Nigerian startup Green Africa Airways has appointed Caribbean Airlines VP-operations Jag Singh as COO and former JetBlue Airways VP-flight operations Bart Roberts as safety review board chairman.
Lagos-based Green Africa Airways also said it has secured its air transport license and is working toward its air operator’s certificate.
The airline initially plans to operate flights within Nigeria using leased mid-sized jets.
Announcing the appointments, Green Africa Airways described Singh as “a senior industry leader with over 35 years of experience,†as well as serving as Caribbean Airlines VP-operations, Singh has twice held the role of Caribbean Airlines acting CEO in 2013-14 and 2016-17.
Roberts, who was named as Green Africa Airways safety review board chairman, also has more than 30 years’ aviation experience, including management roles at New York-based JetBlue Airways, Dallas/Fort Worth-based American Airlines—as chief pilot—and with the US Navy.
Green Africa Airways is led by CEO and founder Babawande Afolabi, a former investment banker for Morgan Stanley who started work on the new carrier in 2014.
VivaColombia founder and former CEO William Shaw is on Green Africa’s board and former American Airlines CCO Virasb Vahidi is working on the project as a senior executive advisor.
ASKY Airlines Boeing 737 captain Folu Oladipo, who was previously technical pilot at Nigeria’s largest carrier Arik Air, is Green Africa’s chief pilot.
Former Aero Contractors chief pilot Anselem Okojie was originally named as Green Africa’s director of flight operations, but he left in the beginning of May because of an unexpected change in his personal situation.
