The Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika, yesterday said the refusal of local airlines to invest in the new national carrier pushed the Federal Government to solicit buy-in from foreign airlines, including Ethiopian Airlines.
He insisted that there was no going back on the delivery of the National Carrier – Nigeria Air.
He said attempts by some interest groups, including indigenous carriers, to abort the project through legal interventions will not succeed.
Sirika said though the Ministry of Aviation has not been served any notice by any court of competent jurisdiction on the matter, no court of competent jurisdiction will allow itself to be used to frustrate such a national project.
The Federal High Court in Lagos yesterday granted an interim injunction restraining the Federal Government and Ethiopian Airlines from proceeding with the establishment of a proposed national carrier.
The court ordered all parties to the suit to maintain the status quo.
Sirika said there was nothing hidden about the processes leading to the establishment of the company to float the National Carrier as all information and documents connected to the project were in the public domain.
Sirika spoke yesterday at the Protocol Lounge of the Lagos Airport, during an interactive session with stakeholders on the completion of the 18L Runway of the airport.
Sirika insisted that aviation stakeholders and unions had sufficient time to participate in the process rather than engage in a legal suit to stall the project.
The minister said he engaged indigenous carriers to participate in the project including Air Peace, Azman Air and Max Air but they turned down the invitation to participate on the excuse that the request was not formally conveyed to them, adding that he did not see the possibility of any court erecting a roadblock to the emergence of the national carrier.
He said: “I have been very transparent in the processes put in place to deliver the national carrier.
“If anyone wants to invest in a company, no one can stop them from investing. You can own a company 100 per cent. If anyone wants to invest, why not? We want foreign direct investment.
“We have worked with all stakeholders to deliver the national carrier. We have been very participatory and inclusive.
“Stakeholders claiming they were not carried along are being unfair. Nobody should claim they were not carried along. Nobody asked for any document on the national carrier that was not obliged.
“Now that local operators have gone to court, I do not see any rational court that will stop people from setting up an airline. No court will stop people from coming to invest in the National Carrier.”
Sirika said every document on the project is domiciled at the Ministry of Aviation and Infrastructure Construction Regulatory Commission, which are driving the processes leading to the national carrier.
On the demolition of structures at the Lagos airport, Sirika said there was no going back on the project to ensure Nigeria delivers state-of-the-art facilities that will be transformed into an aerotropolis.
Nigeria, he said, cannot shortchange itself on the global move to deliver world-class air transport infrastructure as it is been done in other developed countries such as the United Arab Emirates and United States of America, amongst others.
“If I have my way, those structures from the local airport to Bristow will be demolished tomorrow and pave the way for the emergence of a befitting airport city.
“Would you not like to see shopping malls, befitting car parks and other support facilities like you find in other parts of the world?
“This chaos you find around the Lagos Airport called headquarters of agencies is not what we should be proud of.”
Sirika said an aerotropolis needs befitting structures.
“We will not do anything under the table. We will demolish structures that will stand in the way of achieving collective good for the industry. We will do the right things,” he said.
Sirika also said the completion of Airfield Lighting (AFL) on Runway 18L/36R of the Murtala Muhammed Airport, Lagos has provided closure for safety, airport efficiency and efficiency of airlines in cost saving, operation and comfort.
The minister said he landed on Runway 18L/36R at about 10pm on Monday, adding that the runway lighting and other safety components were working perfectly.

By Kelvin Osa Okunbor

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