New Nigerian national carrier to be launched in December this year following talks with Boeing and Airbus

FEDERAL government officials have announced plans to launch a new Nigerian national carrier in December this year to finally replace the defunct Nigeria Airways which folded in 2003.

Founded in 1958, Nigeria Airways eventually collapsed having accumulated significant debts that outstripped its revenues from the mid-1980s. Since then, Nigeria has been without a national carrier and repeated attempts by successive governments to float another one over recent years have failed.

Last November, the federal government announced that two internationally renowned aircraft manufacturers, Airbus and Boeing, had indicated interest in Nigeria’s national carrier. Yesterday, Captain Usman Mukhtar, the director-general of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), confirmed that December will be the commencement date for the proposed national carrier.

He did not confirm which of the aircraft manufacturers will be supplying the new airline with planes but pointed out that the process of getting an aircraft operators certificate takes just 90 days once the operator meets the requirements. According to Captain Mukhtar, the possibility of the national carrier completing the process was feasible within the timeframe.

Captain Mukhtar said the federal government had resolved to involve aviation agencies’ heads in the task force set up to ensure the commencement of the airline because it wanted to get it right. He added that several airlines did not last in the industry because they did not follow the guidelines given to them.

“They are not mid-wifing it in the real sense of the national carrier but they are guiding the process to ensure that it is done in line with international standards and best practices in the area of safety, security and also comfort of passengers. This time around, the government says we should ensure that even before commencement, nothing is short-circuited and that the right process is followed.

“The NCAA guides operators when it comes to documentation and preparation of the manual, which we produce. If there are errors or corrections, the NCAA works to see that everything comes out clean," Captain Mukhtar added.