The National Carrier, Nigeria Air, is on its way to being launched with three Boeing 737-800 in a configuration very suitable for the Nigerian market.
This came just as Ethiopian Airlines (ET) Consortium has been selected as preferred bidder, offering an owner consortium of three Nigerian investors MRS, SAHCO and the Nigerian Sovereign Fund (46%) with the Federal Government owning 5% and ET 49%. The choice of ET came after a careful, detailed and ICRC governed selection process.
This is the position of the Minister of Aviation, Senator Hadi Sirika, while speaking on how far the government had gone on the efforts to finally float a new national carrier, Nigeria Air for Nigerians.
Sirika, who dropped this hint in Abuja, added that Nigeria Air will launch with a shuttle service between Abuja and Lagos to establish a new comfortable, reliable and affordable travel between these two major Nigerian Airports. Other domestic destination will follow thereafter.
According to the minister, before the choice of the preferred bidder, the “consortium had been subjected to a due diligence process, after which the contract will be renegotiated between the consortium and the FGN, leading to a Full Business Case, which will be expected to be approved by the Federal Executive Council (FEC).