Nigeria Air unveiling: Ethiopian Airlines’ Boeing 737-800 Used for ceremony

In an exclusive report by Daily Trust, it has been confirmed that the Boeing 737-800 series aircraft used by the Federal Government for the unveiling of Nigeria Air actually belongs to Ethiopian Airlines. The aircraft, with the registration ET-APL, departed from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, at 9:55 a.m. on Friday and landed at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja at 12:43 p.m.

Following the landing, Hadi Sirika, the Minister of Aviation, expressed his delight at the progress made in the Nigeria Air project after a long and challenging journey. Sirika proceeded to unveil the aircraft at the General Aviation Terminal of the Abuja airport.

We are here. To Almighty God be all the glory. It has been a very long, tedious, daunting and difficult path. We thank everyone for the support. This, by the will of God, will be for us and generations to come. Ya Allah make it beneficial for our country and humanity ?????????? pic.twitter.com/an4LbgmSf5

— Hadi Abubakar Sirika (@hadisirika) May 26, 2023

Investigation by Daily Trust revealed that the aircraft is indeed owned by Ethiopian Airlines, as indicated by the “ET-APL” inscription on the plane’s wings. Flight history investigations further revealed that the aircraft continued to operate under Ethiopian Airlines until Sunday. It had previously flown from Addis Ababa to Tel Aviv, Israel, and also operated flights between Tel Aviv and Mogadishu, Somalia, on May 21, 2023.

It is noteworthy that Ethiopian Airlines holds a 49% stake in the Nigeria Air project, making it a majority shareholder. This ownership structure has sparked a lawsuit filed by domestic airlines under the Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON), including Azman Air, Air Peace, Max Air, Topbrass Aviation, and United Nigeria Airlines. These airlines raised concerns that the partnership with Ethiopian Airlines would jeopardize their market position and potentially force them out of business.

Among the grievances expressed by the domestic airlines, they demanded up to N2 billion in damages for alleged “wrongful exclusion and unlawful bidding and selection processes” related to the Nigeria Air project.

While Minister of Aviation, Senator Hadi Sirika, had previously announced the arrival of the Nigeria Air aircraft on Friday, he did not explicitly mention whether the aircraft was purchased for the project. However, he had previously stated that the Federal Executive Council approved the leasing of three aircraft for the carrier.

In response to the aircraft’s arrival, Chief Executive of Aero Contractors, Capt. Ado Sanusi, clarified that the presence of the aircraft did not signify the immediate commencement of commercial operations by Nigeria Air. Sanusi emphasized that several regulatory approvals, including demonstration flights, were necessary before the airline could officially begin its operations.

As Nigeria eagerly awaits the launch of Nigeria Air, questions and concerns surrounding the partnership with Ethiopian Airlines and the regulatory processes involved continue to linger. The nation’s aviation industry anticipates the commencement of operations by the carrier, as the world watches closely to ensure compliance with international standards and recommended practices set by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).

In context, this is not today‘s important story, but I thought to flag it up too.

Aviation minister @hadisirika is committing broad daylight fraud by displaying this rented and hurriedly repainted @flyethiopian Boeing 737-800 as an aircraft belonging to a phantom “Nigeria Air”. https://t.co/B3ipUurVO1 pic.twitter.com/DfDa3Sc5Gf

— David Hundeyin (@DavidHundeyin) May 26, 2023