By Samson Echenim
EgyptAir says it is re-strategising for new frontiers in Nigerian market, as it targets traders and tourists to Bangkok, Guangzhou and other Asian cities.
Reeling out his plans for the airline, Muharram Abdel Rahman, who was recently appointed general manager in Nigeria, said from Lagos, in Nigeria, his dream city for business, the airline expects to run 10 flights per week within the first year.
“Lagos is the business capital of Nigeria. Lagos market for me and as an airline is a good market. It is a potential market for me. I can find all my segments that I need to reach out to in Lagos. It is a good market and my plan is that within one year, we can get up to 10 flights per week and within two years we can operate double daily flights from Lagos. This will bring our frequencies to fourteen (14) flights per week operating double daily,” Rahman said.
“We are not just only going to concentrate on the segment of passengers going only to Egypt. We are also targeting all segments in the market. For instance, there is the students segment. I know that many students are going to Saudi Arabia to study or they are going abroad to study. So, we are targeting them.
“We are also targeting traders going to Bangkok, Guangzhou and Asian countries for trade. We are offering a special package for this segment of traders. Traders need excess baggage allowance because they have goods to be brought to Nigeria. So, we are offering them excess baggage to encourage them to fly EgyptAir. As for the students we are offering them 25 percent discounts,” he added.
An MBA holder in Pricing and Management with 25 years experience in the aviation industry, Rahman had before his recent appointment, served as Abuja Office Manager for four years from 2009 to 2013, when he was recalled to the airline’s headguarters in Cairo where he was pricing manager.
