The Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika, yesterday revealed that the proposed new national carrier, Nigeria Air, will commence operation in the first quarter of 2022.
Sirika, who disclosed this while addressing State House correspondents after the weekly Federal Executive Council meeting in Abuja, yesterday, said the new national carrier is long overdue and the private sector-run airline will be in operation by early 2022, with possibly cheaper rates.
The minister noted that the new national carrier is expected to be a viable airline and is potentially poised to cater to millions of travelers in Nigeria and Africa.
Recall that in 2018, the minister had unveiled the name and logo of the new national carrier, during the Farnborough International Airshow in London. The project, which was initially planned for the end of 2021, was later suspended indefinitely.
Sirika explained that the Covid-19 pandemic forced the postponement of the planned date for its establishment at that time. He further said that the Ministry will return to the Council in two weeks to submit a memo with an outline business case for its approval.
Sirika also announced the approval of a contract for the procurement of a towable mobile office for the Accident Investigation Bureau (AIB) of the civil aviation authority.
