The House of Representatives has flagged the supposed launch of Nigeria Air, which took place during the tenure of ex-President Muhammadu Buhari, labelling it as deceptive.
The House Committee on Aviation, led by Nnolim Nnaji, deemed the airline’s launch a sham after key participants in the Federal Government’s deal with Ethiopian Airlines denied any knowledge of the event.
Despite the Ministry of Aviation’s assertion that Nigeria Air was merely unveiled and not launched, the committee rejected this argument, viewing it as a diversion tactic.
Members of the committee expressed surprise upon learning from the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) that the aircraft painted in Nigerian colours was on a chartered flight to Nigeria.
Other stakeholders confirmed that any chartered flight could be painted in various colours and carry any inscriptions.
Recall that the Federal Government on the 27th of May, 2023 unveiled the Nigeria Air during a ceremony in the country’s capital city, Abuja.
The event took place at the airline’s operational hub, located at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport (NAIA) in Abuja.
The ex-minister of aviation, Hadi Sirika, expressed his enthusiasm about the partnership with the Ethiopian Airlines (ET) consortium, which is the preferred bidder for Nigeria Air.
He emphasized that this collaboration will bridge the markets of the two nations.
Sirika announced that a demonstration flight is in the pipeline as part of the pre-operational procedures.
