A Federal High Court sitting in Lagos has stopped the take-off of the Nigeria Air and Ethiopian Airlines deal.

In a suit before the high court sitting in Lagos under His Lordship, Honourable Justice A. Lewis Allagoa is challenging the Minister of Aviation and others to court over the national carrier’s project which has Ethiopian Airlines as its technical partner.

The plaintiffs namely, Airline Operators of Nigeria, Air Peace, Azman Max Air, United Airlines and TopBrass Aviation, in the suit, have approached the court to as a matter of fact stop Nigeria Air, Ethiopian Airlines, Senator Hadi Sirika, ministry of aviation and the Attorney General of the Federation (defendants), “restraining the defendants either by themselves, agents, privies, principals or any other persons whosoever from executing the proposed or draft national carrier and establishment and agreement between the federal government of Nigeria represented by the 3^rdand 4^thdefendants and the strategic equity partner the 2^nddefendant) or giving effect to and or suspending the sale and transfer of the shares and operations of the 1^stdefendant by the 2^nddefendant pending the determination of the motion on notice.

The suit also called for a “Maintenance of status quo by all parties in this suit from taking any further steps in relation to the subject matter of this suit pending the determination of the motion on notice.” (Nigerian Tribune)