Some Nigerian local airline operators have sued the Federal Government over its national carrier deal with Ethiopian Airlines asking the Federal High Court of Nigeria in Lagos to terminate the national carrier deal.
In the suit instituted against the government on Friday, November 11, 2022, the airline operators and their association listed Nigerian Air, Ethiopian Airlines, Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika, and Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, as defendants.
The indigenous airline operators also want the court to withdraw the Air Transport Licence already issued to Nigeria Air by the Federal Government/Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority.
They further maintained that the firm which served as Transaction Adviser for the deal was linked to the minister of aviation, adding that the company was incorporated in March last year.
The local airlines also claimed that the licence issued to Nigerian Air did not pass through the normal security clearance.
They argued that the Federal Government’s partnership with Ethiopian Airlines would send local airlines out of business because the deal would open up the domestic air travel market to Ethiopian Airlines.
Recall that two months ago, the Minister of Aviation in Abuja announced Ethiopian Airlines Consortium as the preferred bidder for Nigeria Air.
Explaining the reason the Federal Government picked Ethiopian Airlines as the preferred bidder, Sirika said the airline operator was the only airline that responded to the government’s requests for expression of interest.
He said despite his personal effort to meet and convince other airlines about the project, they ignored Nigeria’s call to join hands with the country to float a national carrier.