ALGIERS – Algerian airline Air Algerie launched Sunday, from Houari Boumediene international airport, its new service from Algiers to the Nigerian city of Abuja.
The ceremony marking Air Algerie’s inaugural flight to Abuja, operated by a Boeing 737-600, took place under the supervision of Transport Ministry’s Secretary General, Djamel Eddine Abdelghani Dridi, the chargé d’affaires at Nigeria’s embassy in Algerian, Abdussalam Alwan Habu, and the director of Air Algerie’s commercial division, Hosnia Kaoua.
Air Algerie will operate this route once a week with a departure from Algiers to Abuja every Sunday at 7.30 p.m. and with an extension to Douala, in Cameroon.
The return flight (Abuja-Algiers) is scheduled every Friday at 3.30 a.m.
In this regard, the Secretary General of Transport Ministry dubbed “historic” the event, which comes, he added, within the framework of the moves aimed to establish Algiers airport as a regional hub, underlining that the launch of this direct airline comes to implement the instructions of the President of the Republic, Abdelmadjid Tebboune, and the bilateral cooperation agreements in the aviation sector between the two countries.
For his part, the Nigerian diplomat extended his thanks to the Algerian people and government, mainly the President of the Republic, Abdelmadjid Tebboune, for the opening of a direct airline between Algeria and Nigeria, describing this initiative as an “exceptional opportunity” for his country and the African continent.
Habu pointed out that this new air service will open up promising opportunities to enhance trading and organize sports events between the two countries, adding that it is also a promising market for Air Algerie, given the huge number of the inhabitants of Nigeria and its economic position in the African continent.
He also stressed the importance of Algeria and Nigeria’s membership in several African, regional and international organizations, strengthening, he added, the cooperation and integration opportunities between the two countries in various fields.
In this respect, he recalled the signing of the agreement on the execution of the trans-Saharan gas pipeline project (Algeria-Nigeria-Niger), consolidating thereby the economic relations between both countries.
For her part, Kaoua thanked the Algerian and Nigerian authorities for their support, affirming this air service will contribute to the strengthening of economic and tourism exchanges between the two countries.
She said that the launch of this air service coincides with the company’s plan to modernize the fleet, with the purchase of 16 new aircrafts and transform Algiers into a regional hub linking Africa to Europe and the Middle East.
