Ethiopian Airlines CEO blames politicization, local airlines’ resistance for Nigeria Air failure

Ethiopian Airlines’ Group Chief Executive Officer (GCEO), Mesfin Tasew, has blamed politics for the failure of establishing a national carrier for Nigeria.

According to Tasew, Ethiopian Airlines had the intention of helping Nigerian government establish a profitable airline but the process which was politicised by Nigerian airlines opposed it.

The partnership to establish Nigeria Air which was started by the last administration of President Buhari and handle by former aviation minister, Hadi Sirika, has generated a lot of controversy, with the current aviation minister Festus Keyamo, saying that the deal was not going to be beneficial to Nigeria.

Recall a few weeks ago, Federal High Court sitting in Lagos declared null and void the sale of Nigerian Air Ltd to Ethiopian Airlines.

Justice Ambrose Lewis-Allagoa in his judgment stopping the sale ordered that the proposed establishment of a national carrier-Nigeria Air, by the Federal Government, should not be carried out.