The House of Representatives has declared the purported launch of Nigeria Air at the twilight of the administration of former President, Muhammadu Buhari, a fraud.
Recall that the immediate-past Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika, had on Friday, May 26, brought in an aircraft branded Nigeria Air.
A Boeing 737-800 with registration number ET-APL, mode S Q4005C, and serial number 40965/4075, was displayed by the outgone Minister as belonging to Nigeria Air.
Sirika had said the aircraft was one out of 30 aeroplanes expected to form the fleet of national carriers in the next five years.
But, Chairman of the House Committee on Aviation, Nnolim Nnaji, yesterday, declared the entire affair surrounding the national Air carrier a scam after key stakeholders involved in the deal, including Ethiopian Airlines, denied any knowledge of the launch.
Although the Ministry of Aviation claimed that Nigeria Air was merely unveiled and not officially launched, the Committee dismissed the claim as an attempt to divert attention from the issue.
In a shocking revelation, the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) told the Committee that the aircraft adorned with Nigerian colours was on a chartered flight to Nigeria.
In response, other stakeholders involved in the aviation industry affirmed the possibility of painting a chartered flight in any desired colour and displaying any desired inscriptions.
The House Committee on Aviation has vowed to investigate the circumstances surrounding the launch of the airline thoroughly.
