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Lufthansa said Thursday it had no plan to reduce its flight operations in Nigeria. Two foreign airlines, Emirates and Kenya, recently announced suspension of their flights to the Nnamdi Azikiwe International in Abuja. Both airlines attributed the decision to economic downturn in the country, foreign exchange challenges, and the shrinking passenger traffic. Lufthansa media consultant Hakeem Jimoh said Lufthansa would not be following a similar path for now. “Yes, there has been challenges, particularly with the issue of forex, but I can tell you that Lufthansa has no plan for now to reduce flight operations in Nigeria,” he said. Jimoh said that Lufthansa had been operating in Nigeria for over 50 years, adding that the country was important to the airline’s operation, especially in West Africa. <br/>

EgyptAir has inked a deal to purchase 8 new Boeing 737NGs, with first delivery expected in Feb 2017, according to the carrier. The aircraft will be financed by Dubai Aerospace Enterprise. “The delivery of this new order will help us maintain EgyptAir’s global flight schedule and continue to deliver a consistently great performance for our customers,” EgyptAir chairman and CE Safwat Musallam said. He added the deal “will provide us the competitive edge to achieve our growth targets and help us strengthen our presence in a wider region. The new aircraft will help us in unlocking new international routes, thus providing a springboard for network expansion in the years to come.” EgyptAir said it forecasts significant fleet growth by 2025. <br/>