The Ministry of Aviation has revealed that the controversial N5 billion COVID-19 bailout fund, which was provided by the Federal Government, was shared among the airlines and other stakeholders like handling companies, airport taxis among others.
This was disclosed by the Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika, at the weekly State House Briefing in Aso Villa, Abuja, on Thursday.
He said, “Out of the N22 billion that was approved, N5 billion was released and that was shared among airlines, ground handling companies and airport taxis among others. The ministry and parastatals did not get anything from the said amount.
READ: Senate pledges to save aviation sector from collapse
When we got the fund, I called for a meeting with all stakeholders including airlines, catering firms, ground handling firms and airport taxis among others. At that meeting, we all agreed on the sharing formula. Obviously, we will not give Air Peace and Dana the same money because one is bigger with more aircraft among other factors.
Contrary to the speculations that the money was shared by the ministry and among parastatals.”
In case you missed it
READ: How Air Peace, other airlines strategised to cut costs for survival
Domestic airlines such as Aero Contractors, West Link, TAL Helicopters and a few others have claimed they are yet to receive their own share of the initial N5 billion disbursed by the aviation ministry.
They are prompting operators to believe the fund disbursement was lopsided even as Ibom Air was equally excluded from the fund based on the reason that it is a state-owned airline.
