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Tag: Nigeria Air

  • Obiano commends Buhari over suspension of Nigeria Air project

    Obiano commends Buhari over suspension of Nigeria Air project

    Gov. Willie Obiano of Anambra has commended President Muhammadu Buhari for suspending the establishment of Nigeria Air.
    Obiano gave the commendation in a statement signed by Mr C-Don Adinuba, the state Commissioner for Information and Enlightenment, and made available to journalists on Thursday in Awka.
    The governor described the action as `courageous’, noting that Buhari’s administration did not allow ego to get in the way of its suspension of the proposed carrier.
    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that the Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika, recently announced that Buhari had approved the suspension of Nigeria Air project, but failed to disclose reason for the action.
    “Buhari did not behave like most African leaders who think that policy review is a mark of weakness even when the policy is asphyxiating.
    “Buhari rather behaved like what academic researchers would call an authentic leader, that is, a leader humble enough to admit policy deficiencies and even personal errors,” he said.
    The governor observed that Buhari was not discouraged in making the decision by the fact that government had launched the proposed new carrier’s livery and logo with fanfare in London in July.
    He said that such expenses belonged to what accountants knew as sunk or spent funds.
    Obiano added that it was not advisable to proceed with a project or programme that could not work simply because government wanted to recover funds already spent on it.
    “It would have been a contradiction to make an investment in the airline at a time government is divesting its 12.4 billion shares in the Nigerian Security and Minting Company.
    “The failure of the proposed airline should not make the nation gloss over the need for a flag carrier.
    “It should rather make us look inward and promote an airline which would be the pride of all Nigerians,” he said.
    The governor urged the Federal Government to make Air Peace, which he said was Nigeria’s biggest airline, the Nigerian flag carrier.
    “Air Peace has a larger fleet than the other indigenous airlines put together’’, the governor noted’’.
    Obiano said that Air Peace was not just the fastest growing airline in Nigeria’s history but the most professionally managed.
    “Apart from its 100 per cent safety record, its ground and in-flight services are comparable to what passengers get from such world class airlines as British Airways, Delta Airline and Ethiopian Airline,’’ he added.
    The governor said contrary to the thinking of some people, a flag carrier did not have to be owned or promoted by government.
    Obiano expressed confidence that at the rate Air Peace was growing, it would give global airlines in Nigeria a good run for their money earlier than most people seemed to realise.
    NAN

  • Public servants must fly Nigerian carriers – FG

    Public servants must fly Nigerian carriers – FG

    In order to make indigenous airlines viable, the Federal Government on Tuesday announced that it had commenced moves that would compel any public servant travelling on a ticket bought with public funds to travel on a Nigerian carrier.

    According to the Minister of State for Aviation, Hadi Sirika, the government is making moves to have the National Assembly pass a ‘Fly Nigeria Act’ in order to achieve this target.

    The minister also declared that it was false to state that Nigeria Air lacked a domain name, adding that those who wanted to steal the airline’s domain name would not get a kobo from the Federal Government.

    In his response to social media questions, which was made available to our correspondent in Abuja on Tuesday, the minister said, “As part of efforts to make airlines viable in Nigeria, the ministry is making moves to have the National Assembly pass a fly Nigeria Act.

    “This Act will require that anybody travelling on a ticket bought with public funds must travel on a Nigerian carrier unless the route is not served by a Nigerian carrier. However, with your private funds, you can do as you like. Many countries, including America, have such Acts.”

    On Nigeria Air’s domain name, Sirika stated that “part of the falsehood being spread is the lack of a domain name” for the carrier.

    He explained that as part of the airline’s public-private partnership project development phase, Nigeria Air Limited was currently incorporated with the Corporate Affairs Commission as a wholly government-owned company, with the Corporate Affairs Commission using nominal directors of the Federal Ministry of Aviation as directors of the national airline.

    He said, “On conclusion of the PPP procurement process, when full equity structure pre-financial close is finalised, the incorporation will be updated and the certificate of incorporation made public. Nigeria Air Limited is indeed a legal entity.

    “Further to the incorporation of the company with nominal directors, the domain name, www.flynigeriaair.ng, has been reserved and will be made active very soon as part of the project evolution and marketing process. Some people, whose only desire is to steal Nigeria’s commonwealth by hawking domain names, will not a get a kobo from the people of Nigeria. They can eat their domain names.”

    Sirika said a lot of false claims were being peddled on various social media platforms about Nigeria Air and vowed that the government would deliver on the carrier as it delivered on the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport runway in Abuja.

    The minister stated, “The current campaign of falsehood, unfortunately reminds me of what happened when we decided for safety reasons to close the Abuja airport and make repairs that had been abandoned for years.

    “The same group of Nigerians went to the social media spreading falsehood. We stayed on course and delivered the runway, which has served now faultlessly. As we delivered on the Abuja runway repairs, so shall we on the national carrier and we will not bow to falsehood.”

