Nigeria Air Plane To Arrive Friday, Says Aviation Minister 

According to the Minister, the federal government has completed over 90% of the aviation sector plan.

By Omotayo Olutekunbi

President Muhammadu Buhari seems to have just enough time to fulfill another of his promises to the Nigerian people, as the jet for Nigeria Air is slated to arrive in the nation on Friday, May 26, 2023, before the start of operations.

Hadi Sirika, the Minister of Aviation, announced this on Wednesday, May 24, 2023.

Upon taking office in 2015, President Buhari committed to guarantee that Nigeria had a national airline after the last one, Nigerian Airways, was liquidated in 2004.

However, almost five years after revealing the name at the Farnborough Air Show in the United Kingdom, the Buhari administration has failed to get the project off the ground.

While the government refused to abandon the plan, finance has proved to be the biggest hurdle to the projected airline’s success.

As a result, the government has been obliged to seek agreements with private investors and another airline firm.

Despite the Minister’s assurances that the project will begin before the end of Buhari’s term on May 29, Nigerians have remained skeptical of this prospect.

Sirika, on the other hand, has the potential to prove many people incorrect even in the latter days of the Buhari government.

In an exclusive interview with Channels Television on Wednesday, the Minister said that a Nigeria Air aircraft would arrive in the nation on Friday as part of the preparations to begin operations and the revealing of the delivery process.

He also pledged that the jet would be launched in Nigerian colors, fulfilling the administration’s commitments to the aviation industry.

Sirika said, “On the question of Nigeria Air, on Friday in two days, Nigeria Air plane will land in Nigeria as part of the processes to commence operation. We will on that day unveil this aircraft, the livery and everything in Nigeria’s colours, belong to Nigeria Air and we will proceed to go and do the retrofit and bring back those aeroplanes.”

However, the Minister said that the sole unfinished component is the metropolis, which is the airport city and is 60% complete.

He said the groundwork had been done, and the next government would complete construction on the airport city.