3 Years After Unveiling, Nigeria Air Yet To Fly

Exactly three years and one month after the unveiling of the name and logo of the proposed national carrier known as Nigeria Air, the airline is yet to take off.

While the federal government is insisting that the national carrier would come on stream next year, stakeholders and experts in the industry doubt the possibility with just a five percent contribution from the government.

Daily Trust reports that the Minister of Aviation, Senator Hadi Sirika had on July 18, 2018, unveiled the name and logo at the Farnborough International Airshow in London hinting that the airline would begin operation in December 2018 with 20 aircraft.

However, three months after, precisely on September 20, the Federal Executive Council (FEC) announced the suspension of the project.

Since then, the minister has insisted that the project is not dead even as he set a 2022 timeline for the delivery of the national carrier, which is a major project under the Aviation Masterplan.

Sirika said the carrier would be completely private sector driven with the government having as small as five percent stake.

But three years later, there is still uncertainty over the project fuelling doubts, misgivings over the seriousness of the government to float the airline.

Daily Trust reports that in between the three years, three different airlines have started operations including Ibom Air, which commenced operations June 7, 2019; United Nigeria (February 2, 2021) and just last week, Green Africa.

-Dailytrust