[ad_1]
In spite of a lingering court case, the federal government has insisted the National Carrier, Nigeria Air, will take to the skies before May 29, 2023.
The Minister of Aviation, Sen. Hadi Sirika, gave the assurance on Thursday during the National Aviation Stakeholders Forum 2023.
He said the government is taking necessary measures to overcome the hurdles introduced by the indigenous airlines that have gone to court to stop the process.
The minister described as unfair the action of the local airlines, adding that the Buhari government has supported local airlines more than all previous governments and wondered why the airlines would constitute a stumbling block to the actualisation of the national carrier which will add new jobs and better opportunities in the industry.
He said the Nigerian aviation industry is the only industry in the world where qualified pilots are without jobs, adding that 50 pilots had come to him complaining about their unemployment status.
He said Ethiopian Airlines, the offered bidder for the national carrier, is highly competent and profitable enough to add value to the Nigerian aviation sector.
Sen. Sirika reiterated that the national carrier will take advantage of Nigerian aviation potential, adding that he gave all the local airlines opportunity to have stakes in the national carrier but they refused to take the advantage.
“I asked all airlines in Nigeria, except Overland, to come partner and create a strong airline. Nobody took the opportunity. Fast forward, Ethiopian Airlines bidded. Was I happy? Well, I had mixed feelings. I was happy we got them to come. They were not my choice but I’m happy, especially that I now know what I know about the airline, he said.
He said ET will definitely add value. “Ethiopian Airlines is not a pushover in the world. They are a household name, strong and reliable. They have been in business for 70 years unbroken. They have over 200 aircraft. During the COVID, they posted over $1bn profit. Apart from Qatar, no other airline made such an amount,” he further stated.
ET also has the best maintenance organisation in Africa. They have the biggest and best training facilities, he said, adding that it’s a big advantage for Africa if both markets partner.
He noted that the local airlines have no business fighting Nigeria Air.
The minister queried the intention of the local airlines in their court action.
“Some airlines are in court. They said we can partner with any other airline in the world but not Ethiopian Airlines. In their own way, they think Ethiopian Airlines is a competitor. I don’t understand. In a world where airlines are coming together to build strong institutions and strong big airlines, and you said ET is a competitor?”
He further noted that any of the five airlines that have gone to court to stop Nigerian Air, if they have an opportunity to partner with ET, they will do so.
The said government has given maximum and maximal support to local airlines.
“Ask all the airlines that got Air Operator Certificate (AOC) during our time. Ask those who got AOC during the previous governments and how much they paid. The ones that got during President Muhammadu Buhari didn’t pay a dime and they never came to my office to lobby anyone. Also, how much did they pay to import aircraft or get Forex during this government? They didn’t pay anything,” he said.
[ad_2]
Source link
