Finchglow Holdings Unfolds Focus For 2026
PHOTO CAPTION: From L-R: Head Of Sales, Finchglow Travels, Aderinola Desalu; Chief Cabin Crew Instructor and Quality Manager, Lagos Aviation Academy, Hakeem Lawal; Head Of Business, Finchglow Holidays, Oluwaseun Afolabi; Group Managing Director, Finchglow Holdings, Bankole Bernard; Managing Director, TravelDen,
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Finchglow Holdings, which will mark its 20th anniversary in 2026, has unfolded its projection targets for the coming year.
The Group Managing Director of Finchglow Holdings, Mr. Bankole Bernard said during an interactive session with aviation journalists yesterday that the company’s focus would be “to push up other subsidiaries to the level that is intended.”
He said the Shell Contract secured by the company in 2024, which has been renewed in 2025, gave Finchglow the biggest account among international oil companies in Nigeria.
“We are having to manage that and it is exposing us to a lot of rethinking and new experiences,” he said, adding that the contract led Finchglow into further divestments.
Bernard said, another subsidiary, FinchGlobal had been established because of high demand for movement of couriers. Finchglobal is a registered and approved cargo agent with the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) and approved by International Air Transport Association (IATA).
Bernard, who was recently appointed Chairman of Cargo Accounts Settlement System (CASS), Nigeria’s Local Consultative Council (LCC), said there are nine airlines that are members and that more players are showing interest in the initiative because they have seen the importance of centralized data and what is happening on the BSP. He said a lot of partnerships in cargo is being anticipated in 2026.
He also said a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) would soon be signed with the Bayelsa State Government to train aviation personnel for their airport and airline.
The Managing Director of TravelDen, Mr. Olugbenga Onitilo said: “Next year, we are going to have a more significant market share. Digitalizing travel is key focus for next year.” He said TravelDen would be 10 years in 2026 and that “in the past 11 months, we have grown the base of our customer size.”
Head of Business FCM Nigeria, Mr. Ayodele Abiola said the company won an award as the best travel management company in 2025 and for the best in Africa.
“We want to be at the forefront of managing travels for the corporate phase. We will use technology and innovation to drive business in 2026,” he said.
The Head of Business, Finchglow Holidays, Mr. Afolabi Oluwaseun said Finchglow Holidays marked its 8th year anniversary with Ethiopian Airlines in 2025, granting Nigerians easy visa access from Ethiopia.
“In 2026, we are going all out for regional and continental tourism,” he said.
The Chief Cabin Crew Instructor and Quality Manager, Lagos Aviation Academy, Mr. Hakeem Lawal said the eight-year-old academy trained over 1000 cabin crew in 2025 on three different aircraft types. He said more aircraft would be added in 2026.
On the high cost of airline tickets in Nigeria, Bernard appealed to the government to reduce taxes and levies that airlines pay as it is affecting the price of tickets, so as to enable more Nigerians travel by air.
