NAHCO Announces Signing of New Groundhandling Contracts With Major Local and International Airlines

The Nigerian Aviation Handling Company Plc (NAHCO Aviance), West Africa’s largest ground handling service provider, has announced the signing of a series of new and renewed ground handling contracts with major international and domestic airlines.

In a statement released after the public holidays, NAHCO confirmed the renewal of its handling contracts with leading European carriers Air France, KLM and Virgin Atlantic, as well as African airline RwandAir. The company also disclosed the signing of fresh handling agreements with United Nigeria – Regional, Bellagio Air and Malaikair.

According to the company, the contracts with Air France and KLM are for a duration of three years and will run until 2028, while Virgin Atlantic’s renewal agreement is also for three years. The renewed contract with RwandAir will span three years, taking effect from October 1, 2025.

For the newly signed agreements, NAHCO stated that its contract with United Nigeria – Regional will last for five years, effective August 1, 2025. Bellagio Air signed a three-year contract, while Malaikair’s agreement will run for five years.

Bellagio Air, described as one of Nigeria’s emerging airlines, is headquartered in Ikeja, Lagos, and operates domestic and regional routes with a focus on luxury, efficiency and reliability. Malaikair, on the other hand, is a regional airline with a customer-focused model aimed at providing affordable and convenient air travel while strengthening connectivity between Africa and the Caribbean.

Commenting on the development, NAHCO’s Group Executive Director, Commercial and Business Development, Prince Saheed Lasisi, expressed delight at the new and renewed contracts, noting that the company remains committed to exceeding customer expectations.

He said with more than 46 years of unblemished service delivery, NAHCO stands head and shoulders above other service providers in the industry.

“This is what we have been doing for almost half of a century. We will continue to delight our customers and make our stakeholders happy by exceeding expectations in all aspects of our service offerings. We are always willing and ready to do more,” Prince Lasisi added.

Also speaking, the Group Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of NAHCO Plc, Mr. Olumuyiwa Olumekun, said the company’s investment in a new fleet of ground handling equipment would further enhance service delivery across its operations.

NAHCO Aviance was established in December 1979 by the Federal Government through the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) in partnership with Air France, British Airways, Sabena and Lufthansa. Now a publicly listed company on the Nigerian Exchange (NGX), NAHCO has expanded into a multi-billion-naira enterprise with diversified interests in energy, logistics, free trade zones, airport management, travel and hospitality, and commodity export. The company currently operates in all major airports across Nigeria.