Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika, during a State House Briefing in Aso Villa on Thursday
The Federal government on Wednesday approved the leasing of three aircraft for the commencement of operations for the country’s carrier, Nigeria Air.
The Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika, disclosed this to State House Correspondents at the close of the Federal Executive Council meeting chaired by the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), at the Council Chambers of the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
Sirika noted that the airline would begin with three aircraft made by Airbus and Boeing, running solely domestic routes.
He added that the airline would expand into regional and intercontinental routes.
The Minister, however, declined to state the actual date operations would kick off saying “we will announce commencement soon.”
Since it was unveiled at the Farnborough Air Show in England in July 2018, Nigeria Air has been mired in controversies that led to its suspension in September 2018; barely two months after its proposal.
The Federal Government described the suspension as a “tough decision.”
Sirika also noted that Nigerians who are willing to own part of the 51 per cent share available for indigenous investors are “welcomed to participate.”