New national carrier likely as FG/Ethiopian Airlines pact crumbles

The Federal Government may soon unveil a new national carrier following the suspension of the Nigeria Air project.

Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Dr. Ibrahim Abubakar Kana, gave the hint while clarifying an earlier comment attributed to him that he had the mandate of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to deliver a new national carrier.

Daily Trust reported Kana as denying ever saying the suspended Nigeria Air project with the Ethiopian Airlines providing the technical support would be revived.

The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, on assumption of office in 2023 suspended the project.

He also declared that the Ethiopian Airlines deal on Nigeria Air was for Nigeria.

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Keyamo had said, “This is the Ethiopian Air agreement here. And you’ll be shocked if you look at this. What it simply says is that a foreign government should come and take over our national carrier.

“That is the long and short of the story, because Ethiopian Air was a single major shareholder in that deal.

“Ethiopian Air is owned by another government in Africa. It’s the same thing they have done to Togo. Togo is a small country. They have done it with Asky owned by Ethiopian Air. We cannot be Togo. I apologise, whoever I’m talking to but we cannot be Togo.

“We are big; we are big; we are ambitious. We cannot give up our entire ecosystem to another entity. Because what would have happened in that case is that the Ethiopian government would now be a complete beneficiary of all our BASA (Bilateral Air Service Agreement) routes.”

Stakeholders, industry players and analysts have expressed concerns over the failure of all the attempts at bringing back the national carrier since the demise of Nigeria Airways in 2004 despite millions of dollars and billions of naira sunk into it.

Former Minister Hadi Sirika in response to a report that N85bn was expended on the Nigeria Air project stated that only N3bn was spent on the project.

The former minister said: “Between the years 2016-2023, all the money budgeted for Nigeria Air, was about N5 billion but not all of it was released. Perhaps about N3 billion was released.

“Part of the N3 billion has so far been spent on the acquisition of offices, payments of consultancy fees, workers’ salaries and processing of Air Operators ‘Certificate (AOC).”

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In a statement yesterday, Kana confirmed that he had been inundated with inquiries about his reference to the revival of the National Carrier Project and needed to clarify the issue.

He said, “For the avoidance of doubt, I never said that there is a mandate to revive the botched Nigeria Air deal with Ethiopian airline. I received no such instruction.

“I was only referring to the general vision of the administration to still consider a National Carrier Project if it is favourable to the country and under the guidance and directives of Mr. President and the Honourable Minister of Aviation. I hope this clarifies all the ambiguities surrounding my earlier statement on this issue.”

From 2003 till date, virtually all the ministers of aviation that have served made attempts to bring back the national carrier with billions of naira spent on the various projects without giving an account of the money.

Daily Trust reported an aviation analyst, Group Capt. John Ojikutu, as saying instead of floating one national carrier, government should set up two flag carriers instead; one regional and continental and the other intercontinental.

He said, “This is what our contemporaries in the early times were doing. I will recommend Arik-Aero for the Regional-Continental and Air Peace-Ibom for the Intercontinental. Both would need foreign technical partners and investors but not from any of our competitors on the BASA Routes.

“First is to assess the local and foreign debts and assets of the airlines to the foreign investors and the domestic investors.”

He stated that both foreign and local investors should not have more than 30 per cent making 30 per cent in total while FG and the states or the six geographical areas should have 12% and the public through the Nigerian Stock Market 28% and the 40% balance should be for the airlines.

“Anything different from that cannot work and may not last,” he added.

New national carrier likely as FG/Ethiopian Airlines pact crumbles

Nigeria’s rail revenue drops 4% to N2.2bn in three months

Revenue generated from rail transport fell by 4.7 percent year-on-year (YoY) to N2.19 billion in the third quarter of 2024 (Q3’24), from N2.3 billion in the corresponding period of 2023, Q3’23.

The National Bureau of Statistics, NBS, disclosed this yesterday in its Rail Transportation Data for Q3’24.

The breakdown of the revenue shows N1.7 billion was received from passengers while N412.57 million was collected on goods/cargo, and N51.85 million received from the movement of goods/cargo through pipelines. It also generated N34.77 million from income line categorized as ‘Other Receipts’.

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The Bureau also said that 743,205 passengers travelled through the rail system during the period.

It stated: “In Q3’24, a total of 743,205 passengers travelled via rail system relative to 594,348 reported in the corresponding quarter of 2023, indicating a growth rate of 25.05 percent.

“The volume of goods/cargo transported via rail in Q3 2024 stood at 96,401 tons compared to 69,003 tons recorded in Q3 2023.

“In the quarter under review, the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) reported an additional volume of goods/cargo transported via pipeline which stood at 7,320 tons, lower than 12,960 tons in Q3 2023.

“In terms of revenue generation, N1.7 billion was received from passengers during the reference period, showing an increase of 13.83 percent from the N1.49 billion recorded in the same quarter of the previous year”.

Nigeria’s rail revenue drops 4% to N2.2bn in three months

JUST IN: Six crew members escape unhurt as Cargo plane crash-lands in Abuja

A cargo plane operated by Allied Air made an emergency landing at Abuja’s Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport due to a malfunctioning landing gear.

The aircraft, bearing registration number 5N-JRT, experienced the failure on Wednesday at 10:00 am with six crew members on board.

“Fortunately, no casualties were recorded,” a source familiar with the incident said.

“Crew members were quickly evacuated and are undergoing medical evaluations at the 063 Nigerian Air Force medical unit.”

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“Emergency responders swiftly secured the crash site, cordoning off the area under Military Airport Commandant supervision.”

The source revealed that the airport’s runway is temporarily closed, causing flight delays.

Airport authorities, including the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, are working to remove the aircraft and inspect the runway for potential damage.

This incident occurs three months after a Port Harcourt helicopter crash claimed three lives.

JUST IN: Six crew members escape unhurt as Cargo plane crash-lands in Abuja