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Nigeria has put plans to establish a state-owned national airline on hold, with the government instead prioritising support for private carriers and plans to launch the country's first direct cargo service to China, ch-aviation reported.
Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development Festus Keyamo ruled out creating a national carrier for now, arguing that state-owned airlines are financially unsustainable because of political and bureaucratic interference.
Speaking at a ceremony in Lagos marking the delivery of the first two of six Boeing 737-800 aircraft to United Nigeria Airlines, he said the government would focus on strengthening privately owned domestic airlines rather than investing public funds in a state-run operator.
"We don't have a national carrier, but we are proud of our flag carriers," Keyamo said, adding that spending public money on a national airline would be like pouring funds into a "bottomless pit". He said the government's role is to help private operators expand through supportive policies rather than through direct ownership.
As part of that strategy, Keyamo said the federal government and Enugu State are negotiating to launch Nigeria's first direct cargo flights between Guangzhou and Enugu, with operations targeted to begin in December. The proposed service is intended to strengthen trade links with China and improve export and import logistics.
Enugu-based United Nigeria Airlines currently operates four Embraer ERJ145 aircraft and supplements its fleet through ACMI agreements with Fly2Sky, CemAir and Windrose Airlines.
United Nigeria Airlines has previously said it aims to expand its fleet to 22 aircraft by the end of 2026, supporting growth into at least five or six African destinations and the launch of intercontinental services.
Separately, Keyamo and Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment Jumoke Oduwole on June 19 launched a cargo corridor partnership with RwandAir to improve access for Nigerian businesses to Rwanda, Zimbabwe and Zambia, while expanding cargo connections to Kenya and South Africa.
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