New national carrier to cost FG N985bn

The ongoing clamour for a new national carrier by Nigerians may cost the Federal Government the sum of N985 billion. Dropping this hint on Tuesday was the Managing Director, AirGold Aviation, Mr Ifeanyi Okocha, who led a group of aviation professionals to debate how much it would cost government to establish a national flag carrier and generate 19,500 jobs.Okocha, an aeronautic engineer, while speaking to aviation journalists at the Murtala Muhammed Airport, Lagos, said he and his team of aviation professionals had carried out a feasibility study which would soon be submitted to President Goodluck Jonathan, adding that the study showed that it would require an estimate of N985 billion to kick-start the project.He said when the carrier was established, the name would be called 'Nigeria Airlines,' adding that the proposed carrier by the group would not be managed by civil servants with civil service structure, but professionally by professionals.Okocha, who said the civil service mentality was one of the reasons the liquidated Nigeria Airways Limited failed, said 'if Nigeria Airways Limited was managed professionally, the national carrier would still be operating till today. But it was run in a civil service manner.' The proposed national flag carrier, he said, would commence flight operations with 48 aircraft, adding that 12 months after it commenced operations, the carrier would introduce aeronautic industrial section, which would employ additional 10,000 staffers, making the total employees figure to be 29,500.
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