An unfortunate turn of events as Ethiopian Airlines has decided to terminate discussions with the Nigerian government regarding the establishment of a joint venture airline, Nigeria Air. The reason cited was the Nigerian government’s loss of interest in partnering with a foreign airline, as confirmed by Ethiopian Airlines Group CEO, Mesfin Tasew, at a recent event in Dubai.
Initially, Nigerian investors were set to own 46% of Nigeria Air, with the government retaining 5% ownership. However, as of now, the Nigerian government has not made any public statements on the matter.
Despite this setback, Ethiopian Airlines remains committed to developing joint ventures to establish sister airlines in Africa, where they have existing equity stakes. They are currently evaluating opportunities in countries such as the Democratic Republic of Congo and Equatorial Guinea.
Meanwhile, Ethiopian Airlines’ existing ventures like ASKY and Malawi Airlines are performing well, with Zambia Airways also showing promising development under their 45% ownership.