The Nigerian government’s plan to launch a new national carrier, Nigeria Air, has been met with skepticism and criticism by many observers, especially after the House of Representatives declared it a fraud.
The House Committee on Aviation, led by Nnolim Nnaji, questioned the legitimacy of the purported launch of Nigeria Air in 2018, when an aircraft bearing Nigerian colours was unveiled at the Farnborough International Airshow in the United Kingdom.
The committee found out that the aircraft was on a chartered flight to Nigeria and that none of the major stakeholders in the aviation industry, including the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA), were aware of the launch.
The Ministry of Aviation defended itself by saying that Nigeria Air was only unveiled and not launched, but the committee dismissed this as an attempt to divert their attention.
The committee also demanded to know how much money was spent on the project and who were the investors behind it.
Members of the committee were shocked when NAMA disclosed that the aircraft bearing Nigerian colours was on a chartered flight to Nigeria.
Other stakeholders who confirmed the disclosure noted that a chartered flight could be painted in any colour and with any inscriptions.
However, despite the controversy and delays, the Nigerian government has not given up on its ambition to establish a national carrier.
In October 2022, former President Muhammadu Buhari announced that Nigeria Air would begin operations by December 2022, before the end of his tenure on May 29, 2023. He said that the establishment of Nigeria Air was 91% complete and that he had given his presidential approval to the new deadline.
According to the Former Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika, Nigeria Air will be owned by a consortium of Ethiopian Airlines (49%), three Nigerian investors (46%) and the Federal Government (5%). He also said that Nigeria Air will start with domestic flights between Abuja and Lagos, and then expand to other destinations. He added that Nigeria Air will operate a fleet of 30 aircraft by 2024, including some of China’s home-grown COMAC C919 narrow-body passenger planes.
The government also plans to establish a Nigerian aviation leasing company that will lease aircraft from international lessors and sub-lease them to Nigerian carriers. The long-term goal is to acquire its own aircraft and lease them directly to carriers.
The government’s vision for Nigeria Air is part of its Presidential Aviation Roadmap launched in 2016, which aims to develop cargo airports, a new Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) facility and other initiatives.
However, many Nigerians remain doubtful about the feasibility and sustainability of Nigeria Air, given the history of failed attempts to create a national airline. The last government-owned national carrier, Nigeria Airways, went bust in 2003. Another private-public partnership venture, Air Nigeria, ceased operations in 2012.
Nigeria Air has also faced several setbacks and postponements since it was first announced in 2016. The initial launch date was set for 2018, then pushed back to April 2022, then to mid-2023 and now to December 2022.
As Nigeria Air prepares for its debut, it remains to be seen whether it will fulfill its promise of becoming a viable and competitive national carrier or end up as another delayed dream.
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