“Why is My Country going ever backwards?” — Air Peace CEO

The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Air Peace, Allen Onyeama, has strongly criticized the idea of establishing a national carrier, describing it as outdated and financially unsustainable for Nigeria.

This viewpoint surfaces in the wake of the recent launch and subsequent suspension of the national carrier project, Nigeria Air, initiated by the government under President Bola Tinubu, which was halted approximately two months after assuming power.

Onyeama, aligning with a growing chorus of dissent against the push for a national carrier, emphasized the impracticality and financial burden associated with such an endeavor.

He firmly asserted that government involvement in commercial airline operations is misplaced and unnecessary.

During an appearance on Channels Television’s Politics Today, the Air Peace boss stated,

“The national carrier thing connotes government ownership. The government has no business doing the business of commercial airline operations. The national carrier thing is a moribund idea that has been jettisoned several decades ago by countries.”

Highlighting a global trend, Onyeama pointed out that many airlines bearing country names are merely “flag carriers” and are not owned by their respective nations.

He emphasized that in contemporary times, these carriers have been divested from government ownership.

Expressing dismay at the regressive nature of the discourse surrounding a national carrier in 2023, Onyeama questioned the rationale behind revisiting such an outdated concept.

He criticized the notion as indicative of backward progress for the country.

Additionally, he attributed the existence of national carriers in a few African countries to a lack of capable business entrepreneurs with adequate funding, rather than a strategic necessity or sound business approach.