Plans to launch a national carrier in association with the Nigerian government and institutional investors have come to an end, according to Ethiopian Airlines Group CEO Mesfin Tasew.
Former aviation minister Hadi Sirika announced the #Nigeria Air initiative in May 2023, but it was met with legal obstacles and opposition from domestic airlines. Concerns over the ownership structure were raised by the Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON), especially after Ethiopian Airlines was declared the preferred bidder.
Festus Keyamo, Nigeria’s minister of aviation, put the national carrier proposal on hold in August last year. A federal high court in Lagos subsequently declared in August 2024 that the projected Nigeria Air’s 49 percent equity holding had been sold to Ethiopian Airlines.
Mesfin clarified that because of opposition from regional carriers, Ethiopian Airlines no longer plans to collaborate with Nigerian airlines. The company’s current goal is growing its business in other African nations where it already has connections.
