Overland Airways, Nigeria’s longest-serving private domestic airline, has boosted its industry feats with a successful inaugural flight to Freetown in Sierra Leone.
The regional feat on Thursday December 19, 2024, saw the airline landing in Freetown International Airport (FIA), Sierra Leone, amid traditional water cannon salute from the airport fire service.
The inaugural flight from the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos, the base of Overland Airways, was made with Embraer 175, the airline’s brand-new aircraft, and it marked the commencement of three weekly flights on the Lagos-Freetown-Lagos (LOS-FNA-LOS) route, while offering connectivity with greater convenience to travellers and making Lagos closer to Sierra Leone.
On ground to welcome the airline executives, flight crew and passengers were top officials of the Sierra Leonean government, including; Fanday Turay, Minister of Transport and Aviation (represented), Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Transport and Aviation; Frank Azueke, Nigerian Ambassador to Sierra Leone; Musayeroh Barrie, director-general, Sierra Leone Civil Aviation Authority (SLCAA), among others.
Speaking during a welcome ceremony organised by Sierra Leone Civil Aviation Authority at the airport, Edward Boyo, a captain and CEO, Overland Airways, commended the government of Sierra Leone for creating an enabling environment for the aviation industry, which has enabled his airline to start the route.
According to him, the African aviation industry needs brave directors general like Barrie of Sierra Leone to open up the airspace and the country.
Such moves, he noted, would boost the industry by reducing taxes, encouraging healthy competition and reducing airfares in the region.
The excited Boyo, who described the inaugural flight as a huge success, said that Overland would ride on the success to run three frequencies weekly with plans to increase frequencies to daily in the coming months.
Also riding on the success of the Freetown flight, Boyo announced that Overland Airways would commence services to Banjul in The Gambia on Saturday, December 21, 2024.
The feat is worth celebrating as Overland Airways made history as the first Nigerian airline to commence services to two regional routes within 48 hours.
Beyond Freetown and Banjul, Overland plans to connect Liberia, Togo, Benin Republic and Ghana in 2024, with other African countries following.
“We are connecting West Africa in 2025, starting with the Manu River region so that people from Sierra Leone can go to Banjul, Monrovia and other places.
“From there, we will take Ghana, Ivory Coast, Cotonou (Benin Republic) and Lome (Togo),” Boyo said, while promising to boost human capital resources in the host community through training.
On her part, Musayeroh Barrie, director-general, SLCAA commended the Boyo-led airline for believing in Sierra Leone and investing in the country.
According to the director general, the landing of Overland Airways at FIA marked a significant milestone in the country’s aviation sector, especially for the flying public that look forward to more choices and cheaper flights.
Apart from air connections between the two countries, Barrie noted that it would greatly impact cultural exchanges, tourism, trade and investments between the two countries.
While assuring on always offering an enabling environment for any airline to thrive in Sierra Leone, she insisted that as a regulator, it will not compromise safety and security.
“I can assure you that every airline that will be operating in Sierra Leone, including Overland Airways today, would have met certain safety and security measures, which in all fairness is the starting point for every successful business and airlines.
“I extend my heartfelt gratitude to the management of Overland Airways. We look forward to working with you. Together, we are shaping a future where aviation plays a prominent role and encourages investors and promotes investments,” she concluded.
One happy man at the occasion was Frank Azueke, Nigerian Ambassador to Sierra Leone, because of the numerous benefits that come with the development aside from making Lagos closer to Freetown.
According to him, the Lagos-Freetown route network was not just about connecting two cities, but about connecting minds and hearts, about enhancing cultural exchanges and tourism.
For him and Nigerian nationals in Sierra Leone, the new flight would ease the burden of connections and eliminate complicated and long duration journeys along the route, which hitherto are connected through other countries.
But Fanday Turay, Minister of Transport and Aviation, Sierra Leone, who was represented by Alberd Forde, Technical Advisor for the ministry, the continued calls for intra-African travel has been boosted with the Lagos-Freetown flight.
Kwame Yankson, permanent secretary, Ministry of Tourism and Cultural Affairs, shared the same sentiments, noting that it would further increase the number of tourists and business travellers into the country.
Speaking from a sincere heart and out of experience, he warned the airline to avoid delays and cancellations, except on safety issues.
However, the Overland Airways team applauded the government and people of Sierra Leone for the warm welcome, especially Brigadier General (rtd) Dr Julius Maada Bio, president of Sierra Leone and his cabinet, DG SLCAA, FIA operators, ground handling companies, rescue and fire fighting service among others, whose combined efforts saw to the successful inaugural flight.
