Nigeria Air was announced at the Farnborough Air Show in 2018.[4] Operations are expected to begin in December 2018.[5] Ethiopian Airlines will have a stake in the company with 49% share. In 2017, the Nigerian government announced it will invest US$5 million in the venture. However, the Minister for State Aviation, Hadi Sirika, insists that the airline will be privately-operated. "It is a business, not a social service. The government will not be involved in running it or deciding who runs it. The investors will have full responsibility for this."[4] According to a tweet by Tolu Ogunlesi, a Nigerian government communications official, the government will not own more than 5% of the airline.[6]
Barely two months after its proposal, the Federal Government on 19 September 2018, announced the suspension of the airline, describing the move as a tough decision. The airline was set to take to the skies in a couple of months.[7] Although it was suspended, it received its first aircraft, a Boeing 737-800, on 26 May 2023. As it got the aircraft, Ethiopian Airlines decided to begin operations from 29 May 2023. However, it could not do so due to opposition from most airlines of Nigeria, as they feared that the airline's formation might undermine the influence of other airlines, especially the regional airlines, and issues in obtaining the Air Operator's Certificate (AOC) necessary for beginning operations. The issues were resolved in July 2023, thus clearing the path for the airline to begin operations. In August 2023, Ethiopian Airlines announced that the airline could now begin operations from October 2023, with a fleet of 8 aircraft and 12 wet-leased aircraft from Boeing.[1][3]