Call for merger of Arik/Aero as national carrier continues

AS uncertainty continues to trail the supposed plans by the Federal Government to float a new national carrier, Nigeria Air, key players have continued to question the rationale behind such plan despite the existence of two airlines already taken over by government through its agency, Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON).

The two airlines, Arik Air and Aero were originally private owned entities until they ran into economic mess which almost overwhelmed them until AMCON rescued them and has since taken over the management of the airlines.

First to query the plan to float a new national carrier despite the existence of Arik and Aero already wearing the toga of government airlines was the UK based Nigerian aviation expert, Mr Nick Fadugba, who then described Nigeria as the only country that owns two national airlines, Arik and Aero, and yet struggling to set up a third one.

Equally, the Managing Director of AMCON, Ahmed Kuru, had at a time called for the merger of Aero Contractors and Arik Air to form the national carrier.

Latest to lend his voice to the merger of the two airlines to form a national carrier is a Public Relations Strategist, Mr Simon Tumba, who wondered why government would be spending a whopping N50 billion on a project that will cause it to lose money in the first three to five years with little assurance for success.

Tumba who attributed his support for the formation of a new national carrier out of Arik and Aero to their past records declared: “It is crucially important to look at the massive advantages of merging Aero and Arik to form a flag carrier. Aero is Nigeria’s oldest carrier with solid experience servicing the oil and gas sector, rotary wing and aircraft repairs. It has a Maintenance Repair and Overhaul (MRO) licence to undertake C check for Boeing 737s, perhaps the only facility with that competence in west and central Africa. Arik is the first airline to operate brand new Boeing and Airbus new generation aircraft and since the days of Nigeria Airways, the only Nigerian airline with the best international exposure.”

“For Arik and Aero which have tasted the waters, and are regaining customer confidence in their respective markets, and equally making revenues to cover working capital, it makes better sense for government to merge them, while they secure solid technical partners.”

Tumba faulted government on its decision to spend the whopping amount of money on a fresh plan to float another national carrier when other sectors of the economy are gasping for financial support from the same government.

His words: “Why is the government spending this amount of money considering the dire needs in other sectors like education, health and social services? Why is a government that is almost borrowing to service debts setting up a national carrier while it has a better option? Considering the recent downgrade of Nigeria by rating agencies, which investor will risk investing in a completely new venture? Most aviation experts have fingered huge maintenance cost as one of the major problems for Nigerian airlines. Just imagine a combination of Arik and Aero under one entity, where Aero can also offer services to third parties.”

While likening the insistence of the minister on going ahead to form a new national carrier to that of building a house in an area where there’s no electricity, water, road and gas, Tumba queried: “what use is a national carrier with the airports we have today? The Minister should work to fix our airports, and not just focus on the current traffic, but think long term. He’s truly putting the cart before the horse”