The AON described the unveiling of Nigeria Air’s aircraft yesterday as a scam, insisting that the aircraft displayed was a Boeing 737 MAX owned by Ethiopian Airlines and covered with Nigeria Air sticker.
Spokesman of AON and the Chairman of United Nigeria Airlines, Prof Obiora Okonkwo made this known in an interview during Arise
News Newsnight last night.
Obiora said there is lack of sincerity and transparency in the process of establishing a national carrier by the Minister of Aviation and remarked that all indications point to the fact that the federal government, which has only five per cent of the shares in the planed Nigeria Air, is bankrolling the airline, while other shareholders that have 46 per cent are quiet and Ethiopian Airlines, which has 49 per cent control share and core investor has not contributed funds to the airline. Obiora said that AON is in court to stop the establishment of the airline because of the shadiness and lack of transparency and emphasized that the ‘charade’ that happened yesterday was to deceive the Nigerian public because the new airline has not met the five critical conditions that will enable it to secure Air Operator Certificate
(AOC) from NCAA.
“There is an attempt by somebody
to hang on to Nigeria Air, using it as cover to take over Nigeria’s aviation industry. So, the purpose is self-serving. The cost of the establishment of this airline is about $250 million. Who paid the $250 million? MRS and Skyway Aviation Handling Company Plc (SAHCO) listed as shareholders are not talking and have not made any contribution to the company and indications show they are not interested. Then if after eight years as Minister you can only bring in one aircraft, what do you make of such? Nigeria Air unveiling was meant to confuse Nigerians.
“Nigeria’s aircraft registration number is 5N and before you express the readiness to operate an airline you must have at least three aircraft registered in Nigeria, which you could buy or dry lease, but I can assure you that the document of the aircraft the Minister brought in is not with NCAA,” AON spokesman said.
He said that if the Minister had succeeded in having an airline without going through the required process, the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) would have blacklisted Nigerian airlines because such would cast aspersion on the credibility of Nigeria’s airline certification, AOC.
Leave a comment