The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, says no local airline will be designated to be the Nigerian national carrier.

He said that nominating one local airline to be the national carrier will be unfair to all other local airlines operating in the country.

Keyamo, who was a guest on Channels Televisions Politics Today on Wednesday, said that his ministry is already working on establishing what he referred to as “a proper national carrier”.

“I will push for one (national carrier) and I am working on one. Let me say this publicly now, no local airline will be a national carrier, a flag carrier. So, whoever thinks I am working to promote one to be a flag carrier, I am saying it as a matter of policy, it will be unfair to all the local operators,” Keyamo said.

“No local airline will be designated as a national carrier, I will not do it. We will establish a proper national carrier and people are talking to us, the Arabs are talking to us, the Chinese are talking to us, the Americans are talking to us on this already.”



During the last administration, Keyamo’s predecessor, Hadi Sirika, had launched Nigeria Air as a national carrier and the deal was shrouded in controversy.

The dust about the Nigeria Air is yet to settle with Keyamo insisting that the deal was not in the interest of the nation.

The minister said there are other deals on the table and wondered why the one involving the Ethiopian Airline was chosen by the former minister.

He said, “There were better deals on the table, why did we settle for this or why are we trying to settle for this? We have better deals on the table

“It was not a deal that was good for Nigeria. The whole composition and the totality of that deal was merely Ethiopian Air flying a Nigerian flag; it was not a national carrier.

“There is a national carrier and a flag carrier. So, why we were thinking a national carrier was coming, it was not a national carrier, it was a foreign airline trying to fly Nigerian flag,” Keyamo said.

The minister also said that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) is investigating the controversial Nigeria Air deal.

“The EFCC is investigating that deal,” the Minister said, adding that “there is a criminal investigation going on. I have called for the report”.

DatNiggaDaz:
To think that this is thesame man once under the tutulege of the great Fani, who bought a house of over 400,000 dollars in the US where he goes fishing after looting the ministry of Labour dry as a state minister under Buhari,without providing any form employnnent during his time, is now a Minister in the Aviation sector under Mr bulala, whom he was took to court in the 90s for a fraudulent certificate

Gani will be turning restless in his grave now

No local airline will be designated as a national carrier, I will not do it. We will establish a proper national carrier and people are talking to us, the Arabs are talking to us, the Chinese are talking to us, the Americans are talking to us on this already.

Smithkafors:


Lol, the same person Nigerians want to carry Nigeria to the next height. They are all over Tinubu government.

EreluRoz:
See your yam legs, change your ways already, election is over.

“No local airline will be designated as a national carrier, I will not do it. We will establish a proper national carrier and people are talking to us, the Arabs are talking to us, the Chinese are talking to us, the Americans are talking to us on this already.”

10mobile:
Why is Nigeria fond of using lackadaisical lawyers as ministers of Aviation? FKK, now Keyamo? Why not appoint people who are experienced in the aviation industry since the sector is so sensitive?

emmabest2000:
Fear don begins to catch dem
Because of the way AIR-PEACE is growing

tiswell:
Air peace is more than capable to become one,but ethnic bias won't let it come to fruition.