It seems like the dream of Nigeria Air might not be dead as according to reports, Emirates Airlines have offered to partner Nigeria in its quest to establish a national carrier.
According to Mr James Odaudu, Special Assistant to the Minister of Aviation, Sen. Hadi Sirika, the Emirates president, Mr Tim Clark made the offer during a panel discussion at Dubai Expo 2020.
Clark said Emirates Airlines would be happy to help if assistance was requested in starting Nigeria’s national carrier. Adding that such assistance would elicit requests for clarification, mostly from the media and industry stakeholders in Nigeria.
“Of course, Nigeria needs a national airline. There is an enormous business case for the national carrier. Nigerians are seeking to travel all over the world. Nigeria is a powerhouse in Africa.”
“We are very interested in flying there because it is a rich nation in terms of demand for services,” Clark said.
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The Minister in a statement said the offer from the Emirates airline was going to serve as an encouragement to the many bidders currently preparing their Public-Private Partnership (PPP) bids for Nigeria Air in response to the recently advertised Requst for Proposal.
“The offer by Emirates cannot be anything other than an endorsement of the need, the zeal, and, of course, the process for the national carrier project. It is also an expression of confidence of the international aviation community in the commitment of the Buhari government to it.”
“As has been repeatedly stated, the whole process for the establishment of the national carrier and all the projects under government’s aviation roadmap has been guided by the principles of transparency and accountability.”
“Boldly speaking, this will remain till the final delivery of the project,’’ he added.
The Minister of Aviation assured Nigerians that the process for the acquisition of the Air Operator’s Certificate (AOC) and the Air Transport License (ATL) is well on course for the expected launch date of the airline.
