Capital Airlines (Nigeria)

Capital Airlines

IATA ICAO Call sign - NCP CAPITAL SHUTTLE
Founded	2003
Ceased operations	2010
Hubs	Murtala Muhammed International Airport
Fleet size	5
Destinations	4
Parent company	Synergy Group
Headquarters	Lagos, Nigeria
Website	www.capitalairnigeria.com

Capital Airlines Limited was a charter airline headquartered in Lagos, Nigeria, that operated scheduled and chartered domestic flights out of its base at Murtala Muhammed International Airport[1] and Ilorin International Airport.[2]

History

A Capital Airlines Embraer EMB 120 Brasilia at Murtala Muhammed International Airport in 2004.

Capital Airlines was founded in 2003.[1] In mid-2005, the airline partnered with Synergy Group to operate Nigeria's viable fringe airports and to open some alternative airports, hitherto considered unviable.

The Nigerian government set a deadline of April 30, 2007 for all airlines operating in the country to re-capitalise or be grounded, in an effort to ensure better services and safety. Capital Airlines satisfied the demanded criteria in terms of re-capitalization and was re-registered for operation.[3]

In 2009, Capital Airlines failed to meet the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority requirement of having more than one aircraft,^[further explanation needed] forcing it to suspend all flights in October 30, 2009. The company was subsequently dissolved in 2010.[4]

Destinations

In July 2007, Capital Airlines had offered scheduled flights to the following cities:^[citation needed]

•  Nigeria
  • Abuja - Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport
  • Ilorin - Ilorin International Airport
  • Lagos - Murtala Muhammed International Airport Hub
  • Minna - Minna Airport

Fleet

Capital Airlines consisted of a fleet of 5 Embraer EMB 120 Brasilia turboprops.[1][5]

Accidents and incidents

• On August 2, 2009, an Embraer EMB 120 Brasilia (registered 5N-BLN) suffered a fire on the right engine after the pilots started the engines. All 28 passengers and 5 crew members were uninjured.[6]

See also

• List of defunct airlines of Nigeria

References

1. "Directory: World Airlines". Flight International. 2007-04-03. p. 61.
2. "Capital Airlines entry at airlineupdate.com". Archived from the original on 2012-09-04. Retrieved 2011-04-22.
3. All Africa.com 5 May 2007
4. Capital Airlines listed as defunct at airlinehistory.co.uk Archived April 6, 2011, at the Wayback Machine
5. "Capital Airlines Fleet Details and History". Planespotters.net. Retrieved March 22, 2023.
6. "Incident description". Aviation Safety Network. Retrieved November 13, 2022.