Nigeria will have a National Airline in the first quarter of 2022 according to minister of aviation, Hadi Sirika.
In a speech to media, Hadi Sirika reiterated the government’s desire to launch the flag carrier in 2021, however due to covid-19 related delays, the launch has been pushed further to next year
“It is our intention to have the national carrier running in 2021, which is this year; unfortunately, due to COVID-19, which took the greater part of last year, since March last year, activities have almost been impossible” he said
He confirmed that a revised outline business case will be presented to the Federal Executive Council( FEC) for approval and once achieved “we will go to the full business case which is now going to the market and then establish the national carrier”
In his speech, Hadi Sirika outlined the rationale behind the creation of the national airline, emphasizing that the huge Nigerian population, its strategic geographical position at the heart of Africa and relative distance from key destinations as well as a rising middle class with a high propensity to fly meant that “ Nigeria is the best candidate for a very robust carrier.”
During a recent Visit to Paris, President Buhari met with aircraft manufacturer, Airbus, a prospective partner in the new national airline, Air Nigeria
The national carrier will be run in partnership with the private sector
Nigeria has not had a flag carrier since the collapse of Air Nigeria in 2012. The national airline had previously ended a joint venture with the Virgin group and had been a reincarnation of Nigeria Airways which ceased operations in 2003
