The Federal Ministry of Aviation has described the COVID-19 outbreak and its devastating impact on the aviation sector as an encouragement for the establishment of the proposed national carrier, Nigeria Air.
Officials at the ministry disclosed that the Federal Government had not discarded the plan although the national carrier project had been on hold for a while.
The officials remarked that the current crisis in the global aviation industry with its critical impact on Nigerian airlines was more of an opportunity for the establishment of Nigeria Air, describing it as one of the priority projects of the government.
“Rather than being an impediment to the establishment of a national carrier, the current situation in the (aviation) sector will be an encouragement,” the Director, Public Affairs, Federal Ministry of Aviation, James Odaudu, stated.
It was further communicated that a part of the government’s intervention fund to support businesses and cushion the effects of COVID-19 on the economy would be directed into the aviation sector.
In July 2018, the Federal Government unveiled the branding and livery for Nigeria Air, stating that the firm would be inaugurated at the end of that year.
“I am very pleased to tell you that we are finally on track to launching a new national flag carrier for our country, Nigeria Air. We are all fully committed to fulfilling the campaign promise made by President Muhammadu Buhari in 2015. We are aiming to launch Nigeria Air by the end of this year,” the Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika, had said.
But in September 2018, Sirika announced the suspension of the project via a tweet.
“I regret to announce that the Federal Executive Council has taken the tough decision to suspend the national carrier project in the interim. All commitments due will be honoured. We thank the public for the support as always,” he said.
In September 2019, one year after announcing the suspension of the project, Sirika declared that the transaction advisers for the establishment of Nigeria Air had concluded their studies and submitted their findings, as the project was still being pursued.
Odaudu disclosed that the COVID-19 situation would encourage the government to continue with the Nigerian Air project since some airlines might not survive the crisis caused by the pandemic.
Sirika during the week expressed fears that some airlines might go under as a result of the N24bn monthly losses being recorded by the sector due to the COVID-19 outbreak.
“This is the situation of civil aviation, it is a pathetic one, we are all crying and I can guarantee you several airlines are not going to come out of it, unfortunately,” Sirika said during the Presidential Task Force briefing on COVID-19 in Abuja recently.
READ ALSO: Ogun orders the extension of lockdown for one week
Odaudu said the government had assured the ministry that it would channel some fund into the aviation sector.
He said, “So definitely it is an encouragement for the continuation of the national carrier project. The Minister of State for Budget and National Planning recently mentioned aviation as one of the critical sectors that would benefit from the N2tn intervention fund being set up by government.
“And if that is the case, you know that the establishment of a national carrier is one of the priority projects of this present administration. Then, of course, we should see it as a plus.”
He said, “I personally don’t think the current situation will affect the national carrier project. I think that now that the aviation sector globally is almost down might be the right time to come in to support the industry in Nigeria.
“So I will tell you that the plan for a national carrier will not be affected by whatever is happening now. Rather it will even increase its chances of coming into being.”
