The Ethiopian Airlines has been revealed as the owner of the Boeing 737-800 series aircraft that the Federal Government flew into Abuja for the unveiling of Nigeria Air.
The plane departed from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, at 9:55 a.m. on Friday and arrived at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja at 12:43 p.m.
Hadi Sirika, the Minister of Aviation, expressed his satisfaction with the project finally taking off after facing numerous challenges and obstacles. He proceeded to unveil the aircraft, which bears the registration ET-APL, at the General Aviation Terminal in Abuja.
Investigations have revealed that the aircraft continued to operate under Ethiopian Airlines until Sunday. Its flight history shows that it flew from Addis Ababa to Tel Aviv in Israel, followed by flights between Tel Aviv and Mogadishu, Somalia, on May 21, 2023. On May 20, it serviced both Mogadishu and Beirut, Lebanon. Flightradar, a popular flight tracking website, provided this information.
Ethiopian Airlines holds a 49% stake in the Nigeria Air project, making it the majority shareholder.
Two Nigerian companies own a 46% stake, while the remaining 5% is held by the Federal Government. This ownership structure led domestic airlines, including Azman Air, Air Peace, Max Air, Topbrass Aviation, and United Nigeria Airlines, which are members of the Airline Operators of Nigeria, to file a lawsuit against the government. They argued that the partnership with Ethiopian Airlines would jeopardize their businesses by opening up their market to the foreign carrier. The domestic airlines demanded up to N2 billion in damages for what they perceived as "wrongful exclusion and unlawful bidding and selection processes" in the Nigeria Air project.
Although Hadi Sirika previously mentioned that the Nigerian Air aircraft would arrive on Friday, he did not clarify whether it was purchased for the project.
However, last year, he had announced that the Federal Executive Council approved the leasing of three aircraft for the carrier. He explained that they planned to start with three aircraft, a mix of Airbus and Boeing models, and gradually expand from domestic to international, regional, and intercontinental flights.
The Chief Executive of Aero Contractors, Capt. Ado Sanusi, emphasized that the arrival of the aircraft did not imply the immediate commencement of commercial operations by the airline.
He stated that while the plane's arrival was one thing, starting the airline and obtaining the necessary approvals from the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) was another matter. Sanusi believed that the regulatory authority would not waive the rigorous process involved, including the crucial demonstration flights necessary for safe operations. He stated that it would be practically impossible for the airline to begin commercial passenger operations within two days, as the international community closely observes compliance with international aviation standards set by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).
As of the time of reporting, attempts to obtain a response from Minister Hadi Sirika regarding the Ethiopian Airlines ownership of the aircraft remained unanswered.
0 Comments