Nigeria Air will begin operations before May 29, FG insists

Nigeria Air will begin operations before May 29, FG insists

New national carrier, Nigeria Air, will commence operations before May 29, the exit date for the Muhammadu Buhari administration.

Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika, said on Monday that there was no going back on the plan to deliver the project before handing over to a new administration, which is less than two weeks.

He said this in Abuja while fielding questions from State House correspondents after an extraordinary Federal Executive Council meeting presided by Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo.

He said, “We are on course, we’re on course, and by the grace of God before President Buhari leaves office, it will fly.”

There have been sharp criticisms against idea of the FG floating a national carrier. Some domestic airlines have also instituted a legal action to stop the proposed Nigeria Air.

But the minister said there was no going back on the project and was definite that it would happen before May 29 this year.

The minister also said the FG gave approval for N3.197bn to procure and instal Taxi Waylights and Photometric Pattern in three airports and some other equipment all over the country.

Sirika explained that the equipment would be installed in Port Harcourt, Lagos and Abuja airports.

He said, “So today in council, something very significant has happened in the world of civil aviation. Part of our roadmap, the aviation leasing company has been established and approved by council.

“A second memo was also a contract for procurement, an installation of taxi waylights in the system and photometric pattern in Port Harcourt, Lagos and Abuja and some other equipment all over the country.

“And this contract is in the total sum for the photometric and taxi waylights system N3,197,127, 22.72 billion with an eight-month period and the contractor Mssrss KSR3 Global Ledger Limited,” the minister said.

The minister said entrepreneurs in civil aviation would have access to the equipment at affordable rates in Nigeria, and that it was part of the aviation road map.

Nigeria Air will begin operations before May 29, FG insists