BELLVIEW IS EXPLORING A POSSIBLE U.S. ROUTE WITH

C O N F I D E N T I A L LAGOS 001585 SIPDIS TRANSPORTATION FOR FAA DAKAR PLEASE PASS TO FAA REP ED JONES ROME PLEASE PASS TO TSA REP JOHN HALINSKI E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/10/2015 TAGS: EAIR EINV PREL NI SUBJECT: BELLVIEW IS EXPLORING A POSSIBLE U.S. ROUTE WITH WORLD AIRWAYS Classified By: Consul General Brian L. Browne for reasons 1.4 (D). ¶1. (C) Summary. Bellview Airlines CEO Odukoya said World Airways executives called him October 4 to discuss establishing direct air service between Lagos and the U.S. Bellview expressed interest in partnering with World Airways to begin scheduled charter services between Lagos and New York and Lagos and Baltimore/Washington D.C. End Summary. ¶2. (U) U.S.-based World Airways previously operated in Nigeria between July 2003 and January 2004. Malfeasance charges and recrimination between World Airways and its Nigerian partner led to an abrupt cancellation of services. Bellview Airlines is a leading domestic Nigerian airline with five Boeing 737 aircraft and two Boeing 767 aircraft running 30 flights a day. In addition to numerous domestic flights, Bellview operates international flights between Lagos and Freetown and London and Lagos and Mumbai. ¶3. (C) Bellview CEO Kayode Odukoya said World Airways executives called him October 4 to discuss direct air service plans between Lagos and U.S. He said World Airways raised the possibility of Bellview partnering with North American Airlines, a subsidiary of World Airways, to run direct flights between Lagos and New York John F. Kennedy International Airport and Lagos and Baltimore/Washington International Airport. Odukoya said World Airways executives told him their company had an approved Department of Transportation (DOT) application on file and that they wanted flights to begin by June, 2006. (Note: World Airways does not have permission to land in Nigeria and its reputation locally remains soiled by the cancellation of services in 2004 that left hundreds of customers stranded. Endnote.) ¶4. (C) Odukoya said direct air services between the U.S. and Nigeria would resume sooner than most people expect because "there was significant pressure within Nigeria to begin direct air services," and the new Aviation Minister, Babalola Borishade, appeared "engaged and honest". Odukoya admitted, however, that, Bellview and World Airways do not enjoy broad government support. However, he seemed confident that if Bellview was not the airline chosen to begin direct flights between the U.S. and Nigeria, "another airline" would, a not so veiled allusion to Virgin Nigeria which does have significant Government of Nigeria support. ¶5. (C) Comment. Discussions between World Airways and Bellview have just begun. Odukoya admits it is too early to predict whether a World Airways-Bellview partnership would happen. World Airways has an ambivalent history in Nigeria and that could make the attempt to resuscitate its service a difficult one. Odukoya was confident, however, that direct air services between the U.S. and Nigeria would occur in the relatively near future. Other aviation experts have also indicated the new Aviation Minister appeared focused on making direct air services between the U.S. and Nigeria a priority. End Comment. BROWNE