Virgin Nigeria was due to begin operations this week with the launch of international services from its Lagos hub to London, along with regional flights to Abuja, Accra and Port Harcourt. International flights are being flown by an Airbus A340-300 transferred from sister airline Virgin Atlantic, while the short-haul network is operated by A320s. “We intend to be operating about nine international routes within nine months,” says the airline’s chief executive Simon Harford.