The Nigerian Aviation Handling Company Plc (nahco aviance) has been appointed by Air France-KLM (AFKL) as its Ticketing General Sales Agent (GSA) in Nigeria, deepening the longstanding partnership between the two aviation companies. Under the five-year agreement, NAHCO, through its subsidiary NAHCO Travel & Hospitality Limited, will be responsible for selling Air France-KLM tickets in Nigeria.
The new arrangement represents a shift from their previous operational relationship. NAHCO had previously managed Air France-KLM’s Airport Ticket Offices (ATO) under the Standard Ground Handling Agreement (SGHA) between the parties. The GSA appointment is a separate commercial agreement that expands NAHCO’s responsibilities into full city ticketing office sales and retail ticket distribution across Nigeria.
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According to NAHCO, the agreement is part of its strategy to broaden its aviation business beyond traditional ramp handling, cargo processing, passenger services and baggage handling, moving further into high-value commercial representation and aviation service management. Speaking on the development, NAHCO’s Group Executive Director, Commercial and Business Development (CBD), Prince Saheed Lasisi, described the appointment as a milestone in the longstanding partnership between the two companies.
He said the transition from handling airport terminal ticketing under the traditional SGHA framework to assuming full commercial ticketing authority across Nigeria demonstrates the confidence Air France-KLM places in NAHCO’s corporate capabilities and market reach. The partnership is expected to strengthen Air France-KLM’s commercial agility and distribution footprint in Nigeria, while leveraging NAHCO’s market penetration and corporate infrastructure to serve Nigerian travellers and travel management companies. The agreement also reinforces NAHCO Group’s efforts to diversify its aviation-related operations and establish a stronger presence across the wider travel and hospitality value chain.
The Nigerian Aviation Handling Company Plc (nahco aviance) is described as West Africa’s largest ground-handling service provider, with operations at major airports across Nigeria. Established in December 1979 by the Federal Government through the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) and four international airlines—Air France, British Airways, Sabena and Lufthansa—NAHCO has since evolved into a publicly quoted company listed on the Nigerian Exchange Group (NGX).
The company has expanded into a diversified business with investments spanning energy, logistics, free trade zone operations, airport management, travel and hospitality, and commodity exports.
The new Air France-KLM ticketing agreement further strengthens NAHCO’s position within Nigeria’s aviation and travel ecosystem while opening another avenue for the company to participate directly in the commercial distribution of international air travel.
