The much-anticipated Nigeria Air, Nigeria’s national carrier, is gradually gaining traction. The Federal Government fast-tracking the delivery of the national carrier that has been in the works actively in excess of seven years. Going by the presentation by the Minister of Aviation, Sen, Hadi Sirika Nigeria Air may be delivered before 2022 comes to a close or by the first quarter, of 2023. The Minister has promised the national carrier will take to the skies before May 29, 2023, when the lifespan of this government will expire. But before Nigeria Air comes alive, here are more details you need to know beyond the fact that the airline is a Public Private Partnership (PPP) airline.
*.Nigeria Air will be launched with three Boeing 737-800 under a dry lease arrangement.
*.Nigeria Air will launch, in the first instance, with a shuttle service between
*Abuja and Lagos. Other domestic destinations will follow thereafter and perhaps regional and international flights.
* The Infrastructure Concession and Regulatory Commission (ICRC) approved all the outline business cases.
* After a careful, detailed and ICRC-governed selection process, Ethiopian Airlines (ET) Consortium has been selected as the preferred bidder, offering an owner consortium of 3 Nigerian investors MRS, SAHCO, and other institutional investors (46%), FGN owning 5% and ET 49%.
*The investors will develop a full business case (FBC) for the ICRC and the Federal Executive Council to approve. This process is to take 6-8 weeks.
*Nigeria Air has already been granted Air Transport License by the NCAA.
*Nigeria Air is expecting Air Operator Certificate from the NCAA. It will fly without the AOC.
*All investors should be collectively staking $350milion at the commencement of the airline.
* Nigeria Air will grow its fleet to 30 aircraft and international operations within the next two years.
* The first aircraft is ready to arrive in Abuja for further work and NCAA inspection, demo flights, and audit as part of the AOC requirements.
*Nigeria Air has an interim management team already working.
* The interim executive team has prepared, with the support of FAAN, Terminal C at the Abuja Airport, and finalized a contract with MMA 2 terminal in Lagos, for the operation of an initial shuttle between Lagos and Abuja.
*A signature-ready contract has been finalized with Ethiopian Airlines for three Boeing 737-800 with a 16 Business Class and 150 Economy Class configuration. Nigeria Air Limited will work directly with ET to provide three B737, initial crews and engineers, while NAL is recruiting 737 rated experienced Captains, First Officers and Cabin Crew, as well as aircraft engineers.
