Omo_Tier1:

PPP is just a joint venture, and can be handled on behalf of the FG, State or Local government by any of their agency or Parastatal or Ministry. For example, the OKNLG Liquid to Gas project in the oil sector is a PPP project between the FG/NNPC and some technical partners and the ministry of Petroleum resources supervises the PPP agreement on behalf of the FG to make sure their own part of the bargain is realized.

Air Nigeria is actually Privately owed now with Jimoh Ibrahim of formally NICON Airways, NICON Insurance (also formally FG owned but sold to him for peanuts) but is HUGELY financed by UBA. So do not be surprised if UBA goes to press to tell you Air Nigeria belongs to the as this has happened before 'cos Jimoh could not service the debt owed UBA.

Air Nigeria, do not forget is the rebranded Virgin Nigeria which is the left over fraudulent foot print of Sir Richard Brandson's Virgin Atlantic when Obasanjo invited him over to help float a National Carrier for Nigeria. Instead, Branson with His gang of technical crooks, took advantage of that deal to fleece the Nigerian state, borrowed huge money from UBA and their financial partner in Singapore, embarked on ambitions and too fleepy routes expansion that really never had high yield factor e.g. flying Lagso to London-Gatwick daily, Lagos to Jo, Burgh daily and the result was huge operating cost for Virgin Nigeria with less revenue, hence no able to break even with cost soaring. Richard Branson and His gang of technical crooks pulled out of the joint venture agreement, FG was left biting her fingers really hard, and the obvious option left was for the FG to sell off her 40% stake in Virgin Nigeria to the OPS, which Jimoh Ibrahim bought, rebranded it initially with his NICON Airways and Finally Air Nigeria. They currently are financed by UBA, and seems to be doing relatively okay on Local and Regional routes even as they hope to resume their international flights as they still ahve their London and South Africa routes, as they only suspended their operations for the time being.

The truth be told, Aviation is hugely captical intensive and if you ask me, the FG should only set up a National carrier under a PPP arrangement with a crop of local and foriegn technical partners. FG can own 40% stake in the PPP arrangement as I explained earlier and this would give them enough power within the agreement to make quick interventions when things go awry.  Rather than investing a whooping $2bn in refinary in Malaysia, FG can expend only $1.5bn of that sums in a PPP arrangment with counter funding from OPS an retrieving all the Nigeria airways property sold for peanuts from those that bought them, reviving them and calling back home all our aviation experts that have relocated to the Far-East and Asia, recruiting those already heading towards the emerging aviation markets in Africa. This wll bring more revenue to the FG in form of taxes and put food on the table of man. Imagine a Nigeria Wings with over 140 state of the art fleets of Aircraft, thats like employing over 10,000 to 20,000 people through direct or indirect labour in Nigeria alone! Given how Nigerians travel widely, especially within the sub sahara continent, then that might even mean more higher direct labour work force due to route expansion. Lets not talk of the trade anf commerce that would follow from the direct market access these routes would create for the local economy in the two connecting countries!

Enough said, we have wicked leadership that care less about others but more about their pockets! it's a no brainer that our current position in Africa should mean more jobs for our people back home through leveraging of the markets of other countries under out belt!

Freesia:

Omo_Tier1 that is quite informative a big thank you
In regards to flying locally in Nigeria I noticed the extremely well to do business men/women hardly fly commercial but do private.Could reliability be playing the big role here apart from having a lot of money of course?

AjanleKoko:

A good way to beat this is to stop flying BA, and fly Arik, poor customer service and all.
We need to support our own, period. If we don't like Arik's customer service, we can engage them constructively. Sometimes sef, we the educated elite of Nigeria can be real nit-pickers. A very senior Oyinbo in my office (American) told he he flies Arik to New York regularly, and enjoys himself very well. Mind you, he didn't fly First, he flew business, and once flew economy.

AjanleKoko:

A good way to beat this is to stop flying BA, and fly Arik, poor customer service and all.
We need to support our own, period. If we don't like Arik's customer service, we can engage them constructively. Sometimes sef, we the educated elite of Nigeria can be real nit-pickers. A very senior Oyinbo in my office (American) told he he flies Arik to New York regularly, and enjoys himself very well. Mind you, he didn't fly First, he flew business, and once flew economy.

AjanleKoko:

A good way to beat this is to stop flying BA, and fly Arik, poor customer service and all.
We need to support our own, period. If we don't like Arik's customer service, we can engage them constructively. Sometimes sef, we the educated elite of Nigeria can be real nit-pickers. A very senior Oyinbo in my office (American) told he he flies Arik to New York regularly, and enjoys himself very well. Mind you, he didn't fly First, he flew business, and once flew economy.

Omo_Tier1:


Mind you aircraft are designed to 'live' a useful life of 25years on the average with a 'pass by date' of 30years.

Dis Guy:

international lfights are usually not as disruptive as their local service, the stories of 7 hour flights delays, complicated refunds procedure, aggressive staff plenty

their international flight is like others really

obowunmi:

That probably explains why they are in so much debt.
You are fined almost 500,000 per hour for delaying your flight. Arik must be raking up these fines. I personally, have never had problems with them.

Freesia:

Previously on my trip from LHR to IAD I could swear that BA flight was going on 50 Years lol it was one old machine.

Somebody I know hasn't stopped talking about her humiliating experience with Emirates last year. She said as soon as they landed Dubai from NY,the connecting flight she took to Lagos  from Dubai was a transformation she couldn't believe,first of all the staff dressed down from their elegant outfits to something she couldn't explain and the aircraft looked a mess.
She now flies Arik from NY direct to Lagos she's just happy to save time and not deal with layovers and connecting flights.We shall continue to be humiliated to understand how to patronize our own carriers unfortunately

AjanleKoko:

Haba, Emirates is a very professional airline. The only thing is, they shed all their headgear and stuff on the DXB-LOS flight. You can't blame them for that. I wonder if she took the 7am flight to Lagos. I always avoid that flight, and opt for the 2.15pm instead. The early morning flight is usually packed. But, man . . . flying NY to Dubai and then to Lagos? No wonder she was cranky. That's a 14 hour hike in one direction, and another 8 hours back in the same direction

Though i think it's not the airline. All flights inbound Lagos from anywhere is always chaos, caused mostly by the passengers.
Excess cabin luggage, irritable children, etc . . . I can't think of any flight I have taken inbound Lagos that has not been full of chaos. But I like Emirates. Well, I have to fly them a lot, anyway

Periwinkle: Mennnnnnn! wish i saw this post earlier! I booked BA for my family (wife and kid) to visit me by June early this month using my Visa debit card here in Manchester (route ABV-MAN through LHR;return). Any suggestions on what i should do? i have the e-tickets and booking reference. Should i DHL my card to wifey back in Abuja?

ayo111uk: They do accept debit/credit from Nigerian as l paid with one in March 2012. All l was told was that l have to show the card at the Airport.

BabaO2:
Good stuff from BA. Why deceiving ourselves, more than 80% Nigerians dont have good intention home and abroad, even in Nigeria, one lane driving they turn it to five lanes, thereby create unnecessary bottle neck and ground free flowing traffic. Anything Nigerians are participating sooner or later will be grounded
Not until spiritual leaders declare fasting and prayer for absolute cleansing of Nigeria, and all these people having mindset of wrong smartness should have a change of heart.
Judiciary should not be be sanctuary for criminals. Death penalty should be reintroduced. Robbery by killing should automatically get death sentence, etc.

Anything Nigerians are participating sooner or later will be grounded