The national carrier will become operational in 2022.

This was revealed on Wednesday by Hadi Sirika, the Minister of Aviation after the weekly Federal Executive Council meeting in Abuja.

He said the new national carrier is long overdue and the private sector-run airline will be in operation by early 2022, with possibly cheaper rates.

“The new national carrier is expected to be a viable airline and is potentially poised to cater to millions of travelers in Nigeria and Africa,” he said.

Sirika blamed the Coronavirus pandemic for the postponement of the planned date for the establishment of the national carrier initially set for the end of 2021.

The minister added that the Ministry will return to the council in two weeks to submit a memo with an outline business case for the council’s approval.