    Sirika further noted that the national carrier was being procured as a PPP project.

    “Nigeria’s PPP process has three phases. One is an internal government bankability process, the business case phase; and the other two external. The process cycle is PPP development phase, outline business phase and PPP procurement – request for qualification and request for proposal to prequalify and select PPP partners; and PPP implementation.”

  • Nigeria Air needs $300m initial capital to commence operations — FG

    Nigeria Air needs $300m initial capital to commence operations — FG

    The new national airline, Nigeria Air, will require initial capital of between $150m and $300m, and the Federal Government is seeking a strategic partner to operate the carrier, according to a document seen by Reuters on Thursday.

    The Minister of State for Aviation, Hadi Sirika, on Wednesday said the government would not own more than five per cent of the new carrier.

    He made the comments while providing details of the airline at the Farnborough air show in London, England.

    The government plans to launch the airline in December, making good President Muhammadu Buhari’s election campaign promise.

    Decades of neglect and lack of investment have left Nigeria with low-quality infrastructure seen as a hurdle to prosperity. The government has said that upgrading it will require private investment.

    “The initial capital is likely to be in the range of $150m to $300m, invested in tranches over time from start up through the first years of operation,” the government document stated.

    It noted that the government would provide the initial capital but did not state the sum or give further details.

    The government will “facilitate the process for opening up the capital of the airline to private sector financial investors,” the document added.

    A private operator, sought through a Public Private Partnership process, would manage the airline without interference, it stated.

    Nigeria Air will serve domestic and international markets, and is expected to have a fleet of 30 aircraft in five years with hubs in Lagos and Abuja.

    British billionaire, Richard Branson, set up domestic and international carrier, Virgin Nigeria in 2000, but pulled out in 2010 in frustration at what he said was interference by politicians and regulators.

    The airline he created, which was later rebranded as Air Nigeria, closed in 2012 after collapsing under about N35bn of debt, which left it unable to pay workers, a former finance director of the company told Reuters at the time.

    Nigeria is overhauling its aviation infrastructure and handing over its airports to private managers in order to improve the business environment for the industry to attract investment, according to the document.

    It noted that current air traffic in the country was around 15 million passengers, which is expected to grow at five per cent per annum through to 2036.

    The government said a majority stake could be available to an overseas backer as it seeks know-how and cash to help the start-up avoid the fate of former flag carriers.

    The country has no cap on overseas ownership of its airlines and will be prepared to offer more than 50 per cent of Nigeria Air to a strategic ally, Tilmann Gabriel, who is helping to coordinate the project, said in an interview with Bloomberg on Wednesday at the Farnborough air show.

    Sirika held talks at the expo with the chiefs of Ethiopian Airlines Enterprise, Africa’s biggest carrier, and Qatar Airways, which holds a stake in British Airways owner, IAG SA.

    Other operators are also interested, according to the executive, who said the new airline would have a fleet of 30 aircraft and operate 80 routes, half of them international, within four years.

    In unveiling the plan for Nigeria Air, which will have a tail design featuring an eagle-like swirl in green and white, Sirika said that having once been dominant in African aviation, Nigeria had a “huge need and desire” for a national airline.

    The new operator plans to begin flying in December with a fleet of 15 leased aircraft, and has started talks with Airbus SE and Boeing Co on buying new aircraft. 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. Inter-continental services should begin in the middle of next year.

  • Breaking: Nigeria Air to commence operations in December

    Breaking: Nigeria Air to commence operations in December

    The federal government has announced that the new national carrier, Nigeria Air, has been scheduled to commence operations in December 2018.

    Minister of State for Aviation, Sen. Hadi Sirika made this known in his remarks in London during the unveiling of the new national carrier at the Farnborough Airshow.

    TheNewsGuru reports Nigeria has struggled to support a viable home-grown airline for decades, with a succession of carriers collapsing or slashing routes, leaving the nation dependent on services provided mainly by European and Persian Gulf carriers for trips beyond the national shores.

    Former flag-carrier, Nigeria Airways, collapsed in 2003, with successor Air Nigeria, founded as a joint venture with Richard Branson’s Virgin Group, folding in 2012. Private operator, Arik Air, was taken over by Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria last year, leading long-haul flights to be suspended.

    15 years after, the President Muhammadu Buhari administration is reviving it, with new aircrafts, the new name, the new logo and new colours.

    “It has happened to Nigeria before. The Nigeria Airlines was founded and at some point, it died because of something that was faulty. We have learnt our lessons and we are not going to repeat it again. The airline will stand the test of time.

    “Nigeria has unfortunately not been a serious player in Aviation for a long time. We used to be a dominant player, through Nigeria Airways, but sadly not anymore.

    “We want to use this new private-sector-led airline to make a statement that, ‘Yes, Nigeria can do it!’ and we also want to promote our cultures and traditions. It will also create economic opportunities and jobs.

