Speaking at a media tour of the aircraft, the Aviation Minister, Mr Hadi Sirika, said the arrival of the airplane signals the beginning of a national carrier that will be to the benefit of all stakeholders. He added that the choice of Ethiopian Airlines has become the best judging from its globally-recognised capacity and technical expertise that has existed for 77 years. With regards to the existing litigation, he said the government was more concerned about delivering excellent services via Nigeria Air and has not stopped local operators from bringing in foreign partners to fortify their operations in Nigeria. In the buildup to the establishment of a new national carrier, local operators under the aegis of the Airline Operators of Nigeria obtained a court order blocking the launch of the airline for not making them part of the ownership structure of the national company. Nonetheless, Sirika, had in several fora, assured the public that the national carrier would fly before the end of Muhammadu Buhari’s administration.

Source: Ethiopian News May 27, 2023 17:21 UTC