The Nigerian Minister of Aviation, Senator Hadi Sirika has on Tuesday repeated his earlier boast that Nigeria would soon get a national carrier which would soon be operational.
Sirika had also made this statement when he had appeared before the House of Representatives Committee on Aviation for the 2023 budget defence in Abuja and according to him, President Muhammadu Buhari was also expected to commission one of the two aircraft which was already at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, in a few days’ time.
Read Also: Aviation Workers Begin Protest, Shut Down Lagos Airport
The minister said the national carrier is on its way to be launched with 737 and would first concentrate on domestic operations before venturing into an international operation.
He added that the aviation sector had recorded significant improvement in the last few years.
Sirika said: “This significant growth is sequel to the roadmap we are building. Our airports are wearing a new look, especially Lagos, Abuja, Kano, and Portharcourt, among others.”
In another report, Aviation workers who are protesting the sacking of their colleagues on Tuesday shut down the Murtala Muhammed Airport Lagos Terminal Two.
The protesting aviation workers at the time of making this report had shut down the terminal over the sacking of their colleagues by Bi-Courtney Aviation Services Limited.
Passengers were stranded Tuesday morning as flight operations have been put on hold as a result of the protest.
In another report, the Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Immigration Service, Isah Idris, on Monday, ordered the investigation of a case of extortion allegedly perpetrated by officers of the NIS at the Murtala Muhammed Airport, Ikeja, Lagos State.
The order followed a recent outcry on Twitter by a Dubai-bound Nigerian, who alleged massive extortion of under-40 Nigerians travelling to the Gulf city.
Idris also ordered ‘the withdrawal’ of the entire shift on duty at the time of the incident.