Ethiopian Airlines CEO: Our partnership with Nigeria on national carrier has ended

Mesfin Tasew, the group chief executive officer (GCEO) of Ethiopian Airlines, says plans to establish a national carrier in collaboration with the Nigerian government and institutional investors, have ended.

Tasew spoke in an interview with Bloomberg on Wednesday.

In May 2023, Hadi Sirika, former aviation minister, unveiled Nigeria Air, the country’s national carrier, in Abuja.

However, the launch was trailed by widespread controversy.

Prior to its launch, domestic aviation firms, under the aegis of Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON), had opposed the floating of the airline over uncertainties in its ownership structure — a conflict that began soon after Ethiopian Air was announced as the preferred bidder for Nigeria Air.

Consequently, a federal high court in Lagos restrained the government from floating the airline.

On August 31, 2023, Festus Keyamo, minister of aviation, announced the suspension of the national carrier project.

Speaking in the Bloomberg interview, Tasew said the deal had ended because Nigerian operators did not welcome it.

“We don’t have any intention to partner with any of the Nigerian airlines today because it has been politicised,” he said.

“We tried to help the country by partnering with the government and other institutionalised investors in Nigeria. To use our expertise, our experience and establish a reliable airline that would be profitable in the short term.

“But as you may have read from the media, it was not welcomed by the Nigerian Airlines.

“Our intention was to help the country, but since they objected to the idea, there is no need for Ethiopian Airlines to go there.”

Tasew said Ethiopian Airlines is exploring plans to expand to other African countries where it has already partnered with operators such as Togo, Malawi, and Zambia.

On August 5, a federal high court in Lagos nullified the sale of 49 percent equity stake in the proposed Nigeria Air to Ethiopian Airlines.

In October 2023, the Ethiopian Airlines boss had said the company would not be disappointed if the Nigerian government cancelled the Nigeria Air project.