As Wind Of Uncertainty Blows Over Take Off Of Nigeria Air

Key players reopen controversial denial of AOC to Nigerian Eagle
AVIATION

FOLLOWING the indefinite suspension of the take-off of the much publicized Nigeria Air/Ethiopian Airlines deal as a result of litigations, mixed reactions have continued to trail the controversial sabotage of Nigerian Eagle airline.

Nigerian Eagle an airline that would have served as another domestic airline aside the now truncated Nigeria Air was before it was frustrated due to power tussle between the minister of aviation, Senator HadiSirika and AMCON was disallowed from obtaining its Air Operators Certificate despite the ability of the team appointed to package it to have attained almost 80 percent of the requirements needed for it to take off.

If it had been allowed to take off, the airline would have been formed out of the two ailing domestic airlines, Arik Air and Aero Contractors under the receivership of AMCON.

The Nigerian Eagle which according to information gathered had got all its structures on ground including three aircraft already set aside for its take off was suddenly halted following a superior directive that the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) should not issue the required AOC needed for its take off.

The refusal of the NCAA to issue the new airline the AOC generated controversy within the sector with many attributing the development to the ploy by the minister to prevent it from the airline from overriding the Nigeria Air project.

The botched take off of the Nigerian Eagle airline created division amongst the key players with the different groups expressing support and opposition towards the project.

With the latest suspension of the Nigeria Air by the Lagos high court, the different stakeholders have blamed the suspension of the Nigerian Eagke which they argued would have served as an alternative for Nigerians pending the final determination of the Nigeria Air next year February.

Commenting on the controversy, one of the very vocal and passionate aviation analyst, Sindy Forster queried the seeming silence on the controversy saying if the relevant principal players had been more transparent about the Nigerian Eagle project that it would have been a different story.

“It’s rather strange that there has been an air of silence around this matter. Had things been done differently, with consideration of the impact on the debt outstanding in Arik Air, with transparency and clarity, we probably would not be where we are. The launch would have garnered more support, although it would have been better if NG Eagle had been sold to private investors rather than AMCON trying to float a third airline having failed to rescue the two airlines already in their stable.

Speaking on the refusal to issue an AOC to Nigerian Eagle based on what some interests described as lack of cooperation between the ministry of aviation and AMCON, Sindy attributed the situation to the lack of “unity in purpose where two arms of the Federal government cannot come together with a united purpose. It still would have encountered the same issues, but perhaps those issues could have been resolved for the benefit of the country with consideration to the legacy investors.

Rather than focus on Nigerian Eagle airline following the demise of Nigeria Air, Sindy called for the support of the indigenous airlines that are already active to grow and develop sustainable airlines with access to forex, aviation fuel and business friendly policies.

“What Nigeria needs are airlines capable of adding competition to international routes who are supported by government policies and actions. Because we have a lot of unimplemented policies which are therefore not worth the paper they are written on.

“The government quietly changed the requirements for launching of international routes in favour of Nigeria Air, but now this policy has been changed, it should allow new airlines to launch international routes without the need to have flown domestic routes for any period of time.”

For the managing director of Centurion Security Services, Group Captain John Ojikutu, retired, the NCAA as the lawful civil aviation authority in the country hasThe right to speak out on what the Nigerian Eagle Airline did wrong that warranted the refusal to issue.

“We have been perambulating on the National Carrier for seven years and made no effort to assign credible private operators as flag carriers but we are allowing foreign airlines including Ethiopian airline to make multiple frequencies and destinations to Nigeria without visible or significant revenue to the national earnings.

“At the present level of the planning for a national carrier, it will be a miracle to get it started before the end of the present administration and if it does, it may have a premature demise like the Virgin Nigeria.