SPECIAL REPORT......LESS THAN 6 MONTHS OF GRANTING OPERATING LICENCE: BINANI AIR IMPRESSING CUSTOMERS WITH EXCELLENCE, GOOD TIMING AND DECENT CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIP
•By Mike Cerutti & Aminu Tafawa Balewa, Lagos/ Abuja “ We pledge to give only excellence — in service, in safety, and in the way we treat every passenger.” That was Sen. Aishatu Dahiru Binani’s vow on March 17 - 18, 2026, when the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority presented Binani Air Global Services with its Air Operator Certificate in Abuja. Less than six months later, that statement is no longer just a quote. It is the operating manual for the airline. The NCAA granted Binani Air its AOC for scheduled operations in March 2026, after years of non-scheduled and charter services dating back to July 2024. The moment was described by NCAA DG Capt. Chris Najomo as a historic milestone — the birth of Nigeria’s first fully female-led airline. But for the CEO, the licence was not the finish line. It was the starting point for a bigger vision. Sen. Binani’s vision is simple and deliberate: build an airline Nigerians can trust first, then scale. In meetings with staff and in her ...