Airline Operators Applaud FG for Suspending Nigeria Air

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The Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON), the umbrella body of indigenous carriers, have described the suspension of the Nigeria Air project by the Federal Government as a bold move.

Chairman of the AON, Capt. Nogie Meggison said the decision by the Federal Executive Council (FEC) was in response to the cries of many stakeholders that government should have a rethink on the national carrier project in the light of the tough economic situation in the country.
In a statement on Thursday, AON Chairman said: “We thank President Muhammadu Buhari and the Federal Executive Council (FEC) for listening to our many calls for the idea to be suspended. In our opinion we believe the process was neither transparent nor did it clearly define the role of Private investors in the entire process.”

He noted that at this time of our national limited resources and struggle to recover from recession, AON would like to state that there are private Nigerian Airline Investors ready to invest and already investing heavily on the sector and only asking for a more friendly operational environment and infrastructure support.

Putting the issue into perspective, Capt. Meggison said: “Setting up of National Carrier will cost Nigeria at least $3bn (a single B777 as of today costs about $320m.)”  He therefore asked “Is it wise and our priority as a nation to take $3bn from the Nigerian coffers today and put into a venture that will for sure go down the drain within a maximum of 5 years to establish a “National Carrier”?

Speaking further, said, “National Carrier is an obsolete just for ‘“EGO/PRIDE” idea. Business and pride don’t go together. All over Europe South America, USA today, 90% of them have been made private including Lufthansa, British Airways etc. Also, they are all flag carriers which are completely private entities.”

 

“Just about 10 days ago on September 12, 2018 was a clear indication of what obtains in the true world. Boeing financed a private Nigerian airline, Air Peace for purchase of 10 Boeing 737-8MAX airplanes in a deal valued at $1.5billion. This is much more than the Nigeria National Carrier and a clear indication of the future and where the world is today!!

“South African Airways has been termed as being in insolvency in the last 10 years and has been receiving from the government bailout yearly ($400 million) in order for it to stay in business.