IRS Airlines Ltd, a privately owned Part 121 Nigerian domestic operator, commenced operation in 2001 with two superbly refurbished B727-200 passenger aircraft. The aircraft were acquired from American Airlines and are of the last of the B727 200 aircraft to be delivered to American Airlines by Boeing Commercial Aircraft.

With Head Office based in Lagos , route operation connected Lagos , Kano and Abuja .

With Nigeria relocating government to Abuja as the new Capital, IRS Airlines moved Head Office to Abuja in 2002/2003. With expanding operations, IRS Airlines purchased three ex Scandinavian Air System Fokker F28-4000 aircraft.

With 70 seat capacity, the Fokker is well suited to the IRS route structure. At the end of 2004, IRS Airlines purchased new generation Fokker F28-0100 (F100) aircraft, ex US Air.

Following extensive refurbishing and upgrading in South Africa and sporting the new IRS Airlines' livery, the aircraft entered service at the end of November 2004.

With a seating capacity of 100 passengers and the first Nigerian aircraft equipped with an In-Flight Entertainment System, the aircraft proved popular with passengers.

Four Fokker F28-4000 (ex Horizon Air) are expected to join the fleet during 2006, bringing the fleet total to eleven aircraft. Presently a domestic operator, plans are in place to extend flights to neighbouring countries.

Serving Lagos , Abuja , Kaduna , Jos, Maiduguri , Kano and Port Harcourt , IRS Airlines carry an average passenger load of 10,000 passengers per month. In addition to Charter flights, IRS Airlines leases B747 aircraft every year to convey pilgrims to and from Nigeria over the Haj period.