    “We’ve been talking to Airbus and Boeing, and they’re present at this event, regarding the aircraft for Nigeria Air, and we will be making announcements very soon. We are currently negotiating,” Sirika said.

    According to him, the new national carrier would be operated on a public-private partnership basis, and should become profitable in three years.

    “The Nigerian Government will not own more than 5% (maximum) of the new National Carrier. Government will not be involved in running it or deciding who runs it.

    “This will be a National Carrier that is Private sector led and driven. It is a business, not a social service.

    “Government will not be involved in running it or deciding who runs it. The investors will have full responsibility for this,” Sirika said at the unveiling.

    He said that 81 routes, including domestic, regional and international, have identified for now, for Nigeria Air, out of more than a thousand to be considered.

    “New terminals in Lagos and Abuja Airports will add 11 million passenger capacity in each of the two airports. Lagos currently does 8 million per annum (was built in 1979 for 200,000 passengers annually), while Abuja does 5 million,” said the Minister.

    Explaining why London was chosen for the unveiling, the FG said Farnborough is one of the biggest Airshows in the world, where decision makers and industry experts gather every two years to do business.

    Sirika explained that the Farnborough show provides an opportunity to establish a maintenance repair and overhaul (MRO) facility in Nigeria, the concession of some airports in the country and other components of the aviation roadmap of the Nigerian government.

    “The new National Carrier will bring Nigeria closer to the world,” the FG stated on Twitter.

    https://twitter.com/BashirAhmaad/status/1019566315781197824

     

  • Breaking: Nigeria unveils name, logo of new national carrier

    Breaking: Nigeria unveils name, logo of new national carrier

    The Nigerian government on Wednesday has unveiled the name and logo of the new national carrier in London.

    TheNewsGuru reports the new national carrier, one of the World’s biggest airshow, according to Bashir Ahmad, was unveiled at the Farnborough Airshow.

    In his remarks at unveiling, the Minister of State for Aviation, Sen. Hadi Sirika said the new national carrier would be known as Nigeria Air.

    He said that 81 routes, including domestic, regional and international, have been identified for now for Nigeria Air out of more than a thousand to be considered.

    “Nigeria has unfortunately not been a serious player in Aviation for a long time. We used to be a dominant player, through Nigeria Airways, but sadly not anymore.

    “We want to use this new private-sector-led airline to make a statement that, ‘Yes, Nigeria can do it!’ and we also want to promote our cultures and traditions. It will also create economic opportunities and jobs.

    “We’ve been talking to Airbus and Boeing, and they’re present at this event, regarding the aircraft for Nigeria Air, and we will be making announcements very soon. We are currently negotiating,” he said.

    Prior to the unveiling, Bashir had revealed how the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport surroundings would look like when the CCECC completes the construction of the new terminal.

    According to the FG, the new national carrier would be operated on a public-private partnership basis, and should become profitable in three years.

    “The Nigerian Government will not own more than 5% (maximum) of the new National Carrier. Government will not be involved in running it or deciding who runs it.

    “This will be a National Carrier that is Private sector led and driven. It is a business, not a social service.

    “Government will not be involved in running it or deciding who runs it. The investors will have full responsibility for this,” Sirika said at the unveiling.

    Nigeria has struggled to support a viable home-grown airline for decades, with a succession of carriers collapsing or slashing routes, leaving the nation dependent on services provided mainly by European and Persian Gulf carriers for trips beyond the national shores.

    Former flag-carrier, Nigeria Airways, collapsed in 2003, with successor Air Nigeria, founded as a joint venture with Richard Branson’s Virgin Group, folding in 2012. Private operator, Arik Air, was taken over by Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria last year, leading long-haul flights to be suspended.

    15 years after, the President Muhammadu Buhari administration is reviving it, with new aircrafts, the new name, the new logo and new colours.

    “It has happened to Nigeria before. The Nigeria Airlines was founded and at some point, it died because of something that was faulty. We have learnt our lessons and we are not going to repeat it again. The airline will stand the test of time,” Sirika, said prior the unveiling.

    On Monday, Sirika tweeted from Farnborough that he had held talks on sourcing jets from Airbus SE and planned to meet with Boeing Co. and other suppliers.

    He had said he would explore every opportunity available to attract more prospective investors into the Nigerian aviation environment.

    Sirika explained that the Farnborough show provides an opportunity to establish a maintenance repair and overhaul (MRO) facility in Nigeria, the concession of some airports in the country and other components of the aviation roadmap of the Nigerian government.

    The Minister also added that by December 19, the first five aircraft of the airline would be delivered, and Nigeria Air would commence operations.

    Explaining why London was chosen for the unveiling, the FG said Farnborough is one of the biggest Airshows in the world, where decision makers and industry experts gather every two years to do business.

    “The new National Carrier will bring Nigeria closer to the world,” the FG stated on Twitter.