Wednesday, 15 March 2006

VIRGIN NIGERIA PARTNERS NATIONAL ASSEMBLY WITH SPECIAL FARES

Lagos, Nigeria, Wednesday, 15 March 2006: Virgin Nigeria, the country's fully private sector flag carrier, has established a partnership with members of the National Assembly with a view to providing convenient and affordable air travel to legislators and their staff.

Speaking at a Travel Fair organised by the airline to sensitize assembly members to the dream of making Lagos a hub, Virgin Nigeria's Head of Public Affairs, Mr. Larry Agose, said: "Virgin Nigeria is expanding fast beyond the frontiers of the domestic routes, a development which will invariably develop the Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Lagos as a regional hub."
He explained that the airline will more than double its current service to London with daily non-stop flights to the UK from April 27, adding that the airline will also start thrice weekly flights from Lagos to Dubai, United Arab Emirates from May 2. He said this would bring the airline's long haul routes to three, that is, London, Johannesburg and Dubai.

While declaring the fair open, the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Austin Opara, who represented the Speaker, Alhaji Aminu Masari, commended Virgin Nigeria for revolutionising the aviation sector in the country within a very short time with its efficient and reliable service. He also lauded the airline for providing Assembly members opportunity to buy tickets at a discounted rate.

Opara said "Virgin Nigeria's initiative at introducing the special discounted fares to Assembly members and their staff is a welcome development which we would want to be extended over a longer period", stressing, "Virgin Nigeria should explore the option of opening a sales point at the National Assembly complex to ease their travel bookings and confirmations."

The Travel Fair which is currently being held at the National Assembly complex will last for a week, that is, from Tuesday, March 14 to Monday, March 20, 2006, during which Virgin Nigeria will offer all legislators and their staff 20 per cent and 5 per cent discount on international and local routes respectively.

"We are delighted to be partnering with the national assembly members through this special offering to ease their travels and offer them convenient means of transport from their respective constituencies to Abuja and beyond", Agose further said.

About Virgin Nigeria:
Virgin Nigeria is the registered, fully private sector flag carrier of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, owned 51% by Nigerian Institutional shareholders and 49% by Virgin Atlantic.

The airline operates the following

intercontinental services:
Lagos to London: Daily
Johannesburg: Three times a week
Dubai: Three times a week

Regional services:
Accra: Daily
Douala: Two times a week
Dakar: Two times a week

Domestic services:
Lagos - Abuja: Six times daily
***Lagos - Port Harcourt: Four times daily now temporarily cancelled
***Abuja - Port Harcourt: Once daily now temporarily cancelled
Lagos - Kano: Five times a week
Abuja - Kano: Five times a week

For reservations, call (01) 460 0505; (01) 271 1111; (09) 461 0505; (084) 460505

For all press enquiries, please contact: corporatecommunications@virginnigeria.com

For media information in Nigeria only, please contact Corporate Communications, 3rd floor, Ark towers, Plot 17 Ligali Ayorinde Street, VI, or corpcomm@virginnigeria.com; 234 -1 – 2711144

For media information in the UK please contact the Virgin Atlantic Press Office on 01293 747 373.