Eight airlines vying for Lagos-US slots

Eight airlines have expressed interest in operating flights between Lagos and the United States when the route is reopened to traffic this year, Aviation Minister Kema Chikwe said Tuesday. He told AFP the airlines were Ghana Airways, NorthWest Airlines, South African Airways, Virgin Atlantic, Tower Air, Evergreen International, InterGalactic and AAM. In December 1999, Washington lifted a ban it had imposed on direct flights between Lagos and the United States because of security concerns at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport. Chikwe, who set up an 11-member committee on Monday to oversee the resumption of the flights, said his ministry wanted to grant licenses to at least three airlines to ensure adequate competition, AFP reported.