December 27, 2006

SOKOTO STATE GOVERNOR REQUESTS FOR MORE VIRGIN NIGERIA FREQUENCIES ON THE SOKOTO ROUTE

Lagos, Nigeria December 27, 2006: The Executive Governor of Sokoto State, Alhaji Attahiru Bafarawa has called on Virgin Nigeria to increase her frequency on the Sokoto route. The governor in a recent write-up on Sokoto State titled: "Sokoto State will rise again", showered encomiums on Virgin Nigeria for starting regular scheduled flight services to Sokoto State at a time when there was a vacuum created by the absence of a carrier on the route.

According to the Executive Governor, "Virgin Nigeria's commencement of scheduled flight service to Sokoto State came very timely as there was already a vacuum created by the absence of a carrier on the route and the commencement of Virgin Nigeria's twice weekly flights from Lagos to Sokoto via Abuja was indeed a welcome development that relieved Sokoto indigenes and other visitors fears of not having a carrier plying the route".

The Governor further stated that "the government and people of Sokoto State are hoping that Virgin Nigeria would increase the number of flights to Sokoto State in no distant time as the people of Sokoto and the neighbouring states now rely on the airline for air transportation and other business activities".

Commenting on the call by the Executive Governor of Sokoto State on Virgin Nigeria to increase her frequency on the route, the Chief Operating Officer of Virgin Nigeria, Dr. Yemi Osindero said, "We are indeed encouraged by the good words of the Sokoto State Governor and will continue to give our support to the state and her indigenes".

"Virgin Nigeria fully appreciates the growing customer demands for the airline to increase her frequency on existing routes including the Sokoto route and we assure that more frequencies will be added as soon as possible", Osindero further stated.

Virgin Nigeria commenced flights to Sokoto State on December 1, 2006 with regular twice weekly flights on Fridays and Sundays from Lagos to Sokoto via Abuja and was also appointed the official carrier of the 2006 Edition of the Argungun Fishing Festival that was held recently.

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.