Ethiopian Airlines CEO Says “Our Partnership With Nigeria To Establish An Airline Was Politicised”

 Ethiopian Airlines CEO Blames Politics for Failed Nigerian National Carrier Initiative

Mesfin Tasew, Group Chief Executive Officer (GCEO) of Ethiopian Airlines, has attributed the failure to establish a national carrier for Nigeria to political interference.

Tasew explained that Ethiopian Airlines aimed to help the Nigerian government create a successful airline but faced opposition from local Nigerian airlines and political complications.

The project, which began under former President Buhari and was overseen by former aviation minister Hadi Sirika, has been mired in controversy. The current aviation minister, Festus Keyamo, has criticized the deal, suggesting it would not benefit Nigeria.

This is the first time Tasew has publicly addressed the halted initiative since the current government ended the project. In an interview with Bloomberg, Tasew revealed that Ethiopian Airlines has officially closed the project aimed at setting up a national carrier for Nigeria.

“We had high hopes for establishing a strong national carrier in Nigeria,” Tasew said. “Unfortunately, the project did not succeed after the change in government, and it has now been closed.”

Tasew noted that Ethiopian Airlines no longer plans to partner with Nigerian airlines. “We don’t intend to pursue any further partnerships with Nigerian airlines at this time because the project was heavily politicized,” he explained.

“We tried to offer our expertise and experience to create a profitable airline, but it was not well-received by the local airlines who feared competition.”

Keyamo has previously stated that the proposed deal was unfavorable to Nigerian airlines and could lead to a monopoly for Ethiopian Airlines. He mentioned that all related reports have been submitted to President Bola Tinubu for further review and decision-making.

Keyamo added, “I cannot preempt my President’s decision, but we have forwarded all the reports and issues to him for consideration.”