October 12, 2006

VIRGIN NIGERIA APPOINTS YEMI OSINDERO CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER

Lagos, Nigeria, October 12, 2006: Virgin Nigeria, the country's private sector flag carrier, has announced the appointment of the airline's Director of Marketing and Corporate Development, Dr. Yemi Osindero, as Chief Operating Officer with effect from Tuesday, September 26 2006.

Dr. Osindero, in his new capacity will oversee the day-to-day administration of the airline in addition to his current portfolio of Marketing & Corporate Development. He is the first indigenous personnel to be so appointed to the executive director position.

Chief Executive Officer of Virgin Nigeria, Mr. Conrad Clifford who made the announcement in Lagos said: "Yemi's excellent leadership qualities and competence demonstrated in the various jobs he has held since the airline was founded has been invaluable in effectively positioning it for the exciting challenges ahead in the industry".

Clifford explained further that the new Chief Operating Officer has the mandate of the board to raise and sustain the standard and quality of service of Virgin Nigeria beyond the expectations of our customers for it to continue to be the benchmark for the aviation industry in Africa.

Commenting on his appointment, the new Chief Operating Officer said: "I'm happy to assume the position at a time of immense interest by all stakeholders in the aviation sector. I will work hard to ensure that Virgin Nigeria delivers the best possible service to its numerous customers who are entitled to be seen and treated as kings and queens. In this way, I hope to help in taking Virgin Nigeria beyond the skies".

Yemi Osindero who hails from Ogun State had his primary, secondary and tertiary education up to the University of Lagos before proceeding to Britain to further his academic studies. Yemi holds a B.Eng (Hons) first class degree in Chemical Engineering and a PhD in Improved Oil Recovery from Bath University.

He is a co-founder of Virgin Nigeria and one of the interim Directors of the airline at inception.

Prior to his joining Virgin Nigeria, he was with Virgin Management Limited in the UK, where he worked as an Investment Manager responsible for strategy and new business development for various Virgin Group of companies.

Before joining the Virgin Group his career was spent in investment banking with Goldman Sachs and Hawkpoint Partners, where he provided a broad range of strategic and financing advisory services to clients across Europe, working on transactions such as the privatisation and initial public offering of Statoil, the sale of Amey Group plc and the acquisition of DFS plc. He previously also worked as an Engineer with Mobil Producing Nigeria Unlimited.

The appointment of a Nigerian to the post of Chief Operating Officer is one of the cardinal objectives of the airline towards grooming successive Nigerian professionals to run Virgin Nigeria in the coming years.

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 until October 15th 2006

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

Domestic services:
Lagos - Abuja: Six times daily
***Lagos - Port Harcourt: (Now diverted to Owerri two times daily)
***Abuja - Port Harcourt: (Now diverted to Owerri once daily)
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.