UK’s Castle Air has recently sold an AW109S Grand to Nigeria – and delivered it by air.  Coverage on the company’s Facebook page indicates that the route followed the West Africa coast via Mauretania, Ivory Coast and Ghana before arriving at Lagos in Nigeria.

The purchaser is Azikel Dredging, who started in the business supplying sand, buying from local suppliers and reselling to construction contractors.  This progressed to the ownership of dregers and in 2008 Azikel Dredging Nigeria Ltd was incorporated for the services of dredging, reclamation, sand filing, haulage and heavy duty equipment leasing.

The aircraft concerned is registered in the Isle of Man as M-AZKL, and is serial 22004 and will be operated by a new aviation arm of the company, Azikel Air.

Azikel Air has reportedly signed a deal with Castle Air for the design and construction of a helicopter maintenance hangar at the forthcoming Bayelsa Airport in Yenagoa.  The company also operates a Hawker 800XP jet, registered N500AZ

Jeremy Parkin – HeliHub.com