Debut at EBACE for Evergreen Apple Nigeria

Evergreen Apple Nigeria
(EAN) is making its debut at this year’s EBACE when it joins with European
partner Maintenance Centre Malta (MCM).  EAN which commenced operations in
July 2011, is the Nigeria’s
first fully integrated FBO, hangar and maintenance centre for business jets in Nigeria.

“The majority of aircraft
owned and operated in Nigeria
are listed on foreign registries so it is advantageous for us to work with an
established EASA Part 145 Organisation,” said Segun Demuren, managing director
and chief executive.  “MCM is also certified by the Nigerian Civil
Aviation Authority (NCAA) to provide maintenance on Nigerian registered
aircraft in Malta so
providing an option for support in Europe.”

For the longer term, EAN is
working on achieving AMO certification to carry out maintenance on Nigerian
registered aircraft in Nigeria.
This approval is expected by the end of May. With a burgeoning Nigerian oil
market EAN, in partnership with Heliportugal has established a company which is
planning to launch rotary operations and a rotary maintenance division to
service the key means of transport to the oil platforms.

The Evergreen Apple Nigeria team is
at EBACE to meet companies who operate already or who are thinking of starting
in the region. The team will also highlight that its FBO at Murtala Mohammed
International Airport,
Ikeja, representing an investment of about $25 million is formally open and
prepared for executive aviation business.

EAN has been developed in
response to the growth of business aviation in the region.  “Lagos is usually the first
Nigerian city new business ventures target and we could see there were a lack
of facilities expected from international business travellers,” Demuren said:
“Creating an integrated FBO and maintenance centre was essential to support
this expanding sector and we anticipate that this demand will continue to grow.”

Evergreen Apple Nigeria has the first FBO in Lagos
but there are plans to create a new FBO in Abuja,
the capital city of Nigeria
and in Port Harcourt,
the city at the heart of the country’s oil industry.