Festus Keyamo, the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development has suspended the Nigeria Air project, the concession project and other contracts stressing that he owes it to the government and Nigerians to give an honest assessment.
The minister said the concession and national carrier will be suspended until he briefs the President.
Keyamo also said that Muritala Mohammed International Airport, MMIA, will be shut down from October 1, 2023, for total maintenance work at the airport.
The minister therefore directed all international airlines to vacate the MMIA, from October 1, 2023.
The Nigeria Air project and the concessioning of the Lagos, Abuja, Kano and Port Harcourt Airports have courted so much controversies, hence experts in the aviation sector have called for their suspension, saying they have no benefit to the sector.
On the relocation of foreign airlines to the new Lagos terminal, Keyamo noted that the reason the new Lagos terminal had been underutilized was because it could not take wide-bodied aircraft, saying the airlines would be using the terminal while government procures big busses to convey passengers.
He also stated that the old international terminal of Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos would be shut down by October 1, 2023 for renovation even as he said all private hangars like Dominion Hangar, EAN Hangar and others would be relocated to pave way for expansion of the new terminal.