29 January 08

VIRGIN NIGERIA SUCCESFULLY COMPLETES IOSA AUDIT
…to emerge 1st West African airline to be listed in the IOSA directory

Lagos, Nigeria: 29 January 2008: Virgin Nigeria has now been cleared for listing in the IOSA directory following the successful completion of an intensive IOSA audit.

IOSA is the IATA Operational safety audit programme and the internationally accepted evaluation system designed to assess the operational management and control systems of airlines. IOSA employs internationally recognized quality audit principles, conducting audits in a standardized and consistent manner worldwide.

The Chief Executive Officer of Virgin Nigeria, Mr. Conrad Clifford while acknowledging the successful conduct of the IOSA audit said the completion of the audit is further proof of the premium Virgin Nigeria places on safety and security of customers. “The successful completion of this audit has shown that our processes and service delivery adhere to internationally accepted quality standards”

Virgin Nigeria is the first airline in Nigeria and West Africa to have successfully completed the IOSA audit and will become the eighth airline in Africa to be listed in the IOSA directory.

Once listed, Virgin Nigeria will have the advantage of undertaking audit sharing with other airlines, thereby increasing code-share and interline business opportunity with other IOSA compliant airlines worldwide. This will provide Virgin Nigeria’s Customers with more destination options operated by these IOSA airlines.

In addition to this, Virgin Nigeria has also successfully passed all the safety and process audits conducted by major Oil Companies in Nigeria. These audits are prerequisite for signing on Virgin Nigeria as their official airline.

The IOSA audit is the single most important safety audit an airline can undergo and Virgin Nigeria is eager to maintain her status on the IOSA registry by undergoing the prerequisite 24 months repeat audit.

The IOSA audit is ISO: 9001:2000 certified.


About Virgin Nigeria:

Virgin Nigeria is Nigeria's private sector flag carrier, 51% owned by Nigerian institutional investors and 49% owned by Virgin Atlantic. The airline was formed in September 2004 when the Federal Government of Nigeria announced the selection of Virgin Atlantic Airways as the strategic investor and technical partner in this exciting project.

Based at its hub at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Lagos, Virgin Nigeria has set about developing a global network of domestic, regional and international routes from its home base in Lagos. It is currently serving domestic routes in Nigeria; regionally within West and Central Africa, and inter-continentally to Europe. Virgin Nigeria is committed to provide the Nigerian and West African market with a commitment and vision to deliver sustained performance, service and growth. Virgin Nigeria has interline agreements with leading International carriers. For more information, visit www.virginnigeria.com.

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

For media information in Nigeria only, please contact Corporate Communications, 9th Floor, Etiebets Place , 21 Mobolaji Bank-Anthony Way,Ikeja,Lagos., or corpcomm@virginnigeria.com; 234 -1 – 2711144

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