07 December, 2007

VIRGIN NIGERIA SUPPORTS ARGUNGU FESTIVAL TO BOOST NIGERIAN TOURISM POTENTIALS

Lagos, Nigeria: 07 December: The Chief Operating Officer of Virgin Nigeria, Dr. Yemi Osindero has affirmed Virgin Nigeria's commitment towards accelerated development of Nigeria's tourism potentials to compete favourably with international standards. Dr. Osindero made this disclosure in Lagos when he formally announced the airline's partnership with Kebbi State on the 2006 Edition of the Argungu Fishing festival.

Speaking on the partnership with the Argungu Fishing Festival, Dr. Osindero said: "partnering with indigenous festivals such as the Argungu fishing Festival is one of Virgin Nigeria's initiatives towards the drive to develop Nigeria's tourist sites especially as the airline is making such locations accessible by extending her unique services to such cities as evident in our recent Sokoto and Calabar operations".

"Virgin Nigeria understands the impact that convenient and good route network connectivity has on tourism development and the airline is committed to opening up more routes so as to help sell tourist sites to the international communities", Dr. Osindero further said.

Virgin Nigeria by virtue of its designation as the "official carrier airline" of the 2006 Edition of Argungu Fishing Festival will offer convenient means of transportation to all guests using the Sokoto airport which is a choice airport based on its proximity in distance to Argungu.

It will be recalled that during a recent press briefing on this year's festival, the Kebbi State Governor, Alhaji Mohammed Aliero through the Chairman, Argungun fishing Festival, Alhaji Ibrahim Kangiwa pledged the government's determination to maintain consistency in staging the annual festival to meet the expectations of the international tourism industry so as to serve as an alternative source of foreign exchange.

The Argungu Fishing Festival is a recognised international attraction in and outside Nigeria that attracts tourists to enjoy a friendly atmosphere of entertainment and fishing competition and also, meet and interact with people from different nationalities in a spirit that transcends artificial barriers.

Virgin Nigeria in line with its current repositioning of touching the right spots recently commenced scheduled operations to Sokoto and Calabar to further expand its domestic route network connectivity. With the opening of these new cities, Virgin Nigeria now flies from its hub at the international wing of Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Lagos to Abuja, Owerri, Kano, Sokoto and Calabar.

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
 

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
Lagos - Sokoto: Two times a week from December 3rd 2006
Abuja - Calabar: three times a week from December 4th 2006

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.