Ethiopian Airlines CEO Mesfin Taseu Bekele has said he no longer has any intention of establishing a national airline in Nigeria.
In a video interview with Bloomberg Africa, Bekele said Ethiopian Airlines had ended plans to set up an airline with institutional investors and the Nigerian government.
“We currently have no intention of partnering with any Nigerian airline as it has become politicised.
“We have partnered with the Nigerian government and other institutional investors to seek to support the country by using our expertise and experience to set up a credible airline that will generate short-term profits.
“As has been reported in the media, this was not welcomed by Nigerian airlines,” Bekele said in an interview.
A few weeks ago, a Federal High Court in Lagos declared the sale of Nigerian Airways to Ethiopian Airlines null and void.
Justice Ambrose Lewis Alagoa ruled injunctive against the sale and ordered that the federal government’s proposal to set up a national carrier, Nigerian Airways, should not go ahead.
The judge made the order while granting the relief sought by the plaintiffs, the Registered Trustee of Nigerian Airlines and five others from the aviation industry.
Justice Lewis Alagoa held that all the reliefs sought be granted except the relief of N2 billion as damages for the wrongful exclusion and damage suffered by the plaintiffs as a result of the illegal tendering and selection process for the Nigerian Airways project.
Named as the first to sixth plaintiffs in the suit are the registered receiver of the airline, Azman Air Services Limited, Air Peace Limited, Max Air Limited, United Nigerian Airlines Company Limited and Top Brass Aviation Limited.
The plaintiffs sued against the first to fourth defendants, Nigerian Airlines, Ethiopian Airlines, Senator Hadi Sirika (former Federal Minister of Aviation), and the Attorney-General of the Federation.