[3] The airline, which effectively replaced the defunct Nigeria Airways, was founded in 2004 as a joint venture between Nigerian investors and the Virgin Group.

[8] This followed a dispute which arose after Virgin Nigeria's domestic operations were moved against its will by the Ministry of Transportation to Terminal 2.

Virgin Nigeria had twice refused the directive to relocate its domestic operations from the international terminal, citing the Memorandum of Mutual Understanding it had signed with the previous (Olusegun Obasanjo) administration, and pending appeal in a Lagos High court, as reasons for not complying.

[10] Virgin retained its 49% stake in the new Nigerian Eagle Airlines with the remaining 51% held by Kassy Olisakwe.

[12] On 6 September 2012 Air Nigeria announced that the management had fired its staff ‘for being disloyal' and the airline ceased all its local, regional, and international operations.