Ethiopian Airlines has formally ended its involvement in the proposed Nigeria Air national carrier, drawing a close to one of the most contentious aviation projects in Nigeria’s recent history and shifting focus to expanding its independent operations within the country.
The airline’s Group Chief Executive Officer, Mesfin Tasew, confirmed the decision during a press briefing at the IATA Focus Africa Conference in Addis Ababa, stating unequivocally that the national carrier initiative “no longer exists” and has been abandoned.
The Nigeria Air project, conceived as a public-private partnership, had positioned Ethiopian Airlines as a strategic investor expected to provide technical expertise and operational backing. It was introduced under former aviation minister Hadi Sirika, with plans to establish a new flag carrier for Africa’s largest economy. However, the initiative became entangled in prolonged legal disputes, governance concerns, and policy reversals, with critics questioning its ownership structure and transparency. The controversy peaked with the unveiling of a Nigeria Air-branded aircraft in Abuja shortly before the end of the previous administration, a move that drew widespread backlash.
Tasew’s announcement effectively ends Ethiopian Airlines’ role in the project and signals a strategic recalibration. Rather than pursuing equity participation in a national carrier, the airline is now intensifying its commercial footprint in Nigeria through direct operations and potential partnerships with local carriers.
He disclosed that Ethiopian Airlines has already significantly increased its presence in the Nigerian market, expanding from a limited weekly schedule to multiple daily flights across key cities, with further growth planned. The airline now aims to deepen its engagement through commercial agreements rather than ownership-based ventures, reflecting a broader industry shift toward flexible, market-driven collaborations.
Despite the collapse of the Nigeria Air initiative, Tasew подчеркнул that relations with the Nigerian government remain strong, noting that the airline is open to mutually beneficial partnerships but will not pursue any new identity-based or equity-driven arrangements in the country.
The development underscores changing dynamics in African aviation, where airlines are increasingly prioritising route expansion, code-sharing, and operational efficiency over politically sensitive national carrier projects. For Nigeria, it marks the end of a long-running and controversial effort to revive a national airline, while opening a new phase of competition as Ethiopian Airlines strengthens its direct presence in one of the continent’s most important aviation markets.
