During the national aviation stakeholders forum 2023 in Abuja on Thursday, Hadi Sirika, Nigeria’s Minister of Aviation, announced that the proposed national carrier, Nigeria Air, will begin operations before the end of the President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration.
In October 2022, Buhari had stated that the airline would commence operations by December 2022; however, the project was halted due to the airline’s ownership structure controversy, resulting in a court order against the federal government’s implementation of the airline.
Sirika mentioned that the project is 98% completed, and he expects the airline to take off within the next two months.
Furthermore, Sirika explained that he had hoped Emirate, Lufthansa, and Qatar airlines would emerge as the preferred bidders for the Nigeria Air project. However, he expressed his contentment that the Ethiopian Airlines consortium was selected as the winner.
Despite approaching several international and domestic airlines about partnering with Nigeria Air, with the exception of Overland Airways, the Ethiopian Airlines consortium emerged as the preferred bidder.
Sirika expressed his satisfaction with partnering with Ethiopian Airlines, as they have been in business for 70 years, have a strong reputation, and operate over 200 aircraft. Although some airlines have raised objections to partnering with Ethiopian Airlines, Sirika believes they are an excellent partner for Nigeria Air.
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