By Dickson Omobola

A Nigerian carrier, United Nigeria Airlines, UNA, has entered a new distribution agreement with Sabre Corporation to expand operations beyond Nigeria.

Sabre is a leading technology company that takes on the biggest opportunities and solves the most complex challenges in travel.

Chairman of UNA, Professor Obiora Okonkwo, said with the agreement, United would have over 50,000 Sabre-connected agents in 200 countries who would gain access to the carrier’s fares and inventory.

Okonkwo, who spoke at the airline’s office in Lagos, also disclosed that by August 25, United would make its first regional flight to Accra, Ghana.

He said: “This agreement supports our growth strategy, enhances our visibility, and enables travel agents globally to seamlessly  shop and book our fares. We look forward to welcoming more travelers through this new partnership. What this means is that we have over 50,000 agents in 200 countries with the capacity to buy our ticket. That means we need a lot more seats to serve.

“By this time next year, we would have increased our capacity by over 2,000 per cent. From October to November, we will be adopting a new aircraft, no less than four big-body aircraft. And from February to April next year, we will have six 737-800 engines in our fleet. With this, we will not only be strengthening the local operations in Nigeria, but we will be properly positioned for both our regional, continental and intercontinental flights.

“As you may be aware, we have been designated to a whole lot of countries in West Africa, Africa and also globally, within America and the United Kingdom. In response to this, we have fixed August 25 for our first regional flight to Accra, Ghana. We know this will be very challenging, but we are not giving up.”

Also speaking, Vice President, Airline Distribution, EMEA, Sabre, Alessandro Ciancimino, said: “At Sabre, we are committed to helping carriers of all sizes scale efficiently and better serve the needs of today’s travelers. So, we’re proud to support United Nigeria Airlines as they take this important step to expand their reach. By joining the Sabre travel marketplace, the airline is increasing access to content for travel agents worldwide and unlocking new opportunities for revenue and growth.”

Meanwhile, President of Sabre Central and West Africa, Joshua Olowo, said: “We are excited to welcome United Nigeria Airlines to the Sabre marketplace as our newest airline partner. This partnership aligns with our goal to help local carriers reach broader markets, increase revenue opportunities and serve travellers better through Sabre’s world-class technology.”