SAHCO Lands Air Algérie Handling Contract at Lagos and Abuja

Skyway Aviation Handling Company (SAHCO) has secured a contract to provide ground handling services for Air Algérie at Nigeria's two busiest international gateways: Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos and Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja. The award consolidates a relationship that began in April 2025, when SAHCO started handling the Algerian flag carrier's flights between Algiers and the Nigerian capital.

What does the contract cover?

The scope spans the full ground handling chain. SAHCO will provide passenger handling, baggage operations, ramp services and cargo support for Air Algérie at both stations.

The arrangement formalizes work SAHCO has, in effect, already been performing. Air Algérie expanded its Nigerian network in late October, adding service that connects Algiers, Abuja and Lagos — a triangular routing that doubled the carrier's Nigerian footprint from one city to two in roughly half a year.

For SAHCO, the value is straightforward: a second station under one customer, which improves equipment utilization and crew scheduling across Lagos and Abuja.

How did the relationship develop?

The timeline is short but cumulative:

• April 2025: SAHCO begins handling Air Algérie's flights between Algiers and Abuja.
• Late October 2025: Air Algérie launches new service linking Algiers, Abuja and Lagos.
• Now: A formal contract extends SAHCO's remit to both Nigerian points in the carrier's network.

The progression suggests Air Algérie was satisfied enough with the Abuja operation to consolidate its growing Nigerian presence with a single handler rather than split the work between competing providers. Nigerian ground handling is a contested market, and multi-station awards of this kind are the currency by which handlers measure their standing.

What qualifies SAHCO for the work?

SAHCO said its investments in ground support equipment, technology and workforce training have strengthened its ability to serve international airline customers. The company is also incorporating alternative power sources and environmentally focused solutions into its equipment strategy — a nod to the industry-wide push toward electrified ramp fleets.

Its credentials extend nationwide. SAHCO operates at all commercially active airports in Nigeria and holds several international certifications, including:

• IATA Safety Audit for Ground Operations (ISAGO) registration
• ISO 9001 certification

ISAGO registration, in particular, matters for carriers deciding where to place a new station: it is the industry's standardized audit framework for ground operations, and airlines with global networks increasingly treat it as a precondition rather than a differentiator.

What does this mean for the market?

The Air Algérie contract adds another international carrier to SAHCO's customer portfolio as the company continues expanding its ground handling operations across Nigeria. For Air Algérie, the deal gives a state-owned carrier venturing further into West Africa a certified, nationally present handler at both ends of its Nigerian network.

The commercial logic runs in both directions. Air Algérie gains operational consistency — one handler, one set of procedures, one quality standard — across Lagos and Abuja. SAHCO gains density: more flights, more stations and more service lines under a single agreement.

What comes next?

The contract's durability will depend on whether Air Algérie's Nigerian routes perform well enough to sustain — or further grow — the Algiers–Abuja–Lagos triangle it opened in October. If the network holds, SAHCO has positioned itself as the incumbent handler at every point Air Algérie currently serves in Nigeria.