Nigeria works towards building new national carrier

The Minister of State, aviation, Hadi Sirika, said that the government aims to establish a national carrier that is driven by the private sector, as well as a Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) facility.

Sirika said the government also plans to establish an aviation leasing company in order to solve the issue of access to capital.

“Aviation being international, a lot of transactions are done in foreign currency. Aircraft acquisition, purchasing of spare parts, maintenance and training are all done in foreign currency. Domestic carriers sell their tickets in Naira, but buy their parts in foreign currency. That is why we are working towards making waiver on spare part importation permanent,” said Sirika.

The leasing company will also address the debt profile of some African airlines, inadequate fleet size and high interest rates.