Direct flights between Nigeria and India will start on March 31— Envoy

The much awaited direct flights from Nigeria to India are scheduled to begin on March 31, according to Mr. Gangadharan Balasubramanian, the Indian High Commissioner to Nigeria.

Balasubramanian reported that Air Peace, a private Nigerian airline, has completed arrangements for the first trip from Lagos to Mumbai, Bombay, to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja.

I can inform you that on March 31st, Air Peace will operate its first direct trip from Lagos to India.

I have been invited to the opening because this is a requirement of the Bilateral Air Service Agreement (BASA), which aims to strengthen ties between the two nations, he added.

The direct flight, according to Balasubramanian, would improve bilateral relations, commerce, economic linkages, and people-to-people contacts between the two critical nations.

“We feel that accords like these would go a long way in enhancing our ties,” he added, noting that the amount of commerce between the two nations as of 2022 was 14.95 billion dollars.

He expressed confidence that the new route will boost commerce between the two nations while also creating new possibilities for their respective communities.

According to NAN, Nigeria and the Republic of India inked a Bilateral Air Service Agreement (BASA) in 2019 to improve all aspects of airline operations.

Hadi Sirika, the minister of aviation, expressed hope that the deal will further strengthen bilateral cooperation.

BASA outlines the fundamental guidelines by which airlines are given bilateral rights to fly between two nations. Memoranda of Understanding often address the frequency, designated airlines of the signatories, origin, intermediate points, traffic rights, kind of aircraft, and tax difficulties.

Given that there are presently more than 135 Indian businesses operating in Nigeria, the new route is anticipated to significantly improve connections between the two nations.

Nigerians seeking medical tourism, education, and economic opportunities increasingly choose India. (NAN)