Another Nigerian state is looking to establish its own flag carrier, the latest being Bayelsa State, located in the southern region of the Niger Delta.
In a statement on October 7, the state's governor, Douye Diri, announced that his government had acquired two aircraft to commence commercial operations from the new Bayelsa International Airport, near the state capital Yenagoa. No further details about the aircraft were divulged, but ch-aviation has contacted Diri for more information.
He said the aircraft, expected to arrive soon, would operate daily flights between Yenagoa, Lagos, and Abuja.
The move is part of efforts to make the airport more commercially viable after previous arrangements with a private carrier collapsed, he said. “We have taken the bull by the horns,” he declared, “and as we speak we are expecting two aircraft, which government has already procured. These aircraft would operate daily flights to Lagos and Abuja.”
Diri also outlined plans to expand the airport and develop a "smart city" as part of the state’s broader infrastructure drive.
The government's plans to spend NGN25 billion naira (then USD15.9 million, now USD17 million) to buy an undisclosed aircraft were first reported in 2024. The aim was to boost traffic at the new Bayelsa airport, which was commissioned for commercial traffic in 2020. Only United Nigeria Airlines (UN, Enugu) currently operates flights to Bayelsa, according to its booking engine.
At the moment, three Nigerian states have their own airlines: Akwa Ibom State with Ibom Air (QI, Uyo), Cross River State with Cally Air (Calabar), and Enugu State with Enugu Air. Several others, including Anambra, Lagos, Ebonyi, and Sokoto, have expressed interest or are exploring options to establish their own airlines or partnerships with existing ones. The growth in state-owned airlines is being driven by the desire for better regional connectivity and economic and tourism development.
