…Dispels rumour of London ban
By Omodele Adigun and Louis Ibah
Shareholders of Medview Airline Plc, last Wednesday, authorised its board of directors to raise fresh capital to boost the operations of the company.
Recall that the airline was listed on the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) last January with a promise to improve on its service delivery and give quality returns to shareholders.
Its Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Alhaji Muneer Bankole, had said one of the ways to deliver on that promise was to acquire more aircraft and expand to new routes.
The board of the company then proposed to raise fresh funds, an idea unanimously supported by the shareholders at the Annual General Meeting (AGM) in Lagos.
It was one of the resolutions passed at the AGM. The shareholders authorised the board to “raise additional capital via issue of debt instruments, preference shares or ordinary or a combination of any of these options by way of private placement, rights to existing shareholders, offer for subscription or any staff share scheme at a quantum and price upon such other terms and conditions to be determined at the discretion of the directors and subject to any requisite regulatory approvals.”
Apart from giving approval to raise fresh capital, the shareholders commended the company for recommending a dividend few months after listing on the exchange. According to them, this shows that their investment in the company is worthwhile.
Meanwhile, the airlines yesterday said it operated its schedule flight to London Gatwick Airport, thus putting paid to reports that the European Union (EU) restriction affected its UK operations.
The airline’s Boeing 747 aircraft jetted out of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport Ikeja with about 240 passengers on schedule at exactly 1.30pm.
Its Chief Operating Officer/ Accountable Manager, Mr. Lookman Animashaun, said the wet-leased B747 aircraft with a 460 passengers capacity was introduced in December 2016 to take advantage of the heavy traffic during the peak period, saying the aircraft operated with full capacity throughout the season up to March.
He dispelled rumours that the airline had been banned from flying into the Gatwick Airport in London, United Kingdom by the European Air Safety Commission (EASA).