Sirika Insists Buhari Will Commission Nigeria Air Despite AON Lawsuits

The Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika, has stated that Nigeria Air will commence operation before 29 May 2023, despite a court order restraining the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) from issuing the national carrier an Air Operator’s Certificate (AOC).

Prime Business Africa had reported on Wednesday, 26 April, that the Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON), a group comprising domestic airline operators, filed a lawsuit against NCAA over plans to issue Nigeria Air an Air Operator’s Certificate. 

The counsel to AON had informed the aviation regulator to desist from dealing with the Minister, the Ministry of Aviation, their agents, privies or representatives as regards the AOC. 

“You are therefore notified to desist from dealing with the Minister/the Ministry of Aviation and/ or their agents, privies or representatives, pertaining the Air Operator Certificate, subject matter of the suit, to avoid consequences of disobedience of court orders.

“As a law abiding regulatory agency, you are under the watchful eyes of the world and it is in your interest to desist from any further action on AOC process that will ridicule the integrity of the Agency before the local media as well as the global aviation community,” the letter from AON’s counsel reads. 

AON had filed the suit due to its disapproval of the agreement between Nigeria Air and Ethiopian Airlines. The domestic airline operators have also taken legal action to stop the collaboration, stating it will negatively affect their competitiveness in the Nigerian aviation market. 

With the court cases expected to delay the take-off before President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration handover to a new administration, Sirika insists that Nigeria Air will commence operation before the end of next month. 

He made this known on Wednesday at the end of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting. Sirika said everything needed has been put in place. 

“Nigeria Air Limited, I did say that we will get it going before the end of this administration and I have not withdrawn my words. 

“We have everything in place, the aircraft are in place, the offices, operational centres, the staffing and everything that we need to have in place. 

“We’re doing the last-minute checks and waiting for the issuance of the AOC and it will fly. 

“It will fly and it will be for the benefit of this country, for the size of population, the travelling public and what it does to the economy, especially to tourism, to African integration and to the AU Agenda 2063. 

“It’s a very important project and I must say it will happen before the end of our tenure in the next four weeks and two days,” the minister of aviation said.