Nigeria Air Controversy: Airplane to land Friday — Sirika
Minister of aviation, Hadi Sirika says an aircraft belong Nigeria Air, the proposed national carrier, will arrive in the country on Friday ahead of the commencement of operations.
In an interview with journalists on Wednesday, Sirika said the aircraft will be unveiled in Nigeria’s colours (green and white), in fulfillment of all the promises made by the administration in the aviation sector.
He said the actualisation of the vision was due to the unwavering resolve of the current administration.
“On Friday, in two days, the Nigeria Air airplane will land in Nigeria, as part of the processes to commence the operations,” he said.
“We would, on that day, unveil the aircraft with delivery and everything in Nigeria colours, belonging to Nigeria Air and we will proceed to do the retrofit and bring back those airplanes.
“So, we have achieved a lot of in the roadmap. The only item that is missing on my table is the aerotropolis. Even that, the groundwork has been done. All the airports (the four of them) are free zones. They are free zones to allow you to come in there and take advantage of what a free zone is.
“And that of course will enhance and boost the aerotropolis, which is the airport city. Abuja is sitting on 12,000 hectares of land, courtesy of Mr. President and that is why you would see this huge aerotropolis.”
News on the arrival of the aircraft comes amid disagreements by stakeholders over the ownership stake of the proposed national carrier.
Last year, a federal high court in Lagos prohibited the federal government from selling the shares of Nigeria Air to Ethiopian Airlines — a judgment that ultimately halted the commencement of operations.
But the minister, in recent months, had consistently insisted that the national carrier would fly before the end of the current administration.
Sirika, in March, April, and earlier this month, announced that Nigeria Air would commence operation before May 29 and “nothing would stop it.”
Sirika had at an aviation stakeholder’s forum in Abuja in March said that Nigeria Air will commence full operations before the end of the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari.
Responding to a question on when exactly Nigeria Air will commence operations, the minister had said, “Before the end of this administration, before May 29th, we will fly.”
He added that the Federal Government is leaving the aviation sector better than it met it having achieved over 90 per cent of the aviation sector road map.
The nation’s proposed national carrier was unveiled at the Farnborough Air Show in England on 18 July 2018.
The project was suspended two months after it was announced amidst concerns over its relevance and sustainability. The airline was expected to gulp $8.8 million in preliminary cost and $300 million as take-off costs.
