The Minister of Aviation, Senator Hadi Abubakar Sirika, on Wednesday, assured that the nation’s national carrier, ‘Nigeria Air’ will commence operations in early December, 2022. He spoke during a meeting convened by the Senate Committee on Aviation, the industry regulators and the Airlines Operators of Nigeria (AON) in Abuja The Minister said the essence of having a national carrier was to improve services and make the industry affordable to all and sundry. The government has done extremely well for the local airlines and we have said any of them cannot be a national carrier.

Nigeria’s Aviation Minister, Hadi Sirika has asserted that the Federal Government has no problem with the UAE’s decision to arbitrarily revoke visas of Nigerians and cancel their visa applications without refund. On Monday, Mr Sirika said there were no grounds for the UAE to threaten Nigeria with the visa ban despite Nigeria failing to repatriate $700 million trapped funds of foreign airlines. “If you disagree, you are supposed to come to us, and we sit down, and we negotiate and give you what we have in the hope that we finish paying. What I have a problem with are the threats,” said Mr Sirika said on Monday. “Every country would threaten Nigeria that they would not fly to Nigeria again, that would not give Nigeria visa. They would not do operations; they would shut Lagos and Abuja. Please, countries have been shut completely, and they did well.” Sirika stressed that "there are examples in Asia, middle East and Europe “We are not afraid to be shut. It would make us do much better

 FG Approves Lekki-Epe Airport, Sanwo-Olu Hails Move The Federal Government has approved the construction of the Lekki International Airport at the Lekki-Epe axis of Lagos State. Minister for Aviation, Hadi Sirika, presented the document to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu on Tuesday at the Lagos Economic Summit (Ehingbeti) 2022 at Eko Hotels and Suites, Victoria Island. He said the Murtala Mohammed Airport is congested, and that the creation of the new airport in Lekki is apt to the innovations in that part of Lagos. According to the Minister, the federal mandate to the state government on the airport project enjoyed accelerated approval, because of the growing need to further link Lagos and Southwest to international markets and regional trade. The project, the Aviation minister said, would transform the GDP of Lagos and create jobs for the national economy. He said the airport would complement the existing Murtala Muhammed International Airport whose operation is overstretched. “There ha