Neos, an Italian airline that is part of Alpitour World has announced commencement of direct flight operations from Milan, Italy to Lagos, Nigeria from October 30.
The airline will operate the route using a Boeing 787-800 before deploying a wider-body aircraft. The airline will commence operations once weekly for one month, and increase to three weekly flights afterwards.
Sky Master, the airline handlers in Nigeria disclosed this during the business launch of the airline in Nigeria at Marriott Hotel Ikeja with travel agents, regulators, prospective clients and other stakeholders.
Sky Master, an aviation service provider, said Neos airline will commence its scheduled operation directly to Nigeria on October 30, flying once weekly for the first month, while its frequency will increase to three times by the second month of its operations.
Sifax Sahco Travels will also operate as the airline’s official travel agent.
Speaking at the event, Princewill Ogbonna, managing director, Sky Master, noted that the debut of the airline will further strengthen the relationship between Nigeria and Italy.
Ogbonna said that Neos airline was a private Italian airline, headquartered in Somma Lombardo, Lombardy.
Ogbonna added that the airline which currently operates in over 50 destinations across the world, would adjust its Nigeria operations to better suit groups and associations in accordance with their request and advice.
“For instance, the Christian Association of Nigeria will want to get to Rome and will not want to stop in Milan. We can arrange with our connecting flights to move them directly to Rome via Milan.”
Ogbonna appreciated President Bola Tinubu for his aggressive push to ensure investments come into Nigeria without bottlenecks.
He said, “Firstly, I want to thank the present administration under President Bola Tinubu; he is a great inspiration. This is the second carrier that is commencing direct operations into Nigeria under his watch; that is to tell you how focused his administration is in bringing direct investment into the country and we key into that. It is also important to congratulate the minister of aviation who is working tirelessly to ensure that Nigeria is opened up for foreign investment.
“Neo is currently flying between Milan and Malpensa and they are flying with a 787 and 60 percent of the traffic going through there are Nigerians. That should tell you that Nigerians are making other people richer while we are treated poorly”, he said.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Yusuf Tuggar, hailed the Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development for making the achievement possible, emphasising that success in the aviation industry is a success for Nigeria.
The minister, represented by the Director of the European Affairs Division at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Alex Kefas, described the launch of the airline’s direct trip to Nigeria as an “official re-launch of the Nigeria-Italy Airlinks.”
Speaking earlier at the event, the Italian Consul General in Nigeria, Ugo Boni, expressed delight at the development, saying the direct flight to Nigeria from Italy is long overdue.
Boni also said he looks forward to when the airline would increase its frequency to three bearing in mind the relationship between Nigeria and Italy.
He added, “This is a welcome development and I am happy to be here. Nigeria, Italy’s relationship will be strengthened. This is long overdue and I hope that we increase the frequency from one to three every week very quickly.
“We are also doing our best to put the visa processing between two weeks, at least my business here is not to hinder Nigerians from travelling but to rather make it easier for them.”
