Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, has halted the progress of two major aviation projects – the airport concession and the establishment of the Nigeria Air national carrier.
These projects were key elements of the previous administration under President Muhammadu Buhari.
Keyamo made this announcement while visiting the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) in Lagos, marking his first visit to Nigeria’s busiest airport since taking office. The purpose of this suspension is to allow for a comprehensive reevaluation of both projects.
The decision to concede airports and establish a national carrier had received approval from the Federal Executive Council (FEC) during the concluding days of the Muhammadu Buhari administration.
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Specifically, the concession of MMIA and Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja was granted to the Corporacion American Airport Consortium. This consortium comprises Corporation American Airports, Mota Engil Africa, and Mota Engil Nigeria. The consortium is set to provide upfront payments of $7 million for NAIA and $1.5 million for MAKIA.
Furthermore, the launch of Nigeria Air, another initiative by the previous administration, remains pending due to the lack of an Air Operator’s Certificate (AOC) necessary to commence commercial operations.
In addition to these developments, Keyamo has also revealed plans to close down the old terminal of MMIA on October 1 for extensive repairs. As part of this, he has instructed foreign airlines to relocate to the new terminal by the stipulated date.