United Nigeria Airlines has signed an agreement with Southwest Airlines to acquire six ex‑Southwest Boeing 737‑800s. The purchase will more than double the carrier's fleet — currently four Embraer ERJ‑145 regional jets — and marks its first move into larger narrowbodies.
Discovered |
Briefing
The deal expands United Nigeria from four ERJ‑145s to ten jets, enabling longer narrowbody sectors and a step-change in capacity — echoing other carriers that have bought used 737‑800s to plug capacity gaps.
The transaction highlights continuing demand for mid‑life 737NGs and the aftermarket ecosystem for parts and serviceable material, a trend underlined by recent retirements and teardowns of 737NG fleets.
It signals growing ambition in Nigeria’s market as carriers scale capacity for longer international and higher‑density routes, a dynamic also visible in regional carriers expanding long‑haul permissions and networks (see recent Nigeria carrier expansion into South America routes).
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(FR) Southwest Airlines sells up to 10 Boeing 737-800s to a Nigerian airline • Le Journal de l’Aviation
Ghana and Nigerian Airlines Acquire 10 Ex‑Southwest Boeing 737s in Major Fleet Expansion • travelandtourworld.com
(DE) Southwest sells six Boeing 737 to United Nigeria Airlines | aeroTELEGRAPH • aerotelegraph.com
Southwest Sells 6 Boeing 737-800s to United Nigeria Airlines • aerospaceglobalnews.com
(NL) Southwest sells Boeings to Nigerian carrier • pilootenvliegtuig.nl
FlightGlobal
• David Kaminski-Morrow