*To pave way for Nigeria Air take-off
The Federal government has sacked the Managing Director of the Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria, (FAAN), Rabiu Yadudu, with five other officials of the agency.
Reports said the government has appointed Mr. Kabir Yusuf Mohammed as the agency’s new managing director, add he would resume duty immediately.
The Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika, appointed Mohammed as the chairman of the Aviation Roadmap Implementation Committee in January last year.
He had also served as General Manager, Special Duties, at FAAN.
Aviation sources claimed that the former FAAN MD was removed to give room for the new national carrier – Nigeria Air – to begin operation.
They added that a similar exercise would be carried out in the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA), National Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB), and other agencies in the aviation sector.
Sirika has been unrelenting in his push for President Muhammadu Buhari to launch Nigeria Air before he leaves office next Monday.
The operation of Air Nigeria has been delayed by Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority’s (NCAA) refusal to approve its Air Operator’s Certificate.
Nigeria Air was earlier slated to begin operation in December 2022, but a court order obtained by Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON) delayed its take-off.