The Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika said the Air Operator Certificate, AOC, for the country’s national carrier , Nigeria Air, is being expected from the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority in the next few days.
The minister made this known following the approval for the carrier’s take off by the Federal Executive Council on Wednesday.
The AOC is the approval granted for an aircraft to begin commercial services.
The minister who also assured that the airline’s take off by April next year is feasible, says government will have no control over it as its stake is just five percent , which is very minimal.
He says the airline’s operations would begin with an interim management, which could be local or foreign.
The National carrier is expected to begin its services with a wet lease of three aircrafts from Europe, pending the purchase of its own planes , which would take some time
Its fleet is expected to have grown to about thirty in the next two to three years.
He also adds that a twelve thousand hectare land maintenance, repair and overhaul facility is also to be put in place for the aircraft’s sustenance.
Mr Sirika assures that the airline would not go the way of Nigeria Airways as government won’t be managing its affairs in any capacity at all.
