have said: “At Sabre, we are committed to helping carriers of all sizes scale efficiently and better serve the needs of today’s travellers.