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FG determined to float National Carrier

By on October 25, 2014

The federal government has restated its determination to establish a national carrier before the end of this administration in May next year.

To this end, government was said to have decided to shelve other projects, including the plan to privatise or concession the nation’s airports to ensure that it achieves the goal before the end of the remaining months of the administration.

THISDAY learnt that the decision to pursue the establishment of a national carrier to the end stemmed from the desire of government to re-establish the aviation industry as a source of manpower development, to ensure the sector contributes significantly to the nation’s Gross National Product (GDP) and to develop Lagos or Abuja as a regional hub.

The Minister of Aviation, Osita Chidoka, THISDAY learnt, has carried out studies and gone through presentations and proposals and has realised that without a national carrier, Nigeria cannot develop its own manpower in the aviation sector and can also never develop a hub despite the ever increasing number of Nigerian travellers.

Chidoka was said to have also realised that the only way to curtail the inroad being made by foreign airlines in the country through multi-designation of entry points is to establish a national carrier that can easily code-share with foreign airlines and also negotiate for new commercial agreements between Nigeria and these international carriers; even if Nigeria decided to adopt slot allocation instead of Bilateral Air Service Agreement (BASA).

THISDAY learnt that in pursuance of this objective, the Ministry of Aviation recently sent a delegation to Abu Dhabi to understudy the establishment and operations of Etihad Airways.

It was also gathered that government would seek for technical partnership with international carrier, but is yet to indicate which airline it would partner with.

THISDAY also gathered that the planned national carrier would not deviate so much with what government planned earlier that did not materialise before the removal of the former Minister of Aviation and that it plans to build the airline on an existing local airline.

“We have decided to rest other projects in order to pursue the establishment of a national carrier a top priority. Nigeria needs a national carrier in order to entrench itself in the aviation industry and to reap the benefits therein. Today we are not growing technical manpower in the industry and it is only a national carrier that will be obligated to train indigenous personnel,” an informed source told THISDAY.

But industry observers have warned that whatever government wished to do, it must be transparent and open, adding that the Ministry of Aviation does not have the technocrats required to establish a successful national carrier; therefore, government must engage knowledgeable Nigerians that would help to make the plan a reality.

Many industry observers also posit that the initial plan to establish a national carrier failed because “government at that time was operating inside a box, so it has to be open and transparent this time.”

 

[This Day]