Domestic Airlines Fault FG Over Ethiopian Deal
Nigerian Airline Operators have approached the court seeking termination of the federal government-Ethiopia contract.
The domestic airlines instituted legal action against the Federal Government and its foreign technical partner as well as the majority shareholders.
The suit was filed in the Federal High Court of Nigeria, Lagos Judicial Division.
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The local airlines numbering about eight and their association dragged the government to court on November 11, 2022, naming Nigerian Air, Ethiopian Airlines, Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika, and Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, as defendants.
The plaintiffs asked the court to halt the national carrier deal and revoke the Air Transport Licence issued to Nigeria Air through the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority.
They who alleged that the corporation which played advisory services for the transaction, was incorporated in March 2021, said the company was managed by the Nigerian aviation minister.
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The body also alleged that Air Transport License handed out to Nigerian Air did not pass through the normal security clearance.
“Federal Government’s partnership with Ethiopian Airlines on the project will send domestic airlines out of business by opening up the domestic air travel market to Ethiopian Airlines.
In September this year, the Federal Government named Ethiopian Airlines Consortium as preferred bidder for Nigeria Air. The Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika, announced this in Abuja,” plaintiff alleged.
It was, however, gathered that the Registered Trustees of the Airline Operators of Nigeria, comprising Azman Air, Air Peace, Max Air, Topbrass Aviation and United Nigeria Airlines, filed a suit against the federal government’s decision to accommodate Ethiopia airlines in the country.
The defendants in the suit were Sirika, Nigeria Air Limited, Ethiopian Airlines, and the Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami.
