Virgin Atlantic Airways has reiterated its commitments to support social and economic growth in Nigeria by facilitating air travels from the country to the World and by supporting Nigerian communities and businesses at their core.
The airline which thanked Nigerians for their supports of its daily service to London over the last sixteen years, said it is left optimistic and ambitious for 2018 and beyond for operating from Nigeria.
Speaking at a lunch with some journalists at Eko Hotels and Suites, Victoria Island, Lagos, recently, the Head of Nigeria at Virgin Atlantic, Mr. Samuel Lindfield, disclosed that the airline
Was about to embark on a further significant program of investment to the fleet, with the introduction of the A350-1000 from early 2019.
“This aircraft”, according to Linderfield “will offer a superlative level of customer experience, a 25 per cent reduction in fuel consumption versus equivalent aircraft, and ambient mood lighting to reduce the effects of jetlag. When combined with the brand new 789-9s and modern A330s, Virgin Atlantic will boast one of the youngest and most fuel efficient fleets in the sky.”
Beyond the fleet renewal agenda, the airline which ranks one of the best ten in the world in in-flight entertainment in 2017, said it has have introduced a number of customer-focused initiatives, which help it better give back to the communities it serve in Nigeria. These include inflight Wi-Fi connectivity between Lagos and London, a revamped Upper Class food and beverage menu, free chilled bottles of water on arrival and free luggage trolleys for all passengers arriving on Virgin Atlantic in Lagos. According to Lindfield, “These initiatives all form part of the focus on offering bespoke service to our Nigerian passengers, on one of our flagship routes.”
On its Corporate Social Responsibility (CRS) in Nigeria, year 2017 saw Virgin Atlantic collaborated with British Council ‘Enterprise Challenge’ winners, Nasir Yammama and Sophia Uno. The two English outfits had launched the Enterprise Challenge in 2014 to help budding Nigerian entrepreneurs reach for the skies.
The competition provides a platform in Nigeria for young, brilliant entrepreneurial minds to develop their commercial skills and businesses. Nasir and Sophia were the faces of the entrepreneur advertising campaign recently run in Nigeria. Sophia Onu also took part in the Virgin Atlantic ‘Business is an Adventure’ series, offering unrivalled levels of exposure to her growing business, The 5K Shop. Both entrepreneurs received mentoring sessions from Sir Richard Branson himself. Virgin Atlantic said,”Our support of Nigerian entrepreneurs demonstrates the commitment to be Nigeria’s airline of choice for business”.
Mr. Samuel Lindfield added, “With many analysts now projecting Nigeria’s population to reach 500m by 2050, we see Nigeria as a land of immense opportunity. A growing population will create new opportunities for domestic and international business. We look forward to leading that growth, by facilitating air travel from Nigeria to the World and by supporting Nigerian communities and businesses at their core. We have certainly built a rich tapestry of experiences, history and tradition over our sixteen years flying to Lagos from London, carrying in excess of three million passengers. We look forward to adding to that rich tapestry over the next sixteen years and beyond”.
