Nigeria’s Medview Airline planning a come-back
Nigeria’s Med-View Airline (MEV, Kano) plans to restart operations after more than two years of inactivity, according to a company disclosure to the Nigerian Exchange (NGX).
The airline, the only carrier listed on the Nigerian bourse, has been grounded since 2019, reportedly due to a lack of equipment.
A notice on September 1 to the NGX signed by the executive director (business development & commercial), Na’Allah Isiaq, said a virtual board meeting scheduled for September 20, 2021, would consider, amongst other things, the restart of operations.
The meeting would also discuss the appointment of a new chief executive officer and chief operating officer, as well as the appointment of a new company secretary. This followed the resignation of company secretary Abdullahi Adam Al-ilory on August 13. G.Elias & Co. has assumed the role of the company secretary in an acting capacity until the Board meeting, according to a separate filing on September 3.
The airline used to be a major player in the hajj and Umrah markets, but the cancellation of the pilgrimage for two consecutive years by the authorities of Saudi Arabia due to COVID-19 negatively impacted the airline’s recovery drive.
In August 2020, Med-View also moved to sell two of its aircraft: a B737-400 5N-MAA (msn 28703) and B737-400 5N-MAB (msn 28704), in order to reduce the company’s credit facility with lender First Bank. According to the ch-aviation fleets advanced module, 5N-MAA is currently stored at Tallinn Lennart Meri, and 5N-MAB is stored at Lagos. It also used to lease a B737-500 5N-BQM (msn 28055) from AerCap.
The carrier’s B777-200(ER), msn 28529, which is stored at Addis Ababa, was returned to lessor Avmax Aircraft Leasing in July.
As previously reported, oil and fuel supplier Asharami Synergy filed a petition at the Federal High Court in Lagos for the liquidation of Med-View Airline over its inability to pay debts totalling NGN43.5 million naira (USD120,000) in 2020 over the supply of fuel.
Med-View denied the petitioner’s claims, saying that the carrier’s fuel supplier during much of the period had been Lagos-based So Aviation Fuel Limited. It also has denied any threat of liquidation.