Air Niger was an airline based in Niamey, Niger, that operated from 1966 until 1993.

Air Niger
IATA ICAO Call sign
AW AWM AIR NIGER
Founded1966
Ceased operations1993
HubsDiori Hamani International Airport
Secondary hubsMaradi Airport
Focus citiesMano Dayak International Airport
Destinations10 (at the time of closure)
Parent companyGovernment of Niger
HeadquartersNiamey, Niger

History

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The airline was formed in 1966 by the government of Niger with assistance from Air France and Union des Transports Aériens, taking over services from the defunct Aero Niger. Besides former air taxi and charter operations of Aero Niger, the new airline took over Air France domestic services in Niger and to Upper Volta, Nigeria and Chad. In addition to providing technical assistance to the airline, Air France and UTA held a financial stake in the airline via their holdings in SODETRAF. Air Afrique also held a stake in the airline. The airline which was 94.5% owned by the Niger government ceased operations in 1993.[1]

Services and fleet

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The airline operated services from Niamey to Tahoua, Maradi, Zinder and Agadez. In the late 1960s, its fleet comprised one Douglas DC-3 and one Douglas DC-4. Plans were made to extend its network to Upper Volta, Chad and Nigeria. Throughout the 1970s its fleet comprised two DC-3s, and by the late 1980s it was operating two Hawker Siddeley HS.748s on domestic services and to Lomé in Togo.[1]

Destinations

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Country City Airport
  Burkina Faso /   Upper Volta Ouagadougou Ouagadougou Airport
  Chad N'Djamena N'Djamena International Airport
  Niger Agadez Mano Dayak International Airport
  Niger Maradi Maradi Airport
  Niger Niamey Diori Hamani International Airport
  Niger Tahoua Tahoua Airport
  Niger Zinder Zinder Airport
  Nigeria Abuja Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport
  Nigeria Lagos Murtala Muhammed International Airport
  Togo Lomé Lomé–Tokoin Airport

Fleet

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An Air Niger Douglas DC-6B

Accidents and incidents

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  • On 10 June 1977, Douglas C-47 5U-AAJ was written off in a forced landing at Founkouey following an engine failure. The aircraft was on a scheduled passenger flight which had departed from Tahoua Airport. All 21 people on board survived.[2]

References

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  1. ^ a b Guttery, Ben R. (1998). Encyclopedia of African airlines. Ben Guttery. p. 137. ISBN 0-7864-0495-7. Retrieved 2009-10-14.
  2. ^ "5U-AAJ Accident description". Aviation Safety Network. Retrieved 4 August 2010.