The
Federal Government said on Thursday that a new national carrier with at least
30 brand new aircraft would soon be established.
The Director of Operations, Federal
Airports Authority of Nigeria, Mr. Henry Omeogu, disclosed this while speaking
with newsmen during his visit to the Port Harcourt International Airport.
Omeogu explained that though the new
national carrier would be private sector-driven, fairly used or old aircraft
would not be allowed to be among the fleet of its airplanes.
He said the move was part of the
transformation agenda of President Goodluck Jonathan for the aviation sector,
adding that the Minister of Aviation, Ms. Stella Oduah, was determined to turn
around the industry.
Explaining that the Federal Government
was interested in raising the standard in the aviation sector to a world-class
level, Omeogu disclosed that the government had begun the renovation of 11
airports across the country.
“We are going to have about 30 brand
new aircraft and they (aircraft) will be our national carrier. The effort will
be private-sector driven. We will insist that others who would want to be part
this should come with brand new aircraft,” Omeogu stressed.
The FAAN director gave an assurance
that by 2014, the Federal Government would have achieved nearly 100 per cent of
its plans to transform the aviation sector.
He said improved security within and
around airports across the country was part of the arrangement for a new
aviation industry, adding that over 50 policemen had already been moved from
Abuja to the Port Harcourt International Airport.
“The President has signed performance
contracts with all the sectors, and at the end of the day, any person that
cannot key into the new vision of the Federal Government will naturally leave
the system,” he added.
Omeogu explained that the ongoing
transformation of the country’s aviation sector would provide many employment
opportunities for the citizens.
He said materials needed for the
renovation of some of the airports in the country were available, while the
contractors had been paid to avoid any delay in the completion of the projects.
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