13 December, 2006

VIRGIN NIGERIA SUPPORTS CALABAR CHRISTMAS FESTIVAL

Lagos, Nigeria: 13 December, 06: Virgin Nigeria Airways Limited which recently started scheduled operations to Calabar, the Cross Rivers State capital, has been designated as the "official carrier airline" partner of the 2006 Calabar Christmas Festival which commenced on December 1, 2006 and will run till the end of December 2006.

This year's Christmas festival which is the seventh edition, promises to offer a potpourri of exciting events as usual to usher in the New Year. The festival has over time recorded huge success and today, it occupies a place of pride in the global tourist map by attracting visitors from within and outside Nigeria to experience the unique tourists' attractions bequeathed by nature in Calabar and its environs.

Virgin Nigeria by the partnership had airlifted all the designers that featured in the African Nite to and from Calabar. Also, Virgin Nigeria will be airlifting the Channel 0 crew from their base in Johannesburg to Calabar for the Carnival Float on December 26 where the crew will subsequently beam all the activities of the day live to the global world.

The Christmas Festival partnership which is coming on the heels of the just concluded Argungu Fishing Festival which was supported by Virgin Nigeria is a further re-affirmation of Virgin Nigeria's commitment towards an accelerated tourism development in Nigeria. It will be recalled that Virgin Nigeria by the recent designation as official carrier of the Argungu Fishing Festival, airlifted tourists from all walks of life to Argungu via Sokoto Airport to witness the festival.

The Chief Operating Officer of Virgin Nigeria, Dr. Yemi Osindero had recently said that partnering with indigenous festivals such as the Argungu Fishing and the Calabar Christmas Festivals is one of Virgin Nigeria's initiatives towards the drive to develop Nigeria's tourist sites.

Speaking on the Calabar Christmas Festival, Dr. Osindero said: "By agreeing to fly the Channel 0 crew to Nigeria to cover the Carnival float live, Virgin Nigeria has further scored a first by projecting the positive image of Nigeria and her tourists sites to the larger society", stressing that, "Virgin Nigeria will provide a reliable and convenient means of transport to guests with easy connectivity using its route network within and outside Nigeria".

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.