The Nigerian Government has formally unveiled its planned new national carrier during an event held at the 2018 Farnborough Air Show.
Presenting the project, Minister of State for Aviation, Hadi Sirika, said Nigeria Air (Lagos) was in "advanced" talks with manufacturers and financing houses over a fleet decision that is due imminently.
"We’ve been talking to Airbus and Boeing regarding the aircraft for Nigeria Air, and we will be making announcements very soon," he said. "We are currently negotiating."
The minister said a total of 81 routes (domestic, regional, and international) had been identified that Nigeria Air will potentially target once it launches in December this year.
Though a public/private partnership, the Nigerian state's shareholding in the airline will be capped at 5%. In addition, it will not be involved in the carrier's operations nor will it decide who will run it.
Earlier this week, Sirika held talks with the head of Ethiopian Airlines (ET, Addis Ababa International), Tewolde Gebremariam, as well as the CEO of Qatar Airways (QR, Doha Hamad International), Akbar al Baker, concerning their potential interests in investing in Nigeria Air.
