The House of Representatives has described the launch of Nigeria Air as a fraud.
Recall that Nigeria Air was launched at the twilight of the administration of former President, Muhammadu Buhari.
However, the Chairman of the House Committee on Aviation, Nnolim Nnaji, poked holes in the launch of Nigeria Air after the major stakeholders in the deal between the Federal Government and Ethiopian Airlines denied knowledge of the launch.
Nigeria Air was only unveiled and not launched, the Ministry of Aviation claimed, which the committee dismissed as an attempt to divert the lawmakers’ attention.
Members of the committee were shocked when NAMA disclosed that the aircraft bearing Nigerian colours was on a chartered flight to Nigeria.
Other stakeholders who confirmed the disclosure noted that a chartered flight could be painted in any colour and with any inscriptions.
Nigeria Air is a proposed airline and flag carrier in Nigeria. The name and logo was unveiled at the Farnborough Air Show in the United Kingdom in July 2018.
Nigeria Air was announced at the Farnborough Air Show in 2018. Operations are expected to begin in December 2018. Ethiopian Airlines will have a stake in the company with 49% share. In 2017, the Nigerian government announced it will invest US$5 million in the venture.
However, the Minister for State Aviation, Hadi Sirika, insists that the airline will be privately-operated. “It is a business, not a social service. The government will not be involved in running it or deciding who runs it.
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The investors will have full responsibility for this.” According to a tweet by Tolu Ogunlesi, a Nigerian government communications official, the government will not own more than 5% of the airline.
The Minister for State Aviation announced that the government is in negotiations with Airbus and Boeing to provide a fleet for the new national airline.
Nigeria has bilateral air service agreements (BASAs) with 70 countries; however, only 30 are operating at the moment. Since Arik Air and Med-View Airline terminated their long-haul operations, only Air Peace has been operating long-haul flights.
The airline is looking at 81 potential destinations. However, Group Captain John Ojikutu, an expert in Nigerian aviation, stated that operation to just 15 of the 30 countries with which Nigeria has functioning BASAs would be an adequate start.
Barely two months after its proposal, the Federal Government on 19 September 2018, announced the suspension of Nigeria Air, describing the move as a tough decision.