After nearly two decades of absence, direct flights between Nigeria and Italy will soon resume as Italian airline Neos prepares to launch its operations on the route starting October 30, 2024. This marks a significant development for Nigerian travelers, particularly Christian pilgrims and tourists bound for Rome, who have had to endure layovers and flight connections due to the lack of direct service.
Neos, Italy’s second-largest airline, headquartered in Lombardy, has announced its plans to initially offer one flight per week between Nigeria and Milan, with a view to increasing the frequency to three flights weekly after the first month of operations.
Speaking on the upcoming launch, Princewills Ogbonna, Managing Director of Skymasters Achievers International Services Limited, Neos’ General Sales Agent in Nigeria, expressed gratitude for the government’s support in removing barriers to the airline’s entry into the Nigerian market. “I want to thank and congratulate the federal government and the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, for ensuring all bottlenecks were removed, allowing this event to take place,” Ogbonna said.
He further explained the strategic approach behind starting with one flight per week: “Neos currently operates between Milan and Dakar, with 60% of the passengers being Nigerians. This highlights the demand for such services, which is why we are deploying the 737 for once-weekly flights to test the waters before expanding to three times a week.”
The Italian Consul General in Nigeria, Ugo Boni, welcomed the move, describing it as long overdue. “This is a welcome development, and I am pleased to see it happening. The direct flights will strengthen the relationship between Nigeria and Italy, and I hope we can quickly increase the frequency from one to three flights per week,” Boni said.
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