The Ministry of Aviation has disclosed that the proposed national carrier will enable Nigeria take full advantage of the Single Africa Air Transport Market (SAATM), reduce air rates through competitive pricing, and improve Nigeria’s position with Bilateral Air Service Agreements (BASAs) with other nations.
This was disclosed by Mr James Odaudu, the Director of Public Affairs, Ministry of Aviation, in an interview with NAN on Tuesday in Abuja.
“Establishment of the national carrier will also make Nigeria take full advantage of the Single Africa Air Transport Market (SAATM), introduce competition leading to competitive fares, better services and generate employment,” the Director said.
He added that Nigeria had worked out the arrangements needed with stakeholders for a national carrier to begin domestic flights, stating that the national carrier project would be private-sector driven, made up of international airlines, leasing companies, aircraft manufacturers, and institutional investors, with the FG holding not more than 5%.
On the part of the FG, he added that the Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission (ICRC) had completed a feasibility study of the proposed airline, in line with the FG’s goals to create a business climate to sustain the airline.
“The next phase is the placement of Request For Qualification (RFQ) in local and international media as part of the procurement exercise,” he said.
What you should know
Nairametrics reported this week that the Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika, had held a discussion with the government of the United States of America over the establishment of a national carrier for Nigeria, stating that the FG was aiming to launch Nigeria Air by the end of the year.