FEC: FG SET TO BORROW THREE AIRCRAFTS TO COMMENCE NIGERIA AIR’S FLIGHT OPERATIONS

By Ovibel media

Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika has disclosed the Federal Government’s plan to begin flight operations of the national carrier, Nigeria Air with an initial three aircraft to be borrow from other companies.

Beyond the lease of the aircraft, the Federal Executive Council meeting presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari approved a total sum of 1,506,285.7 euros, approximately N707,962,864.83 to enable the airport authorities to acquire working tools under the Accident Investigation Bureau, AIB.

Sirika said the flight operations will first begin locally, then progress to regional and international routes going forward.

The government is mulling the takeoff, soonest, despite existing challenges in the aviation industry, especially the rising cost of aviation fuel, the Jet A1.

The Nigerian national carrier logo had been launched abroad, a few years ago, when stakeholders in the Nigerian aviation sector took to an air fair to explore options available to it for effective execution.

Sirika said, “I presented two memoranda on the national carrier to allow Nigeria to lease aircraft to start operations. That has been approved by the council. And the second is the deployment of investigation tools by the Accident Investigation Bureau. That tool, will permit the accident investigation to be able to decode going ons in flights, and God forbid, should there be a need to investigate the accident or incident, the tool will help them to be able to do so. That procurement is in sum of 1,506,285.7 euros which is equivalent to N707,962,864.83.

“This will be including taxes at a central bank exchange rate of 472 in Euro with the delivery period of 11 months and is awarded to Messers Integrated Contract Services Limited for AIB”