Stakeholders Raise Concerns Over Sirika’s Disregard Of Warnings On Nigeria Air

Stakeholders Raise Concerns Over Sirika’s Disregard Of Warnings On Nigeria Air....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

Following the termination of the joint venture between Nigeria Air and Ethiopian Airlines, stakeholders have criticized former Aviation Minister, Hadi Sirika, for disregarding warnings against proceeding with the failed project……… CONTINUE READING

Last week, Ethiopian Airlines announced that the Nigerian government had withdrawn its interest in continuing the partnership.

Mesfin Tasew, the airline’s Group Chief Executive Officer, stated: “The Nigeria government has lost interest in partnering with a foreign airline.”

In response, industry experts praised the federal government for its decision, noting that airlines like Emirates, Qatar, Etihad, and Turkish Airlines had declined to participate when Sirika initially proposed the project.

They expressed their concerns separately to Vanguard, cautioning the government against attempting to establish another national carrier.

Reasons for failure

Retired Group Captain John Ojikutu, a former military commandant at Murtala Muhammed Airport, commented: “I advised Sirika that a national carrier would not succeed, especially if it operated as a government entity. Few countries with populations under 50 million can sustain national carriers. Nigeria should focus on establishing a flag carrier instead.”

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Failure to honor agreements

Former Nigeria Airways spokesperson, Mr. Chris Aligbe, added: “During Sirika’s marketing of Nigeria Air, he approached Emirates, Qatar, Etihad, Turkish Airlines, and even Pegasus, but they all declined. Nigeria has a reputation for not respecting agreements, which has led to the country being blacklisted by aircraft leasing companies.”

“If Nigeria Air had been advertised, only Ethiopian Airlines applied, due to these reasons,” he continued.

Future plans

Retired Air Vice Marshal Anthony Okpere, former Minister of Aviation, suggested that if the government plans to establish a national carrier in the future, it should designate Air Peace and Ibom Air as the country’s carriers.

“Starting afresh with new aircraft or leases without building internal capacity will not be successful,” he cautioned.