Aviation minister, Keyamo suspends Nigeria Air project
- FG to demolish multibillion-naira Lagos private jet terminals for Airport expansion
The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo (SAN), on Thursday ordered the suspension of the Nigeria Air project.
Keyamo gave this directive during a tour of the international airports in Lagos, where he was accompanied by the Managing Director (MD) of the Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Kabir Yusuf Mohammed.
Keyamo also suspended all arrangements under his predecessor, Sen. Hadi Sirika, to enable proper audit of contracts in the aviation industry.
The minister disclosed that he has also put a halt to the concession project, stressing that he owes it to the federal government and Nigerians to give an honest assessment.
He hinted that the suspension will be in place until he briefs President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Keyamo said “A few months after Nigeria Air was launched with so much fanfare, using a borrowed airplane, it is now suspended.
“I owe it to the government and Nigerians to provide an honest assessment.”
The then acting Managing Director of Nigeria Air, Captain Dapo Olumide, had revealed that the plane unveiled on the last day of the Muhammadu Buhari administration in May was a chartered aircraft from Ethiopian Airlines.
Nigerians said that the launch was a scam, while the Nigeria’s Senate and House of Representatives Committees on Aviation also labelled the launch of the Nigeria Air as a fraud.
It was gathered that the plane that was unveiled was over 10 years old and had been previously operated by Ethiopian and Malawi Airlines.
Keyamo also said that the old international terminal of Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) in Lagos would be shut down by October 1, 2023 for renovation.
He directed that all private hangars would be relocated to pave way for expansion of the new terminal.
According to the minister, “The major complaints have been with the old terminal. That place is an eyesore to Nigerians coming in. The lifts are not working.
“The passage is unwelcoming and there is no air conditioner. We have the new terminal but cannot be used. It was designed without provision for big planes.”
He pointed out that the private jet terminals were obstructing the expansion of the apron size of the new Chinese-build terminal, which was opened in March 2022.
The apron size of the new international terminal, he added is not adequate to accommodate jumbo planes operating international routes.
