|
BNW |
|
B N W: Biafra Nigeria World News |
|
|
|
|
||||
|
|
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Stakeholders fault Virgin Atlantics partnership in national carrier
REACTION have started trailing the pronouncement on by the Federal Government that Virgin Atlantic Airline is the new strategic investor and technical partner to the Nations new flag carrier.
The Chairman of the Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON), Dr. Steve Mahonwu, said that government may be in the process of breaching the law if the new airline takes off by next month.
Mahonwu, a retiree form the liquidated Nigeria Airways added that the announcement was not a surprise as "it marks another phase in our struggle for the resolution of labour crisis at Nigeria airways".
Speaking to Journalists yesterday, one time commander of the Presidential fleet of aircraft and a member of the Aviation round table (ART), Captain Dele Ore expressed fears that the choice of Virgin Atlantic would not augur well for the domestic aviation sector.
Ore, who was also a one time Chief of operations of the moribund Nigeria Airways Limited (NAL) , described the development as another attempt by the government to mortgage the interest of Nigerians.
He stressed further that the government's position that the new national carrier would provide about 20000 job opportunities for Nigerians had been vitiated by the entrance of Virgin Atlantic, whose interests would be divided between its home country, Britain and Nigeria.
His words: "They already have a strong workforce. How many Nigerians will they be willing to employ
Ore who was particularly piqued by the take - off of the airline, named "Virgin Nigeria Airline, slated for commissioning on October 1,2004, described the date as unrealistic.
He said the proposed airline will need at least 90 days alone to get its Air Operators Certificate.
His words ; " If they are talking of October 1 next year, fine, but for them to be saying October 2004 , it is simply unrealistic. To get an Air Operators Certificate alone, they need at least 90 days. So tell me how is it possible for them to fly come next month"
His doubts were also shared by the Chairman of the Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON, Dr. Steve Mahonwu, who was of the opinion that government may be in the process of breaching the law if the new airline takes off by next month.
Mahonwu, a retiree form the beleaguered NAL, added that the announcement was not a surprise as "it marks another phase in our struggle for the resolution of labour crisis at Nigeria Airways".
Rising from a meeting of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) in Abuja on Wednesday, the Minister of Aviation, Mallam Isa Yuguda, announced the birth of Virgin Nigeria in which Virgin Atlantic Airline, owned by a Briton, Richard Branson, held 49 percent equity.
The remaining 51 percent, valued at $25.5 million will be held by the indigenous investors.
|
|
||||||||||||
