The procedures for the unveiling of the country’s national carrier would be ready before the end of the month, Minister of Aviation, Princess Stella Oduah has said.
Speaking on Wednesday at a media briefing organised by the Ministry of Aviation in Abuja, Oduah stated that the plans have been rounded off, save securing the final approval from President Goodluck Jonathan on implementation of policies on the carrier.
“I am happy to announce to you that we are very done with the national carrier and I will tell you very soon when we get the final approval. I guarantee you before the end of the month,” she said.
According to Oduah, the Federal Government has spent about N9bn on upgrading security at the nation’s airports, while the General Aviation Terminal of the Nnamdi Azikwe International Airport, Abuja has gulped N648m. She added a chunk of the budget of the ministry has been expended on rehabilitation of airports.
Associated Airlines Insurers Arrive Nigeria
Nevertheless, following last Thursday’s air mishap involving Associated Airlines’ Embraer 120 aircraft in Lagos, representatives of Lloyd’s of London, the airline’s insurers, have arrived the country.
The advance team of the Blake Group, a United Kingdom-based international crisis management firm, is in the country to conduct its own independent assessment of the circumstances that occasioned the crash, collaborating with the airline, relatives of victims of the crash, and other important agencies, such as the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), the Accident Investigation Prevention Bureau (AIPB) and the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH), where survivors of the crash were rushed for treatment.
Already, in its bid to gather materials for comprehensive documentation of details of the crash, the group has visited the site of the crash as well as the headquarters of Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), the Accident Investigation Prevention Bureau (AIPB) and LASUTH.
The Blake Group will also oversee the sending of DNA samples of victims overseas for further examination, while also confirming the validity of Associated Airlines’ insurance cover with Lloyds of London.