The former Director General of Nigerian Airspace Management Agency, NAMA, Captain Roland Iyayi stated the proposed Nigeria Air could now no longer advantage the Nigerian public.
Also, he alleged that the award of a majority stake in Nigeria Air to Ethiopian Airlines become now no longer obvious and could result in unfair opposition withinside the country’s airspace industry.
Captain Roland Iyayi made this disclosure in an AriseTV interview monitored via way of means of DAILY POST on Wednesday.
Earlier, a Lagos Federal High Court issued an order of meantime injunction restraining the Nigerian authorities from intending with the status quo of its proposed countrywide provider, Nigeria Air.
Reacting to the development, Iyayi stated that the proposed countrywide provider is owned via way of means of overseas airways with out a monetary profits to the Nigerian economy.
He stated: “The dealings aren't absolutely obvious. We have problems with that; we additionally locate out, going thru all of the files provided, that there are undue privileges given to this new provider which home operators aren’t enjoying. For instance, the authorities proposes a 15-yr tax moratorium for the countrywide provider. Again allow us to be very clear, this isn't always a countrywide provider withinside the context wherein it's far being presented. This is a flag provider. This is due to the fact in case you are bringing strategic buyers at 49% and it has different institutional buyers, one in all that is 60% owned via way of means of a overseas entity. In the lengthy term, what you're placing collectively is a overseas airline being allowed to function withinside the Nigerian area in version with Article 7. This isn't always withinside the hobby of the Nigerian public.
“Ultimately, the Nigerian public won’t advantage from Nigeria Air. There may be unfair opposition if we permit a overseas provider to are available with unique privileges different companies aren’t getting.”
He claimed that the authorities had already determined on the selection of Ethiopian Airlines earlier than the procedure started, explaining that this become why Airline Operators of Nigeria, AON went to court.
He stated Ethiopian Airlines had long gone in addition to listing Nigeria Air as one in all its subsidiaries on its website.
“I don’t assume Nigeria wishes a countrywide provider that may be a subsidiary of every other country. Nigerians are searching out a countrywide provider freely owned via way of means of Nigerians.
“Unfair competitions, contrived outcomes, loss of transparency will bring about a distorted marketplace which on the cease of the day will decimate the home marketplace unfavorable to Nigerians,” he added.
Nigeria Air is the nation’s proposed countrywide provider unveiled on the Farnborough Air Show in England on July 18, 2018.
The countrywide provider concept become raised a few years after Nigeria’s provider, Nigeria Airways, collapsed because of corruption and terrible management.