NG Eagle finally gets operating certificate, may replace Nigeria Air

The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has granted an Air Operating Certificate to the NG Eagle to operate in the nation’s airspace and set to get the national carrier status.

This is coming from the Federal Ministry of Aviation after the Nigeria Air project remains entangled in controversy and legal issue, according to a report by the LEADERSHIP.

The AOC of the airline was said to have been ready since September 2021 but not signed by the Director-General of the NCAA.

The NG Eagle project promoted by the Assets Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON) was incorporated on July 11, 2019 with a share capital of 1,000,000,000. It was however suspended after registration on orders of the Senate in October 2021.

The Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON) has taken the aviation ministry to court over the Nigeria Air project, seeking to stop the national carrier deal and withdraw the Air Transport Licence (ATL) already issued to the new airline by the Federal Government, through the NCAA.

The operators comprising Air Peace, United Nigeria, Azman, and Top Brass claimed that the firm that served as Transaction Adviser for the transaction was incorporated in March, last year, and alleged that the company was linked to the aviation minister.

The local airlines further alleged that the ATL issued to Nigerian Air did not pass through normal security clearance.

The court’s order of status quo has made Nigeria Air to miss its kick-off date for the sixth time.

The report quoted a managing director of a foremost airline in the country as reliably informing that the NCAA had finally granted NG Eagle AOC to begin operation.

The source reportedly said, “NG Eagle has been granted AOC.”

President, Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association of Nigeria (AOPAN), Alex Nwuba, said, “Good news, watch, potentially Nigeria Air.”

But Chief Executive Officer, Centurion Security and Safety Consults, Capt. John Ojikutu, disagreed that it was a good move, saying, the best that could happen is to make Nigeria Air operate locally.

According to him, no country in International Air Transport Association (IATA) will give Nigeria Air destination because of their trapped funds.

“I don’t think the NG Eagle will mischievously be made to become the Nigeria Air and I also still do not believe that the Nigeria Air can fly before May 29, 2023. The best that can ever happen is to operate the domestic routes and not the international or the Bilateral Air Service Agreement (BASA), routes without clearing many huddles along its path which include the earnings in forex owned by the foreign airlines trapped in the country’s Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).

“Don’t forget that IATA is involved and no country in IATA will give Nigeria Air destinations if it is designated a National or Flag Carrier except may be Ethiopian Airlines its investment and technical parameters,” Ojikutu, a former military commandant, Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos said.

Also speaking, the Director of Research and Corporate Travel, Zenith Travel Consult, Olumide Ohunayo, insisted that, with NG Eagle, the Nigeria would still not fly because of the hurdles the airline needs to cross.

He said the aircraft purchased by the NG Eagle had been canibalised with engines and other critical parts removed.

Ohunayo, however, argued that if the new airline was forced to fly by May 29, it won’t be long before they start experiencing crisis.

“The belated AOC give to Nigeria Eagle is not something that I want to rejoice about. I don’t think I am seeing a success story, because most of the aircraft they were supposed to be used were cannibalized and engines remove. Those aircraft cannot immediately fly so the issue of May 29 is not in place at the moment because they need to put a lot of things in order.”