The 12-man National Carrier Ministerial Committee inaugurated on Monday by the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Aviation, Mrs. Binta Bello Thursday commenced sitting in Lagos.
The meeting, which commenced in the early hours held at the annex office of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, NCAA, at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, MMIA, Lagos.
The committee has the mandate to fashion out modalities for the project.
A committee member who spoke with our correspondent on the condition of anonymity said the committee is at the moment taking presentations from stakeholders and Price Water House, consultants for the project.
The source confided in our correspondent that major sitting of the committee would commence from next week as the team would take both written and oral applications from professionals and stakeholders in the sector.
He explained that the essence of meeting with proven experts in the sector was to ensure that everyone was carried along in the project.
He however said that the committee could not determine when the nation would be presented with a new national carrier, stressing that it would take a long process.
He said, “You know, it is not what we can get overnight. There will still be issue of Air Operator’s Certificate, AOC, for the airline and other regulations that the new airline will have to comply with.
“You know, we have short and long term plans in setting up an airline. The technical partnership too should be put into consideration. Those are the things we need to work on first before giving a specific date for the project. But, one thing I can tell you is that it is very achievable. At the end of the exercise, we will give government a template on how to go about it in a manner that is transparent and actionable.”
Recall that Bello on Monday inaugurated a committee led by the former Managing Director of Discovery Air, Capt. Mohammed Abdulsalam with the mandate of reviewing previous consultants’ submissions and recommendations on a national carrier, review the report on the failure of the defunct Nigeria Airways and other failed private airlines.
The committee, which was given four weeks to complete its assignment and submit its report also had the mandate to consult widely with stakeholders on the establishment of a national airline, including interested international partners on setting on the basis of Public Private Partnership, PPP, model.
She also charged the committee to invite the Assets Management Corporation of Nigeria, AMCON, to determine the debt profile of domestic airlines to serve as a guide in its recommendations, and to develop the optimum model for a national carrier for Nigeria.
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