NG Eagle, a recently established Nigerian airline, has effectively executed its first-ever commercial passenger flight using an Airbus A320-200 that was wet-leased.

The NG Eagle Airbus A320-200 jet, registered LY-WSM, completed a brief 50-minute domestic trip (XLE900) between Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport (ABV) in Abuja and Murtala Muhammed International Airport (LOS) in Lagos, Nigeria, according to flight history recorded on Flightradar24.com. The airplane was greeted with a water salute upon arrival in Lagos as a way to commemorate its voyage.

“The […] inaugural flight of NG Eagle represents an incredible milestone for us, embodying our dedication to revolutionizing travel experiences while reflecting the rich values of the Naija Spirit. We are thrilled to commence this journey and offer passengers an extraordinary flying experience,” NG Eagle’s Managing Director, Capt. Dare, told Nigerian media Vanguard a day prior to the event.

According to the Planespotters.com registration, NG Eagle, a relatively newcomer to Nigerian aviation, only has one operational Airbus A320-200, which it obtained via a wet-lease arrangement with Lithuania-based charter company Heston Airlines. But according to sources in Nigerian media, the new airline apparently has another plane of the same model, registration LY-FJI, scheduled for operations with Heston under the same wet-lease conditions.

NG Eagle, a company founded in 2019 by the Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON) to handle the debt-ridden Arik Air’s assets, was originally scheduled to start passenger operations in 2021 using two of the airline’s former Boeing 737-700 aircraft. However, the carrier was unable to acquire its air operator’s certificate on schedule. After just two years, in early November 2023, AMCON sold the airline to Galactic Aviation, and the carrier once again pursued the AOC.