Nigeria Air[1] is a proposed airline and flag carrier in Nigeria. The name and logo was unveiled at the Farnborough Air Show in the United Kingdom in July 2018.
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| Founded | July 2018 (2018-07) | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ceased operations | Early 2019 (plans scrapped before starting operations) | ||||||
| Hubs | Murtala Muhammed International Airport Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport | ||||||
| Fleet size | 0 | ||||||
| Destinations | 0 | ||||||
| Parent company | Ethiopian Airlines 49% Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority 46% | ||||||
Nigeria Air was announced at the Farnborough Air Show in 2018.[2] Operations are expected to begin in December 2018.[3] Ethiopian Airlines will have a stake in the company. In 2017, the Nigerian government announced it will invest US$5 million in the venture. However, the Minister for State Aviation, Hadi Sirika, insists that the airline will be privately-operated. "It is a business, not a social service. The government will not be involved in running it or deciding who runs it. The investors will have full responsibility for this."[2] According to a tweet by Tolu Ogunlesi, a Nigerian government communications official, the government will not own more than 5% of the airline.[4]
The Minister for State Aviation announced that the government is in negotiations with Airbus and Boeing to provide a fleet for the new national airline.[5]
Nigeria has bilateral air service agreements (BASAs) with 70 countries; however, only 30 are operating at the moment. Since Arik Air and Med-View Airline terminated their long-haul operations, no Nigerian airlines have been operating long-haul flights.[3] The airline is looking at 81 potential destinations.[4] However, Group Captain John Ojikutu, an expert in Nigerian aviation, stated that operation to just 15 of the 30 countries with which Nigeria has functioning BASAs would be an adequate start.[3]
Barely two months after its proposal, the Federal Government on 19 September 2018, announced the suspension of Nigeria Air, describing the move as a tough decision. The airline will take to the skies in a couple of months.[6]