Aero Contractors CEO Counters Claim of Nigeria Air Commencing Operation by May 29

• FG sends invites for the unveiling ceremony at the Nigerian Air Operations Centre at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International by 4pm.

Barring all the controversies, arrival of aircraft for Air Nigeria to be unveiled today by the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace, Sen. Hadi Sirika, an aviation expert and Chief Executive Officer of Aero Contractors, Captain Ado Sanusi, has countered the Federal Government’s claim that the controversial Nigeria Air will begin operation before the inauguration of the new administration scheduled to hold May 29.

Sanusi made this assertion while featuring on Channels TV Sunrise Daily programme on Friday, monitored by Gentechnews, insisting that the arrival of the aircraft does not mean that it will begin commercial operation in the remaining days to the change of administration.

Gentechnews had reported when the Aviation Minister, Hadi Sirika in a National Aviation Stakeholders Forum 2023 in Abuja on Thursday said, “Operation of local and international flights will commence soon. Before the end of this administration, before May 29, we will fly.”

Sanusi opined that it is practically impossible for the airline to start commercial passenger operation in two days’ time given the rigorous process involved which he believes would not be waived by the regulatory authority, the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority, (NCAA) as the whole world is watching.

According to him, “It is one thing to bring the aeroplane to the country, it is another thing to start the airline, getting all the necessary approvals from the NCAA.

“There’s a very important and vital component of getting an AOC, which is the demonstration flights. Of course, there are waivers that the Director General of the NCAA has the power to give, but the demonstration flights are critical to safe operations and I do not think he would give that waiver.

“So it is practically impossible for the airline to take off in the next two days. It is not possible,” he assured.

Recall, there has been litigation over the introduction of the Nigeria Air as the Airline Operators of Nigeria, (AON), on Thursday through its spokesperson, Prof. Obiora Okonkwo, kicked against the planned commencement of Nigeria Air before the May 29 inauguration despite the court order stopping the move.

The AON’s reaction came on the backdrop of the statement by the Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika, on Wednesday that Nigeria Air’s plane would land in the country to commence operation on Friday, before May 29.

But, AON which took the federal government to court challenging the shareholding structure of Nigeria Air, said the comments and actions of the minister “are in flagrant disobedience of the orders of the Federal High Court of Nigeria, which halted the said moves by the minister to float the said airline until the determination of the substantive suit brought by AON against it.”

Okonkwo said that Nigeria Air, with a majority stake belonging to Ethiopia Airlines, would hurt the Nigerian economy and destroy millions of existing jobs.

In July 2018, the government launched Nigeria Air as a proposed national carrier; however, several failed deadlines have been for its commencement.

However, the federal government says it is set to officially unveil Nigeria Air, the proposed national airline, on Friday (today) by 4 pm.

According to an invitation sighted by Gentechnews the unveiling ceremony will hold at the Nigerian Air Operations Centre at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport (NAIA), Abuja.

“The federal ministry of aviation cordially requests your presence at the official unveiling of Nigeria Air on Friday, 26th May 2023, at 4 pm,” the document reads.

The unveiling comes two days after Hadi Sirika, minister of aviation, said the aircraft for the proposed national carrier would arrive in the country and commence operations before May 29 when his tenure would elapse.

Sirika had said the aircraft will be unveiled in Nigeria’s colours (green and white), in fulfilment of all the promises made by the administration in the aviation sector.

It was gathered that there has been uncertainty over the arrival of the plane as promised by Sirika, after an unverified video suggesting that the federal government had taken delivery of the aircraft, circulated on social media on Friday morning.

In the video, the aircraft was parked at an airport in the company of other planes — one of which had the Ethiopian flag colours.