NG Eagle Expands Fleet with Two Embraer E145 Acquisitions

Nigeria’s NG Eagle has strengthened its fleet by acquiring two Embraer E145 aircraft from local operator Xejet. The aircraft are currently being prepared for service, with one undergoing a C-check in Lagos and the other newly repainted in NG Eagle livery. The jets, 5N-BZM (20.5 years old) and 5N-NGE (24.3 years old), previously served with Angolan charter carrier Diexim Expresso Aviação before its closure in 2018.

NG Eagle, established by the Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON) in 2019, initially planned to receive three Boeing 737-700s from Arik Air. However, a Federal High Court ruling in March 2023 blocked the transfer, requiring the aircraft to remain under Arik Air’s receivership. The airline previously acquired a 27.6-year-old Boeing 737-300 (5N-DNB) from Dana Air, leased from Aerolux.

In October 2023, AMCON sold NG Eagle to a consortium backed by Nigerian aviation services provider Galactic Aviation. The airline resumed certification in November and launched commercial flights on December 10, 2023, using a wet-leased Airbus A320-200 from Heston Airlines. It currently operates one Boeing 737-300, serving domestic routes including Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt Awolowo, and Sokoto.

AMCON continues efforts to liquidate Arik Air to recover NGN228 billion (USD150 million) in debts. NG Eagle’s fleet expansion with the E145s signals its growth ambitions in Nigeria’s competitive aviation sector.

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Sources: AirGuide Business airguide.info, bing.com, ch-aviation.com