[News] New national carrier to take off in first quarter 2022 – Minister of aviation, Hadi Sirika

Minister of aviation, Hadi Sirika has said that the new national carrier which he unveiled at the Farnborough International Airshow in London in 2018, will now take off in the first quarter of 2022.

 

The Minister made the announcement while addressing state house correspondents after the weekly federal executive council meeting in Abuja on Wednesday May 19.

 

Sirika who said the pandemic caused the postponement of establishment of the national carrier from 2021 to 2022, added that the new national carrier which will possibly operate at cheaper rates is expected to be a viable airline and is potentially poised to cater to millions of travelers in Nigeria and Africa.

 

The Ministry he heads is expected to return to the council in two weeks to submit a memo with an outline business case for approval.

 

Sirika said;

 

“The contract is for the procurement, equipment and installation of accident investigation towable mobile offices in favour of Messrs. Crases Integrity Services Limited. The total contract sum is N201,150,437.21.

“The purpose of this equipment, once purchased, if there is, God forbid, an accident anywhere, these mobile offices will be driven to the location and an office will be established for the purposes of taking data, collecting samples and gathering information regarding the incident and then analysing them on site and tagging them and doing all sorts of things there and you know, this can take any time, sometimes a few hours, sometimes even weeks.”