Mesfin Tasew, Chief Executive Officer of Ethiopian Airlines Group, has criticized the political environment in Nigeria for derailing efforts to establish a successful national carrier. Tasew's comments mark the first time the Ethiopian Airlines CEO has publicly addressed the controversial project since its suspension by the current Nigerian administration.
In an interview with Bloomberg, Tasew explained that Ethiopian Airlines had intended to assist Nigeria in creating a profitable airline, but the initiative faced significant challenges due to political interference and opposition from local Nigerian airlines. The project, aimed at launching Nigeria Air, was initiated under the previous administration led by President Muhammadu Buhari and overseen by former Aviation Minister Hadi Sirika.
However, the current Aviation Minister, Festus Keyamo, has expressed skepticism about the project's benefits to Nigeria, contributing to the controversy surrounding the deal. Tasew noted that the project's failure was a direct result of these political and industry-related disputes.
“We had high hopes for establishing a robust national carrier for Nigeria,” Tasew said. “Unfortunately, the project did not succeed following the change in government. The initiative has now been closed.”
Tasew indicated that Ethiopian Airlines no longer plans to pursue opportunities in Nigeria. “We don’t have any current plans to collaborate with Nigerian airlines,” he stated. “Our intention was to use our expertise to help establish a reliable and profitable airline. However, since the idea was not well-received by Nigerian airlines, we see no reason to pursue it further if it creates more issues.”
The Ethiopian Airlines CEO’s comments reflect ongoing tensions between the Ethiopian carrier and Nigerian stakeholders, highlighting the challenges of international partnerships in the aviation sector amidst a complex political landscape.
No comments:
Post a Comment