Govt forces First Nation Airways to reverse self on operational suspension  

First Nation Airways, one of the local airlines that announced winding down operations in Nigeria, due to economic meltdown, has made a u-turn saying it will now resume operations before September 15, 2016.

The airline Monday morning in a statement signed by its Corporate Affairs head, Rasheed Yusuff, said the press misquoted management by concluding that the airline had wounded down it operations, indefinitely.

But sources said First Nigeria management was summoned last week by the government immediately after the news break on the airline’s grounding of its fleet and mounted pressure on it for a review of the stance, arguing that the move had heightened tension among local and foreign investors eyeing the country.

It was further gathered that last week’s meeting the Minister of State for Aviation, Senator Hadi Sirika, with a cross section of the airline operators and representatives of the workers of Aero Contractors and First Nation was aimed at ensuring that the frequency with which key players were announcing suspension of operations is checked.

Read also: Nigeria suffers $1.02bn revenue loss from non oil exports in 2 quotas 

An impeccable source at the ministry said there were to be more airlines declaring suspension of operations in the next few months, but for the intervention of the minister, who had agreed to take up their case of sourcing foreign exchange and reduction of interest rate with the appropriate quarters.

But the fears in government quarters are that if such request is granted to the aviation industry, other sectors, especially manufacturing, may device its own means of attracting urgent government attention.

However, First Nation has maintained that its current fleet is undergoing engine maintenance, adding that “safety is paramount to us and if we have to ground again for safety reasons, so be it.”

It is believed that Aero may be given soft landing by the government to return its indefinitely suspended flight services.

 

By Emma Eke…

 

 

 

 

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