JUST IN: Nigeria Air Colours Aircraft Spotted In Addis Ababa Airport

• An aircraft in Nigeria Air colors is scheduled to land at Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja later today.

• However, the timing of its launch and how it entered the country without an Air Operating Certificate (AOC) have raised concerns among experts and stakeholders.

• President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration ends soon, and critics question whether this is the right time to launch an airline.

EKO HOT BLOG reports that an aircraft in Nigeria Air colours was today sighted at Addis Ababa Bole International Airport in Ethiopia.

The aircraft is expected to land at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja later today.

This follows Aviation Minister Hadi Sirika’s earlier announcement that an “aircraft in Nigeria Air colours” was en route to Nigeria and would be arriving within 24 hours.

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However, some experts and stakeholders have raised concerns about the timing of the launch, just days before President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration ends, as well as how the aircraft could fly into the country without obtaining an Air Operating Certificate (AOC) from the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority.

Sindy Foster, Principal Partner at Avaero Capital, criticized the government’s handling of the situation, saying, “This is very poor indeed and a complete reflection of the entire shabby plan by the Federal Government. Nigeria deserves better.”

She also questioned whether Nigeria Air had obtained an AOC. Meanwhile, Dr Alex Nwuba, President of the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association of Nigeria (AOPAN), expressed disappointment with the project, stating that “this is not representative of the green, white and green,” a reference to the colors of Nigeria’s flag.

He added, “To achieve excellence you must condemn mediocrity.

This could have been the best thing but it got contaminated with nuclear waste.

What an opportunity for greatness!” Nwuba also invoked the nation’s national anthem, asking whether launching an airline under such circumstances was “the path to lofty heights, for a great nation, and to soar in aviation?”

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