By Abdullateef Aliyu

Lagos — The promise by the Muhammadu Buhari-led administration to bring back the national carrier on assumption of office three years ago shook the aviation industry, stakeholders have observed.

President of Aviation Roundtable (ART) Elder Gbenga Olowo spoke this morning at the ongoing 4th quarterly Business Breakfast Meeting organized by the Aviation Safety Roundtable Initiative (ASRTI).

ART regarded as the think-tank of the industry believes the announcement to bring back the national carrier was a vote of no confidence on the existing airlines.

Olowo in his opening remarks said, “The announcement of Nigeria Air in the last three years of President Buhari shook the industry. That announcement was a vote of no confidence on the sector; that the Airlines that are existing are not doing well. ‘We are going to float another airline’.

“And three years after we suddenly learnt that project is being suspended and that made all of us to start speculating why, how, what happened and we will continue to speculate until we hear exactly what happened. I will say that it destabilizes the sector because in planning with the Nigerian Airlines in the last three years, they would factor in that announcement. If I were to be the MD of a Nigerian airline, I would factor in the arrival of a very strong competitors”.

He challenged the Federal Government to come out and tell Nigerians whether the project was only suspended or it would be resuscitated.

Chairman of the occasion and Director of Studies, Centre for International Advanced and Professional Studies, Prof. Anthony Kila speaking in the same vein, said, “Nigeria Air was conceived on power point, shared on Adobe and died on Twitter”.

The roundtable discussion still continues with a former Director of Institute of Directors (IoD), Mr. Victor Banjo delivering the keynote address. Airline Chief Executives including Capt. Edward (Overland), among others in attendance.

Details later… .