United Airlines will stop flying to Nigeria next month, ending the carrier’s only route to Africa because of weakness in the energy sector and difficulties in collecting money from tickets sold in that country.
The daily route from Houston to Lagos had underachieved for years but was kept alive because of its importance to Texas-based customers, United Continental Holdings Inc. said in a note to employees on Wednesday. The last flight will be June 30, after which Delta Air Lines Inc. will be the only major U.S. carrier flying to Africa.

Nigeria has restricted the amount of money that can be moved abroad after the global slump in oil prices depleted the government’s U.S. currency reserves. The country owed airlines about $575 million in air fares as of March 31, according to the International Air Transport Association.

“Repatriation has been a significant issue, as has been the downturn in the energy sector,” said United spokesman Jonathan Guerin, who confirmed the note’s authenticity.



Passengers can still fly to Nigeria on United’s trans-Atlantic business partner, Deutsche Lufthansa AG, through a connection in Frankfurt. The Boeing Co. 787 serving Lagos will be used on the San Francisco-to-Tel Aviv route, which will expand to daily in October from three times weekly, according to the airline note.

Boeing777pilot:
You people should stop writing about what you have no idea about. If they are leaving, it's not because of the downtown in Economy...
The load factor has reduced that's the primary reason

Boeing777pilot:
You people should stop writing about what you have no idea about. If they are leaving, it's not because of the downtown in Economy...
The load factor has reduced that's the primary reason

VulgarVulvas:


Olodo, did you ignore the part where the airline management cited the cumbersome forex policies that makes it hard to repatriate their earnings?

And if you must know economists like to use the aviation industry to gauge the health of any economy as people and goods movement is directly related to economic growth.

Why is the load factor decreasing? Answer is simply that Nigerians are not flying. And why are Nigerians not flying anymore? Because the economy is sh1t.

2n2k:


Did you miss where the airline said the route had underachieved for YEARS but only kept alive?

“Repatriation has been a significant issue, as has been the downturn in the energy sector,” said United spokesman Jonathan Guerin, who confirmed the note’s authenticity.

2n2k:
^^^ if the route had not been marginal to them all along, they will not abandon it for their partner -lutfhanza.
BA, the Middle East airlines, Ethiopia are still running in Nigeria. Infact, Turkish airline and South African airlines just increased their frequencies.

VulgarVulvas:


In aviation sector, operators maintain certain routes as future investment.

The route in question may not have been their most lucrative but the airline saw reason to maintain the route as a strategic foothold into Africa's largest passenger nation.

The forex policy was the catalyst to ending their presence in nigeria as they saw bleaker outlook not only in securing their returns but also in future passenger numbers.

The dullard's policies are killing the economy and this is not only restricted to the aviation sector alone but in virtually all spheres of the economy.

The stock market has since lost well over 50% value since may,2015 due to foreign investors pulling out due to this same rigid forex regulations.

Boeing777pilot:
You people should stop writing about what you have no idea about. If they are leaving, it's not because of the downtown in Economy...
The load factor has reduced that's the primary reason

SnakeDoctor2020:
And what reduced the load factor, mr pilot?? I am disappointed that this is coming from a self acclaimed pilot....Smh

VulgarVulvas:


Olodo, did you ignore the part where the airline management cited the cumbersome forex policies that makes it hard to repatriate their earnings?

And if you must know economists like to use the aviation industry to gauge the health of any economy as people and goods movement is directly related to economic growth.

Why is the load factor decreasing? Answer is simply that Nigerians are not flying. And why are Nigerians not flying anymore? Because the economy is sh1t.

onatisi:
This is what Nigerians deserve for allowing a bunch of political desperadoes blind their eyes,despite the fact that gej wasn't the best yet buhari wasn't the better alternative .