United Nigeria inks Air Bissau relaunch with Guinea-Bissau

United Nigeria Airlines (UN, Enugu) has signed a memorandum of understanding with the government of Guinea-Bissau to re-establish the country's national carrier, Air Bissau (Bissau), the Nigerian airline announced.

The agreement was signed in Bissau by Guinea-Bissau's Transport Minister, Florentino Mendes Pereira, and United Nigeria Airlines majority shareholder, chairman and CEO, Obiora Okonkwo.

Under the agreement, the parties will establish a joint venture (JV) to operate the new iteration of Air Bissau, which closed down in 1998.

Under the JV, United Nigeria Airlines will provide most of the investment, aircraft - most likely the airline's E145s - plus operational expertise and management. The Nigerian carrier will also supply an executive jet for use by the president and government of Guinea-Bissau.

For its part, the government has committed to designating Air Bissau as the country's official national carrier, giving it access to traffic rights under the country's bilateral air services agreement. It will also facilitate the airline's certification and licensing through the civil aviation authorities of Guinea-Bissau and Nigeria, while supporting airport infrastructure, customs, immigration, and security arrangements at Bissau, which will serve as the airline's base.

United Nigeria Airlines will also support the training of Air Bissau pilots, cabin crew, and maintenance personnel and employ local staff where feasible. The memorandum stipulates that operational control and day-to-day management of the airline will rest with United Nigeria Airlines.

The MOU takes immediate effect and will remain valid for 18 months or until the parties conclude a definitive joint venture agreement.

The old Air Bissau operated between 1960 and 1998, serving domestic and regional routes with B727-200s, Fairchild F-27s, An-24s, and An-26s. Since then, the country has relied on ASKY Airlines, Royal Air Maroc, and TAP Air Portugal for international connectivity.

Fleet expansion

Meanwhile, United Nigeria Airlines has taken delivery of the first of six B737-800s acquired from Southwest Airlines as part of its fleet expansion programme.

The 11.8-year-old N8642E (msn 42525) and 12.1-year-old N8627B (msn 36895) have been re-registered as 5N-CFC and 5N-CFB, respectively. According to ADS-B flight tracking data, 5N-CFB arrived in Lagos on June 13 after being ferried from Tallinn Lennart Meri via Algiers. Both aircraft were in Estonia since April 30 for painting and cabin reconfiguration in dual-class layouts.

In an interview with ch-aviation in May 2026, Okonkwo said United Nigeria Airlines was targeting a fleet of 22 aircraft by the end of 2026 as it expands into at least five or six African destinations and launches intercontinental operations.

Apart from the B737-800s, the in-house fleet comprises three E145s.

The airline currently relies heavily on wet leases, including two A320-200s from Fly2Sky; two CRJ900s from CemAir; and one E190 from Windrose Airlines.

According to Okonkwo, United Nigeria Airlines plans to wet-lease five more aircraft, including two A330-200s from Air Anka, two E190s from TrueNoord, and one more E190 from Windrose Airlines, all still to be deployed.