ALMOST two decades after the controversial liquidation of the defunct national carrier, the Nigeria Airways, it seems all is now set for a new national carrier, Nigeria Air, to become a reality.
Coming after endless intrigues and counter intrigues about floating the new national carrier by the present administration, the hitherto doubt about the fulfilment of the dream may have come to an end as the interim managing director of the new carrier, Captain Dapo Olumide early in the week received the Air Transport License (ATL) certificate needed to position the airline for operations from the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), the country’s regulatory body.
With the release of the ATL certificate which precedes the Air Operator’s Certificate (AOC) that will enable the airline to operate scheduled commercial flights, the new carrier is good to go as efforts are in top gear for the airline management to also obtain its AOC for it to finally hit the sky next month.
The presentation of the ATL certificate to the airline’s interim managing director has definitely raised the hope of many key players across the sector about the long yearning for a new national carrier.
It is generally believed that the birth of the new airline will go a long way in not only flying the flag of the largest black nation whose citizens have been adjudged to be the most travelled but also, avail the travelling Nigerians opportunity to enjoy more choices.
While congratulating the government for the efforts made so far despite the earlier uncertainties that trailed the lack of transparency that surrounded the processes, it is again pertinent for the government to dispel all doubts earlier raised by many stakeholders about the credibility of the new carrier by following all due diligence that will make it acceptable to all.
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To make the airline generally acceptable, the government needs to let Nigerians know who the other shareholders and technical partners are in the spirit of transparency.
Keeping these sensitive information away from Nigerians may end up boomeranging should there be any issue subsequently.
At this juncture, there is no reason for the government to continue to withhold the identities of the partners and other issues relating to the national carrier as hoarding information about the full identities of the partners may make some key players and Nigerians to start asking questions even when the airline has finally taken off.
In all honesty, the feelers out there is that many people want the new national carrier to actually come into operations with the belief that it will change the game in air transport in the country, therefore, it’s not likely that anybody will want to play the spoiler at this point.
For the fact that many people are anxious to see the new national carrier takes off, particularly with the high esteem they hold the interim managing director of the new carrier and his team members, there is the need to leverage on the positive wind blowing around the new airline by the government to carry everyone along.
After several dashed hopes from the previous governments that had managed the country’s affairs in providing another national carrier since the liquidation of the defunct national airline, the present administration would have written its name in gold once Nigeria Air takes to the sky.
Floating an airline not to talk of a national airline at this critical period is not a tea party, therefore, to have been able to go this far, the government should do everything possible to ensure no mistake is made that may rock the boat.
Despite all accusations and counteraccusations that had confronted the planned take-off of the airline, the good news is that the dream is about to come true and Nigerians are eagerly waiting to once again have an airline they can call their national carrier.
Above all, while commending the government and the Dapo Olumide led team on how far they have gone in making this long dream become a reality, it is expected that the new airline after coming on board will be the one that can lift the pride of the country.
and then