Virgin Atlantic Cargo has appointed VN Cargo Connect as its new general sales agency partner in Lagos, Nigeria. The airline operates daily A330 flights to and from Nigeria’s largest city and in 2016 celebrates 16 years of services between Lagos and London Heathrow.

In support of the new Virgin Atlantic contract, VN Cargo Connect has increased the size of its sales team in Nigeria from seven to 12 people to maximise revenue opportunities for the airline and to meet its high standards for customer service. All dedicated sales activities are being coordinated at VN Cargo Connect’s Nigeria base at Murtala Mohammed Airport, led by manager Leslie Omokhodion.

Ryan Ellis, head of GSA territory management at Virgin Atlantic Cargo, said: “Lagos has been a popular passenger and cargo route ever since it joined our network in 2000. There is good growth potential in this market and we expect to see positive results from VN Cargo Connect’s investment in its sales team to support the Virgin Atlantic product and to ensure our customers continue to enjoy the best possible level of service. I also wish to thank our former GSA in Nigeria, Monai Cargo and Courier Company, whose efforts have helped us to start 2016 with year-on-year growth, which we now intend to build upon.”

Mark Bright, head of airline contracts at VN Cargo Connect, added: “We see huge air cargo potential from this region, especially with the ability to sell directly onto Virgin’s impressive global network, particularly to the US. Nigeria is the largest economy in Africa and has the third-largest manufacturing base on the continent. Virgin’s reputation for service quality and reliability, alongside its ability to offer quick connections over London to 12 major destinations in North America and trucking services to over 50 cities in Europe, means we have a strong proposition to offer the cargo community in Nigeria.”