FG Again Shifts Take-Off Date for Nigeria Air the Sixth Postponement in 4 Years
- Nigerians will again have to wait longer to see Nigeria Air becomes operational
- The Federal government has been forced to delay Nigeria Air for the sixth time in less than two years.
- The airline was supposed to launch in December 2022, but a legal dispute has once again delayed that date
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Nigeria's bid to have a national carrier has once again failed because airline operators are determined to get their way in court.
In July 2022, The Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika promised that the airline will become operational in December 2022.
This was further reiterated by President Muhammadu Buhari, saying work had reached 91 percent.
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But the story took a new twist after the Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON), a grouping of local airlines, filed a lawsuit contesting the ownership structure of Nigeria Air.
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Why the airlines are fighting the federal government
The federal government had selected Ethiopian Airlines as a technical partner for Nigeria Air while the airline is expected to have a controlling share of 49 percent which did not go down well with the domestic operators.
Legit.ng had earlier reported that the airline in a court filing expressed worry that if Ethiopian Airlines is allowed to be a major partner for Nigeria Air it will give the foreign airline a foothold in the domestic market.
The plaintiff also prayed the court to set aside the entire bidding/selection process(es) for the “Nigeria Air” project as well as the approval, grant, or selection of the 2nd defendant by the 1st, 3rd, and 4th Defendants in the process.
FG forced to move the take-off date
On Friday, November 9, 2022, the federal government petitioned the court to allow its motion so that it may start operating, Dailytrust reports.
Lewis Allagoa, the presiding justice of the federal high court, confirmed the court's earlier order to put the project on hold until the legal issue between the airline and the federal government is settled.
The court, however, changed the original date of February 13, 2022, to January 16, 2022, for the continuation of the hearing on the subject.
Timeline of missed take-off dates
The court judgment implies that the FG will miss its December 2022 pledge to commence operations for the sixth time.
The Guardian reports that after the launch of Nigeria Air in July 2018, Nigeria Air was scheduled to take off in December of that year, but it never materialized.
The Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika, had also during a budget defense session in October 2020, told the Senate Committee on Aviation that the Aviation Road Map agenda would be executed in 2021, but this never happened.
Again, On November 23, 2021, after an FEC meeting, Sirika announced that the airline would now take off in April 2022. Again it never happened.
In March 2022, Sirika revealed that the take-off date was again shifted to July 2022 this never materialized and the final date was put in December 2022 after reaching an agreement with Ethiopian Airlines among other investors.
Air Peace others get new rival as Kano billionaire buys N4.2bn aircraft
Meanwhile, in another report after receiving approval from the federal government, Rano Air will soon be flying over Nigerian airspace.
The airline is owned by Kano-born business mogul and oil magnate, Alhaji Auwalu Abdullahi Rano.
To kick off the airline operation, Rano has spent over N4.2 billion in buying new aircraft.
Source: Legit.ng
