Sade Williams/Business a.m.
Beginning from April 23, 2025, Overland Airways, Nigeria’s longest serving private domestic airline, in partnership with the Niger State government, will commence flight operations into Bola Ahmed Tinubu International Airport Minna, the capital city of Niger State from Lagos and Abuja.
Overland Airways said in a statement that it will operate three weekly flights on the Minna-Lagos-Minna route and three weekly flights on the Minna-Abuja-Minna route.
These flights will be operated on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays using Overland Airways’ brand-new Embraer 175 aircraft.
According to the airline, flights will depart Lagos to Minna at 8am and Minna to Lagos at 3pm. Flights from Minna to Abuja will depart at 9:30am while Abuja to Minna will depart at 2pm.
Speaking on the new development, Edward Boyo, chief executive officer and accountable executive of Overland Airways said: “We are excited to commence flight services to Minna from Abuja the Federal Capital and Lagos the commercial hub of Nigeria. This flight services will facilitate trade, tourism and economic activities in Niger State and its environs and support the government of Niger State in its quest to attract more direct investments and improve the livelihood of citizens of the state. We thank particularly His Excellency Mohammed Umar Bago, the executive governor of Niger State for his passionate commitment to the growth and development of the state and for making the dream of a connected Niger State come true.”
The Niger State Ministry of Transport in collaboration with the New Niger Development Project (NNDP), jointly stated: “It has been an uphill journey to bring the Bola Ahmed Tinubu International Airport to fruition — from its construction to its operationalisation. Today, we are immensely proud to see this dream become a reality. We are honoured to have Overland Airways as the pioneer airline for this project, setting the foundation for expanded air travel connectivity in Niger State. Mr. Governor is particularly proud of this achievement, which aligns with his vision of modernising infrastructure and boosting economic development in Niger State.”
Also speaking, Liman Katamba Kutigi, chief operating officer of the New Niger Aviation, said: “This partnership with Overland Airways will ensure regular and robust flight services from Abuja and Lagos to Minna, Niger State. We are thrilled to partner with Overland Airways, which has a reputation for excellent customer service and reliability, and look forward to working together to reposition the aviation sector and economy of Niger State.”
“Known as the Power State, Niger State, the largest state in Nigeria by landmass and host of major hydroelectric power dams and other businesses, requires reliable air services to drive its economic development and Overland Airways is uniquely positioned to meet this need,” Boyo added.
Overland Airways service offering has evolved from an all-turboprop fleet to a mixed fleet with the introduction of brand-new Embraer E175 jets. In October 2024, Overland Airways renewed its IOSA safety certification for the 5th consecutive time reaffirming its position as a safe and leading African carrier.
