New National Carrier to commence operation first quarter of 2022 – Sirika

The Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika, has declared that the new national carrier is expected to commence operation by the first quarter of 2022.

Sirika disclosed this on Wednesday while addressing State House correspondents after the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting.

The minister posited that the new national carrier is long overdue and the private sector-run airline will be in operation by early 2022, with possibly cheaper rates.

He highlighted that the new national carrier is expected to be a viable airline and is potentially poised to cater to millions of travelers in Nigeria and Africa.

According to him, the forced postponement of the planned date for the establishment of the National Carrier (which was initially planned for the end of 2021) was due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Aviation Minister, disclosed that the Ministry would return to the council in two weeks to submit a memo with an outline business case for council’s approval.

The Federal Government had earlier in September 2018 suspended the proposed new National Carrier, Nigeria Air.

The Minister of Aviation made the announcement in a Tweet on his official Twitter handle, but gave no reason for the decision.

Sirika reiterated that the establishment of the National Carrier, Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul (MRO) facilities and implementation of other components of the Aviation Roadmap remain top priorities of the Federal Government in 2019.

The establishment of the national carrier, according to him, would further position Nigeria to compete with other nations, in line with the Single African Air Transport Market (SAATM) project and develop as a regional hub for air transportation.