Buhari Orders Quick Establishment Of New National Airline

After twelve years of shut down of Nigeria Airways Ltd, President Muhammadu Buhari has ordered the Ministry of Aviation to fast track the process of establishing a new national airline for the country.

The President gave the directive on Wednesday while receiving briefing from officials of the Aviation Ministry, led by the Permanent Secretary, Binta Bello, at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

While speaking with State House correspondents after the briefing, Bello said that the President was concerned about Nigeria not having a national air carrier and gave instruction for new one to be established. She stated that the president was briefed on the challenges domestic airlines were facing despite federal government's N300 billion intervention funds towards boosting their operations.

The airlines, she said, were hugely indebted to regulatory agencies under the Aviation Ministry, including other factors that have left some of the airlines still struggling to maintain optimum operational capabilities.

According to her, the four state-of-the-art terminals being constructed with Chinese Bank loan will be ready by the first quarter of 2016.

The President, she said, also instructed the Ministry to begin the process of relinquishing airspace and radar control of neighbouring countries as they now have the capacity to cover their own airspace.