Okada Air

Okada Air was an airline based in Benin City, Nigeria. The carrier was established in 1983 with a fleet of BAC-One Eleven 300s.[1][2] and started charter operations in September the same year.[3] In 1984, a Boeing 707-355C was acquired for cargo operations. By 1990, ten BAC One-Elevens were bought, and eight more were acquired in 1991. The company was granted the right of operating international flights in 1992.[4]

Okada Air

IATA ICAO Callsign 9H OKJ OKADA AIR
Founded	1983 (1983)
Commenced operations	September 1983 (1983-09)
Ceased operations	1997 (1997)

Okada Air Boeing 747-100, Manchester, 1993

Okada Air Douglas DC-8, Luxembourg, 1985

The abandoned fleet of Okada Air at the Benin Airport, 2006. One Boeing 727 and 17 BAC 1-11 are visible

The owner of Okada Air was Chief Gabriel Igbinedion, the Esama of Benin.[5] In 1997, the company was disestablished.

Destinations

Okada Air served the following destinations throughout its history:[3]

• Abuja – Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport
• Benin – Benin Airport
• Enugu – Akanu Ibiam International Airport
• Jos – Yakubu Gowon Airport
• Kaduna – Kaduna Airport
• Kano – Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport
• Lagos – Murtala Muhammed International Airport
• Port Harcourt – Port Harcourt International Airport
• Yola – Yola Airport

Historical fleet details

• BAC One-Eleven-200
• BAC One-Eleven-300
• BAC One-Eleven-400
• BAC One-Eleven-500
• Boeing 727-200
• Boeing 707-300
• Boeing 747-100
• Douglas DC-8-62
• Sud Aviation Caravelle
• Dornier Do 228-100
• PZL W-3 Sokół (one)[6]

Accidents and incidents

Fatal accidents

• 26 June 1991: A BAC One-Eleven 402AP, registration 5N-AOW, force-landed 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) off Sokoto Airport due to fuel exhaustion. There were three fatalities, all of them passengers. The aircraft had been diverted from the original Benin City–Kano route because of bad weather at the airport of destination.[7][8]^:22

Non-fatal hull-losses

• 7 September 1989: A BAC One-Eleven 320AZ, registration 5N-AOT, that was finalising a domestic scheduled Lagos–Port Harcourt passenger service, was written off on a hard landing caused by bad weather at Port Harcourt Airport.[9]
• 1992: A Dornier 228-100, registration 5N-NOR, resulted damaged beyond repair on landing at an unknown location in Nigeria.[10]

See also

• Transportation in Nigeria

References

1. "World airline directory – Okada Air". Flight International. 143 (4362): 114. 24 March 1993 – 30 March 1993. Archived from the original on 5 August 2013. Check date values in: |date= (help)
2. "World airline directory – Okada Air". Flight International. 125 (3908): 874. 31 March 1984. Archived from the original on 5 August 2013.
3. "World airline directory – Okada Air". Flight International. 149 (4517): 73. 3 April 1996 – 9 April 1996. Archived from the original on 5 August 2013. Check date values in: |date= (help)
4. Guttery (1998), p. 146.
5. Forrest, Tom (1994). The advance of African capital: the growth of Nigerian private enterprise. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press for the International African Institute. ISBN 0-7486-0492-8.
6. Sałata, Dariusz; Sałata, Krzysztof; Wrona, Andrzej (2004). "Użytkownicy śmigłowców W-3" [W-3 helicopter users]. Aeroplan (in Polish). No. 5-6/2004 (50/51). Agencja Lotnicza Altair. p. 29. ISSN 1232-8839.
7. Accident description for 5N-AOW at the Aviation Safety Network
8. • "Airline safety review 1991 (page 20)". Flight International. 141 (4303). 24 January 1992 – 4 February 1992. Archived from the original on 5 August 2013. Check date values in: |date= (help)
   • "Airline safety review 1991 (page 21)". Flight International. Archived from the original on 5 August 2013.
   • "Airline safety review 1991 (page 22)". Flight International. Archived from the original on 15 June 2012. Retrieved 5 August 2013.
   • "Airline safety review 1991 (page 23)". Flight International. Archived from the original on 5 August 2013.
   • "Airline safety review 1991 (page 24)". Flight International. Archived from the original on 5 August 2013.
   • "Airline safety review 1991 (page 25)". Flight International. Archived from the original on 5 August 2013.
   • "Airline safety review 1991 (page 26)". Flight International. Archived from the original on 5 August 2013.
9. Accident description for 5N-AOT at the Aviation Safety Network
10. Accident description for 5N-AOR at the Aviation Safety Network

Bibliography

• Guttery, Ben R. (1998). Encyclopedia of African Airlines. Jefferson, North Carolina 28640: Mc Farland & Company, Inc. ISBN 0-7864-0495-7.CS1 maint: location (link) CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)