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Virgin Nigeria may not ply U.S. route
From Oghogho Obayuwana, Abuja
VIRGIN Nigeria, the nation's fledging carrier may not be able to fly into the United States (U.S.) after all despite the lucrative nature of the American route and its strategic importance to Nigeria.
Making the disclosure yesterday, the U.S. Economic Counsellor in charge of Nigeria, Joseph Gregoire, at a briefing in Abuja said there existed contractual clauses in the "open skies" agreement between Nigeria and the U.S. which forbade a British company - Virgin Atlantic - having a controlling seal over flights into the U.S. when the government of the United Kingdom (UK) does not have an "open skies" agreement with the U.S.
This new twist is coming after the Federal Government granted Virgin Nigeria a seven and half years protection on the country's plum international routes as reported by The Guardian yesterday.
The international route is valued at well over $400 million.
Briefing diplomatic correspondents yesterday, Gregoire said: "We face this current situation with Virgin Nigeria with deep regret after working so closely with Nigeria for so many years to establish the Nigerian service market.
"But this should not come as a shock to Nigeria. We made our concerns known to both Virgin Atlantic and to the Nigerian government well in advance of conclusion of the partnership creating Virgin Nigeria."
Flanked by the Public Affairs Officer of the U.S. Embassy in Nigeria, Mrs Claudia Anyaso, Gregoire noted that officials of the U.S. Department of Transportation and the State Department had met with representatives from Virgin Airlines and the Nigerian embassy in July in Washington.
"It was made clear to us then that Virgin Atlantic, a British company, would exercise effective control over Virgin Nigeria," he said.
According to him, if the Federal Government had selected an airline partner from a country other than the UK, the U.S. government "would be much more likely to give it a favourable consideration."
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