Airline Operators reveal real reasons Buhari suspended Nigeria Air

The Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON) on Thursday commended the
Federal Government for suspending the National Carrier, Nigeria Air.

The Minister of State for Aviation, Sen. Hadi Sirika, had on Wednesday
announced that the Federal Government had decided to suspend Nigeria
Air.

The Chairman of AON, Capt. Nogie Meggisson, said that the move was in
response to complaints by the operators.

Meggisson said that the operators had continued to call for a rethink
by the Federal Government regarding the project in the interest of the
nation.

He said: "We thank President Muhammadu Buhari and the Federal
Executive Council (FEC) for listening to our many calls for the
suspension of the idea.

"In our opinion, we believe the process was neither transparent, nor
did it clearly define the role of private investors in the entire
process.

"At this time of our national limited resources and struggle to
recover from recession, AON will like to state that there are private
Nigerian airline investors ready to invest.

"They are already investing heavily in the sector and only asking for
a more friendly operational environment and infrastructure support.

"Putting the issue into perspective, setting up of National Carrier
will cost Nigeria at least three billion dollars because a single B777
Aircraft as of today costs about 320 million dollars.

"Is it wise and our priority as a nation to take three billion dollars
from the Nigerian coffers today and put into a venture that will for
sure go down the drain within a maximum of five years to establish a
`National Carrier'?

"This is bearing also in mind that the National Carrier will need an
additional cash injection of 500 million dollars subsidy per year on
average for the next 10 years to keep the airline afloat."

Meggisson urged Federal government to engage the private sector to
make aviation a major economic contributor to Nigeria's Gross Domestic
Product (Product)

"Nigeria is a natural Hub for Africa. However, airlines don't make a
hub; but it is world-class infrastructure that makes a hub. Then, the
airlines and airplanes will come in.

"Government should go back to the drawing board and engage the private
sector with transparency on how to position Nigeria as the hub for
Africa to take advantage of our God-given gift of geographical
location," he added.