On Wednesday, December 4, 2025, America’s mega carrier, United Airlines, commenced daily flights directly from Nigeria to Washington. In this interview held virtually, United’s Country Sales Manager Nigeria, Ghana and South Africa, Oluwatomi Bola-Sadipe, and Director of Sales, Continental Europe, Middle East, Africa, Israel and India, Mr Thorsten Lettnin, identified factors that informed the decision, strategies put in place to confront potential difficulties and how the carrier is sustaining its presence in Africa. Excerpts:
United has begun making plans for 2025, particularly to sustain its presence in Africa. Can you share some of those plans?
Lettnin: I am excited to say that for 2025, United Airlines will be offering non-stop services to 44 different points in the Atlantic region. That is the largest number in United Airlines history. Again, this is only in the context of providing choice and opportunity to our customers. The 44 destinations we will fly to in 2025 makes us relative to other United States carriers. Talking about the number of destinations served, we are number one. Coming over to Africa, it is just important sometimes to remind ourselves where we are coming from. If we look back to, let us say, 2019, to pre-COVID times, United Airlines was flying to zero destinations on the African continent. It was a white map. You can see how excited we are for our customers that come 2025, we will be flying to six destinations on the African continent.
Africa integral to our business
Bola-Sadipe: Africa is very integral to United as a business, and my joy is in showing that it is not just a saying that I put on the table in engagements with the market or stakeholders. It is actually a reality. That reality keeps getting stronger and stronger as time unfolds. You would agree with me that when we first spoke in August 2024, we did not highlight that Senegal would be coming, and that was because the focus at that point was also letting everyone know that come October 25, we will be adding Marrakech to our routes. United will be the only United States carrier flying into Marrakech from the United States, connecting both parts of the world very seamlessly. In addition to the exciting expansion that we did, one of the largest in our history, Africa also showcased itself on that map as well, and we are very excited to learn that come May 2025, we will be connecting Dakar, Senegal, straight to the United States of America. It will confirm Africa’s importance to United Airlines. Our focus has also been highlighted over time by the expansions that we see.
Winter schedule from Nigeria to Washington
https://www.vanguardngr.com/2024/12/hardship-onyema-
Bola-Sadipe: This is going to be the first expansion from December 4 up until February 14 for daily flights directly to Washington, and highlighting the products and services we have on the route and all of the offers and the strong relationships that United has also established in West Africa in the past years, it cannot be overstated. We brought in one of our best aircraft into the Nigerian market and into the West African market because it is not just a Nigeria sentiment. I do not hold back when I put that on the table because the product is very important. What we have done invariably is that apart from just showcasing the fact that Africa is very important to United Airlines, we have walked the walk and talked the talk. We fly the Nigerian route and the Ghanaian route with the Dreamliner 787-8. It is a top of the line product.
For our services, we have the Polaris, Premium Plus, Economy Plus and the regular Economy Cabin. This is so powerful for me because we are able to service all the sections of travel in the business very seamlessly and with a great product. In addition, we are now offering a multitude of options in and out of the continent with a focus currently on West Africa now, ensuring that daily flights are also put in the market. That is something of note to us as well. The distance between our growth from 2019 to date is nothing short of commendable, if I may say so myself. There have been expansions all over the continent and we are very optimistic that that would be the trajectory at which we would be following going forward.
Ease of doing business
Bola-Sadipe: You would agree with me that Nigeria has one of the largest populations and one of the youngest demographics globally. With those numbers, it is always important that we have the right connections in and out of the country. We have been in the market now for over three years and there are needs to be met. We are very happy that the commitment of having the daily winter schedule for this window will also help us support those customers and passengers of ours that would be flying in and out of the US during this winter period. In addition, I know we do have a lot of Nigerians in diaspora.
Adeleke Damilola (ACTION) is a versatile content writer with expertise in news writing and a seasoned media professional and broadcast specialist. Currently serving as News Editor for DNews Info, Damilola is also the CEO of the ACTION brand, committed to shaping lives and establishing a legacy of excellence for present and future generations.
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