Nigeria’s new Green Africa Airlines has signed an $11.7 billion deal with Boeing to buy 100 737 Max8 aircraft. The pending spin-off will see Africa’s largest airline split into 50 fixed and 50 optional aircraft. The deal will be Boeing’s second major deal with a Nigerian Airline.
Green Africa is backed by a team of aviation industry experts led by former American Airlines chairman and CEO Tom Horton, VivaColombia founder and former CEO William Shaw and American Airlines chief operating officer Virasb Vahidi.
The news comes at a time when African countries are discussing the African Open Skies Agreement, which 10 countries, including Nigeria, have yet to sign.
The 737 Max is the fastest-selling aircraft in Boeing history, with more than 4,800 orders, but it’s worth noting that the aircraft only made the news after a Lion Air 737 Max crashed in Indonesia in October, killing all 189 passengers.
Green Africa Airlines safety experts involved in the crash investigation told the Wall Street Journal that Boeing had reported no problems with the 737 Max’s flight controls before the crash.
Boeing’s automatic stall protection on the 737 MAX 8 and MAX 9 models is designed to help prevent cockpit crews from accidentally raising the aircraft’s nose to dangerous heights, but the report notes that fog in abnormal conditions could cause the plane to crash, leaving the crew unable to pull it back up.
The deal between Boeing and Green Africa Airlines will help create more than 1,000 jobs in Nigeria, where the unemployment rate is currently 23.1 per cent.
