By Chief Lawson A. Omokhodion
The recent statement by Aviation and Aerospace Development Minister, Festus Keyamo, that the Nigerian government was not ready to spend a ‘dime’ on a state sponsored national flag carrier is an unfortunate anti-climax. What the aviation community expected was an announcement on when the Air Nigeria project would commence operation. The minister may therefore have clearly misunderstood the mandate he was given in 2023 on the federal government interest in a national carrier, when he assumed duty as a minister. To the Nigerian public, his assignment was clearly to review where Alhaji Hadi Sirika, the aviation minister under former president Muhammadu Buhari, went wrong in the implementation of the project for a rebirth of a national airline and ensure that a proper groundwork was laid to achieve the desired outcome. The minister had spent two years traveling round the world, visiting foreign airlines in their metropolitan capitals and dining with aircraft manufacturers in Air Bus of France, Embraer of Canada, and Boeing in the United States, and the rich lessons he gathered from these trips were meant to make the Air Nigeria project feasible. Added to these trips was the fact that Festus Keyamo was part of the cabinet of former president Buhari where the initial presidential approval to establish the airline was given. To now relegate the idea of a national carrier with Nigerian government participation to the status of non-starter is perplexing. As every watcher of the Nigerian aviation sector knows, the foreign airlines are always very uncomfortable when the idea of a Nigerian national flag carrier is mentioned, and they fear the stiff competition they would face with the operation of such a formidable airline. It is very possible that these foreign airlines may have mounted pressure on officials of the aviation ministry to kill the Air Nigeria project so that their market share is not disturbed by a new Nigerian flag carrier. In summary, Keyamo’s statement on the national flag carrier is not a proper understanding of what Nigerians desire and it overlooks the huge opportunities available to such a flag carrier. Keyamo should know that he is one of a few of President Tinubu’s ministers, Nigerians look up to raise the profile of Nigeria in ministries they manage. A good look into the future of a Nigerian flag carrier, will show the tremendous benefits the Nigerian aviation sector will reap form such a carrier. To miss such an opportunity at this time of President Tinubu’s renewed hope agenda, will be akin to paradise lost.
The operation of a flag carrier with the ownership interest of a national government has been the vehicle used by several countries to achieve dominance and sustenance in the aviation industry. Nigeria realized this early in its march to nationhood when on August 23, 1958, Nigeria Airways was founded and began full operations on October 1, 1958. However, ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo hastily liquidated the airline in the year 2003 because he was overwhelmed by the management challenges confronting the airline which could easily have been addressed by a restructuring, recapitalization, and the possible dilution of government ownership interest, for the emergence of a better performing airline. Former president Obasanjo is always a military man in a hurry. Recently, the Indian Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, openly declared that its aviation industry was a strategic part of its national economic transformation agenda. India has a population of 1.438 billion people, and its national flag carrier is Air India, which was established by the Tata Group of India in 1935 and goes on domestic and international operations. The Indian government acquired a 40% stake in the airline in 1945 and thereafter it became India’s national flag carrier. In 2022, after 77 years of state participation, Air India was privatized, and it is now owned by the Tata Group and Malaysian airlines, and it continues to function as the country’s flag carrier. Despite the recent crash of Air India’s Boeing 787, the airline continues to thrive. Similarly, IndiGo airline, is India’s largest airline by market share, privately owned, and began operations in August 2006. IndiGo has a fleet of 437 aircraft, operates domestic/international flights and has approximately 37,200 employees. Many other airlines operate in India, but these two airlines constitute India’s flag carriers.