Dana Air has commenced daily flights from Lagos to Owerri with an introductory online fare of N12,600 for one way ticket, the Accountable Manager of the airline, Mr Obi Mbanuzuo, disclosed in a chat with newsmen in Lagos.
According to him, the the airline is committed to providing safe, reliable and pocket friendly service to the flying public.
“We commenced daily flights from Lagos to Owerri and back with an online fare we feel will be suitable for all. The fare is just our way of thanking our loyal guests on Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt and Uyo routes for visiting our offices daily to book their tickets,” he said.
The manager said that “plans are in top gear to add to our fleet and we are in talks with our local and foreign partners to see ways to fast track this. We are also aware of the demand for extension of our world-class services to more Nigerian cities and the west coast, and wish to state that plans are underway to expand our route network in the coming month in line with our growth plan”.
He assured guests of the airline that Dana Air would continue to invest in training and retraining of its Pilots, Engineers and other Technical staff and also contribute to capacity building in the industry.
Obi also decried the challenges facing domestic airlines like the rise in fuel price, multiple charges, and high exchange rate among other issues, saying, “One of the issues domestic airlines are faced with is multiple charges. If these charges can be merged or eliminated, it will help the present situation of airlines. As it stands, airlines pay a statutory charge, which is fine, but some other charges, which the airlines need to grapple with, are not even applicable in other climes.”
Presently, airlines peg fares in naira and have to pay for necessary maintenance in hard currency, Obi added.
“For us as an airline, we are concerned about providing affordable regional air transport services and we will be happy if the government can enter favorable agreements and create policies that will favor domestic airlines so that the burden is reduced on the flying public.
“Dana Air’s vision remains ‘to be recognized and respected as Nigeria’s most reliable and customer-friendly airline’ and her mission is ‘to earn the loyalty and respect of our customers by consistently demonstrating our commitment to service, and providing affordable regional air transport services that focus on innovation, quality and service excellence”, he said.
