Nigeria Air Gets A Boeing 737 As Its 1st Aircraft
After a long and challenging process, Nigeria Air has taken delivery of its first aircraft. The Boeing 737-800 with retrofitted winglets was spotted this morning at Addis Ababa Bole International Airport (ADD) and has finally arrived in Nigeria, where it was met with a water cannon salute.
Although it is a monumental achievement for the government, the delivery of the aircraft has received mixed reactions. The Nigeria Air project has been in discussion for nearly eight years. Now, the public waits anxiously to see if the airline will be launched before May 29, as the aviation minister promised.
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A promise by the outgoing government
On February 29, Nigeria held a presidential election to elect new national leaders. The outgoing government had until May 29 to conclude its business and officially hand over power. After assuming the presidency in 2015, Muhammadu Buhari promised to revive the national carrier before the end of his term, and his government has fought tooth and nail to achieve this goal.
Following the elections, Aviation Minister Hadi Sirika vowed to launch the carrier before leaving office. Although the first aircraft is ready to be delivered, there is a lot of work still to be done if it is to enter service within 72 hours.
The 737 has been branded with the airline's signature livery, highlighting its significance to the Nigerian people. As it awaits unveiling, the aviation minister believes that the outgoing administration has achieved its primary goals. Hadi Sirika said to Channels TV;
"We did every single thing we said we would do, and the question that you would ask next is Nigeria Air. On Friday, the Nigeria Air airplane will land in Nigeria as part of the process to commence operations. We will on that day, unveil the aircraft with the livery and everything in Nigeria's colors and proceed to go and do the retrofit and bring back those airplanes. So we have achieved 100% of the roadmap; the only one item that is missing on my table is the aerotropolis."
The Aerotropolis is another project by the federal government, which is expected to be concluded soon. It is building an airport city, and according to the minister, the groundwork is already done. At Lagos Murtala Muhammed Airport (LOS), offices of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) were expected to be demolished to make way for the expansion.
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Challenges faced in launching Nigeria Air
The process of receiving its first aircraft has been challenging, but the carrier's launch may be even more complicated. Ethiopian Airlines (ET) has a 49% stake in the carrier, while the Nigerian government has 5%, with the rest belonging to the Nigerian Sovereign Fund.
Last month, ET Group CEO Ato Mesfin Tasew said that the airline had agreed with the Nigerian government on all terms. Still, one obstacle was delaying the launch of Nigeria Air, an ongoing court case.
Photo: Nigeria Air
A group of Nigerian carriers under the Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON) filed a lawsuit against Nigeria Air to have its air transport license revoked. Last month, a Federal High Court in Lagos barred the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) from issuing the national carrier an Air Operators Certificate.
The delivery of the new aircraft has heated the dispute between the AON and the aviation minister. Today, AON lawyers wrote a letter to the outgoing president asking him to stop the minister's attempt to go against the court by launching the barred Nigeria Air project.
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Source: Channels TV
Source: Simple Flying
