Plane Painted Green-White-Green, Arrange To Show How Nigeria Air Will Look Like – MD

A plane Painted Green-White-Green with Nigeria Air logo landed in Abuja airport towards the ending days of the then President Muhammadu Buhari regime.

The plane sparked alot of debates and curiosity to know if the plane belongs to Nigeria or not.

Quickly, observers were able to noticed the registration tag on the plane belongs to Ethiopian Airlines.

Another confusion came in from the Presidency or Buhari government officials. Bashir Ahmad, then Special Assistant to President Muhammadu Buhari on Digital Communications tweeted a message with a link of aviation news media claiming that the Nigeria government entered a partnership business with Ethiopian Airlines to run the Nigeria Air carriers. Adding, the plane painted Green-White-Green with the Nigeria Air logo was the first batch of the long anticipated Nigeria Air carriers.

But the managing Director of the yet to be launched Nigeria Air, Captain Dayo Olumide on Tuesday confirmed before National Assembly members that the aircraft painted Green-White-Green that landed in Nigeria towards the ending of Buhari led government, was a chattered aircraft from Ethiopia, hired for few days to show case the logo to Nigerians and their shareholders how the Nigeria Air carriers will look like when fully in operation.

Captain Dayo Olumide made the revelation when he appeared before the senate committee on Aviation to clarify on the controversies surrounding the Airline which was launched a day to the expiration of Muhammadu Buhari led administration.

Captain Dayo also said that the aircraft that came and left was a legitimate chartered flight which can be done by anyone who doesn’t have a license as long as you pay for it.

Adding that, for Nigeria to operate an aircraft, the aircraft must be Nigeria registered.

Captain Dayo said, the particular aircraft that was unveiled was not registered and came into Nigeria with a few days clearance from Ethiopia and was returned after use.

Furthermore, he stated that Nigeria only has airport license which is one of two licenses required for operating an airline and does not permit one to carry out commercial services operations

Adding, for Nigeria Air to get the needed license, Nigeria must have three aircrafts before the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority will give the country air license to fly and the three aircrafts must be Nigeria registered aircrafts.

Accordingly, he said there are five phases or steps one must go through to get the license and Nigeria is still in phase one of the process.

The MD refuted the reports that the passengers onboard bought tickets. that the passengers were staff of Ethiopia airline that were brought in and at the end of the unveiling went back with their aircraft to Ethiopia.

Captain Dayo with 40 years’ experience in Airline operations further confirmed that he was appointed in February 2022, to secure the air operating certificate for the airline to fly and not to operate the airline.

He added that Nigeria is not at a point of operating the airline yet, as Nigeria Air does not have terminal for international operations.