United Nigeria Airlines becomes IATA member

United Nigeria Airlines Company Limited, Nigeria’s growing airline, has been admitted as a member of the global aviation body, the International Air Transport Association (IATA).

The airlines’ admittance into IATA was conveyed to the management of United Nigeria Airlines in a letter dated October 9, 2023, and addressed to Obiora Okonkwo, chairman and chief executive of the company.

The letter signed by William Walsh, IATA Director General, it said the group was happy to welcome United Nigeria Airlines into its fold.

“It gives me great pleasure personally to welcome United Nigeria Airlines as an IATA member,” the Director General said in the letter.

According to him, “IATA mission is to represent, lead, and serve the aviation industry and is the collective voice of some 300 Airlines from over 120 countries worldwide. Our vision is to work together to shape the future growth of a safe, secure, and sustainable air transport industry that connects and enriches our world.”

The IATA Director General further informed United Nigeria Airlines that the group’s priorities “include improving global safety, protecting the industry’s ability to grow sustainably, driving digital transformation within the industry and becoming the trusted source for aviation data.”

Expressing his happiness about United Nigeria Airlines’ membership of the group, the Director General said, “I sincerely hope that you, your airline, and employees will reap the full benefits of IATA membership.”

Commenting on the feat, Mazi Osita Okonkwo, Chief Operating Officer of the airline, said the IATA membership is an indication that United Nigeria Airlines was on course to becoming a global carrier.”

According to him, “the membership is a boost to our strategic engagements towards achieving our goals and becoming an airline that operates in accordance with global aviation standards.”

“We welcome the admission into IATA membership and assure that it will propel us to exceeding customer expectations on safety, quick service delivery, and top-notch customer services,” he added.

The IATA membership is coming in the heels of the accreditation of United Nigeria Airlines, last May, as an IATA Operational Safety Audit (IOSA) certified carrier.

United Nigeria Airlines is currently engaged with its expansion programme with immediate expectations for direct flight operations to Accra in Ghana and other regional destinations alongside expanded operations to Sokoto, Kano, Jos and Benin.

Ifeoma Okeke-Korieocha

Ifeoma Okeke-Korieocha is the Aviation Correspondent at BusinessDay Media Limited, publishers of BusinessDay Newspapers. She is also the Deputy Editor, BusinessDay Weekender Magazine, the Saturday Weekend edition of BusinessDay. She holds a BSC in Mass Communication from the prestigious University of Nigeria, Nsukka and a Masters degree in Marketing at the University of Lagos. As the lead writer on the aviation desk, Ifeoma is responsible and in charge of the three weekly aviation and travel pages in BusinessDay and BDSunday. She also overseas and edits all pages of BusinessDay Saturday Weekender. She has written various investigative, features and news stories in aviation and business related issues and has been severally nominated for award in the category of Aviation Writer of the Year by the Nigeria Media Nite-Out awards; one of the Nigeria’s most prestigious media awards ceremonies. Ifeoma is a one-time winner of the prestigious Nigeria Media Merit Award under the 'Aviation Writer of the Year' Category. She is the 2025 Eloy Award winner under the Print Media Journalist category. She has undergone several journalism trainings by various prestigious organisations. Ifeoma is also a fellow of the Female Reporters Leadership Fellowship of the Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism.