Virgin, Delta, Air France, Ethiopian boost NAHCO with handling renewals

BY Sade Williams/Business a.m.

NAHCO Plc, leading Nigerian airline ground handling operators, has seen its business receive a big boost with new businesses and renewals of its ground handling contracts by top airlines, Virgin Atlantic Airways, Delta Airlines, Air France/KLM Royal Dutch and Ethiopian Airlines.

The new businesses and renewals signpost the company’s dominance of the ground handling and aviation logistics space in the country. But they stem from the airlines’ satisfaction with the services delivered to them by NAHCO over the years.

Specifically, Virgin Atlantic and Delta Airlines renewed NAHCO’s Lagos contracts while Air France/KLM Royal Dutch pitched tents with the company for its operations in Lagos, Abuja, and Port Harcourt, just as Ethiopian Airlines renewed its contracts with the company.

A new contract was signed between NAHCO and Ethiopian Airlines that will see the former provide warehousing services for the airline’s Lagos operations.

Samuel Akinrinmade, NAHCO’s head of corporate communications, disclosed that in addition the company has also won the Qatar Airways’ freighter and warehousing contracts for Kano and Port Harcourt.

Prior to these renewals and new businesses, NAHCO, which handles most of the foreign airlines operating in the country, had disclosed that it had been signed on by Qatar Airways for ground handling for Kano and Port Harcourt. It currently has an all-encompassing contract with the airline in Lagos and Abuja, providing passenger, cargo, and ramp handling services, which also includes the provision of crew transportation and other ancillary services to the respected airliner.

The latest contract implies that Qatar Airways has thus entrusted its total handling needs in Nigeria in the care of NAHCO Plc.

Prince Saheed Lasisi, executive director, commercial and business development, speaking on the strides achieved in recent times by the company, said, “we are pleased with the patronage of our valued clients. We appreciate our ever-supporting board and management and the contributions of our hardworking and dedicated staff.’

Lasisi assured that plans are in place to consolidate NAHCO’s leadership position in the industry and the sustenance of the culture of excellent service.

NAHCO Plc is a Nigerian diversified enterprise with interests in aviation cargo, aircraft handling, passenger facilitation, crew transportation and aviation training and logistics.

The company currently serves several airlines across the major functional airports within Nigeria, and handles the largest chunk of domestic, foreign and cargo airlines.

NAHCO Plc is a 3-times winner of “Nigerian Stock Exchange Award” and was recently named Best Ground Handling Company in Nigeria for the year 2021 by Nigerian Aviation Awards (NIGAV).