The Air Nigeria project has been suspended by the newly-appointed Minister of Aviation, Festus Keyamo. The decision came after he visited the Murtala Muhammed International Airport Lagos, where he also directed all international airlines operating from the old international terminal building to move out.
The minister said the directive to move their operation to the new terminal, given to airlines, will take effect from October 1, 2023. This is to allow for a complete shutdown and repair of the old terminal.
The Nigerian Air project, which was in May exposed by investigative journalist David Hundeyin as fraudulent, has drawn a lot of controversy. The project was conceived by Muhammadu Buhari’s administration in 2016 but was dragged through the rest of his time in office.
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Keyamo, who promised reforms in the aviation sector, said all arrangements under his predecessor, Hadi Sirika, including the planned Nigeria Air, have been put on hold, to enable proper audit of contracts.
Background of the Nigerian Air launch
Sirika hurriedly launched the Nigerian Air toward the end of May last year, sparking suspicion that the whole project was mired in fraud. Further investigation reveals that the single plane unveiled at the launch was rented from the Ethiopian Airline.
Aviation expert and analyst, Captain Ado Sanusi, also said in a June interview with ChannelsTV that it would be practically impossible for Nigerian Air to commence commercial passenger operations within a mere two days, considering the intricate processes involved. This aligns with Hundeyin’s report, which contends that the launch is fraudulent.
During the investigation, the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) informed the committee that the aircraft bearing Nigerian colors was on a chartered flight to Nigeria. This information was corroborated by other stakeholders who affirmed NAMA’s statement, emphasizing that a chartered flight can be painted in any color and bear any inscriptions.
In his testimony before a Senate committee on Aviation, Capt. Dapo Olumide, the Interim Managing Director of Nigerian Air, confirmed that the unveiled Nigerian Air aircraft had been chartered. He explained that the plane that arrived and departed was a legitimate chartered flight, a service available to anyone without a license as long as the requisite payment is made.
During the meeting, Senator Biodun Olujimi, who chairs the Senate Aviation Committee, expressed her curiosity regarding why the former Minister of Aviation rushed to unveil a national carrier on the final day of the Muhammadu Buhari administration.
Hundeyin would later report that the rented plane, which was repainted with the Nigerian Air color, was returned to the Ethiopian Airlines fleets and services.
In June, seasoned aviator Girma Wake stepped down from his position as Chairman of Ethiopian Airlines amid the controversy surrounding the establishment of Nigeria’s national carrier.
Nigeria’s Senate and House of Representatives Committees on Aviation had both labeled the launch of the Nigeria Air as a fraud.
Olumide reiterated his confirmation during his testimony before the Senate committee. He clarified that the Nigerian Air currently possesses an airport license, which constitutes one of the two necessary licenses for airline operation. However, this license does not authorize the carrier to conduct commercial service operations.
He went on to elaborate that for Nigerian Air to obtain the required license and gain approval from the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority for operation, it would need to have a minimum of three registered aircraft in its fleet.