Nigeria Air to start operation with 15 hired aircraft, Ethiopian Air claims

The new national carrier, Nigeria Air, plans to start flight operations in December with a fleet of 15 leased aircraft, according to a report by Bloomberg.

The requirement includes short-haul planes for local and domestic flights plus wide-bodies for flights to long-haul locations such as London and New York, while Inter-continental services are expected to begin in the middle of next year.

Although, the Minister of State for Aviation, Hadi Sirika, said the airline is expected to have a fleet of 30 aircraft in five years, adding that he had initiated negotiations with Airbus and Boeing Company at Farnborough air show on the purchase of new aircraft for the carrier.

Meanwhile, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Ethiopian Air, Tewolde GebreMariam, in an interview with Bloomberg on Tuesday said his company was interested in the Nigerian project.

The airline already owns stakes in carriers in Malawi and Togo and is seeking to establish holdings in Zambia, Chad, Mozambique, Guinea and Eritrea while helping to manage existing operators in Equatorial Guinea and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Read also: BREAKING… Nigeria unveils name of new airline in London

This implies that the Nigerian government could be seeking the assistance of Ethiopian Air for the aircraft needed to begin operations of the new carrier, just as the minister held meeting with GebreMariam at the London expo.

Nigeria is planning to set up a new national carrier about fifteen years after the old Nigeria Airways ceased operations in the country.

The Nigerian government on Wednesday officially unveiled the name and logo of the country’s new flag carrier, even as the airline is yet to procure any aircraft for the business.

According to Sirika, the new national airline would be private sector-led and driven through Public Private Partnership (PPP) arrangement, with the government owning not more than five percent equity and zero interference.





Gsent Talks.....Taking You Further