National carrier to begin operation in December —NCAA

The Director-General, Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, Capt. Usman Muhtar, has confirmed December as the commencement date for the proposed national carrier.

According to Muhtar, the process of getting an Aircraft Operators Certificate takes just 90 days once the operator meets the requirement.

The DG told journalists in Lagos on Tuesday that the possibility of the national carrier completing the process was feasible within the timeframe.

He said the Federal Government had resolved to involve aviation agencies’ heads in the task force set up to ensure the commencement of the airline because it wanted to get it right.

“They are not midwifing it in the real sense of the national carrier, but they are guiding the process to ensure that it is done in line with international standards and best practices in the area of safety, security and also comfort of passengers,” Muhtar stated.

He added that several airlines did not last in the industry because they did not follow the guidelines given to them.

The NCAA boss noted, “This time around, the government says we should ensure that even before commencement, nothing is short-circuited and that the right process is followed.

“The NCAA guides operators when it comes to documentation and preparation of the manual, which we produce. If there are errors or corrections, the NCAA works to see that everything comes out clean. All these we did with all other airlines. So, it is not unusual that you find us in that task force.”