Nigeria Air Blames Covid 19 For Delay In Acquiring Aircraft

Nigeria Air’s temporary management has revealed the reason they have not taken delivery of any aircraft needed for it’s operations.

Capt. Dapo Olumide, the Chief Executive of the airline’s management, while speaking at the headquarters of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority after receiving an Air Transport Licence for the airline, explained that it is difficult to acquire the aircrafts because of the effects of Covid 19 on the aviation sector globally.

However, he noted that efforts were ongoing to purchase the aircraft as the NCAA had made it one of the necessary requirements before issuance of another vital certificate.

He said, “The aircraft are available but there are all sorts of issues because this is summer peak period. And as you know, post-COVID, all the aircraft were parked in the desert. The airlines are bringing them out slowly. It takes time to bring an aircraft out of storage.

“And there is a further complication, a lot of flights in Europe are being cancelled or delayed because most people were laid off during the COVID and they don’t have enough staff in the airports to turn around flights. So there are lots of cancellations going on.

“So it is very difficult to get the aircraft but we have discussions going on with Original Equipment Manufacturers and we are just waiting for the right terms of the agreement. We already have the aircraft identified because that is one of the requirements for the NCAA, but we are just trying to perfect titles and so on.”