JUSTICE Ibrahim Auta of the Federal High Court in Lagos on Thursday fixed March 24 for his ruling on whether or not to vacate the interim injunction granted to Virgin Nigeria over dispute on Federal Government�s directive on domestic flights.
The court had on January 31, ordered the Federal Government not to relocate Virgin Nigeria from the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, where it operates its domestic flights.
Virgin Atlantic Limited and Virgin Nigeria had obtained an injunction against the Federal Government�s relocation of airlines operating domestic flights from the MMIA.
The airlines had sought an order restraining the Minister of State (Aviation) and the Attorney-General of the Federation from relocating or evicting them from the MMIA or any other international airport in Nigeria, to any other domestic terminal, pending the determinbation of the susbstantive suit.
But the Minister of Aviation and the AGF( the defendants) had on February 12, urged the court to vacate the injunction on the grounds that the court lacked the jurisdiction to hear the matter .
They contended that in the contract of Memorandum of Mutual Undertaking signed by both the plaintiffs and the defendants, there was an argreement clause to refer any dispute to an abitration panel.