▁company , ▁to ▁the ▁extent ▁that ▁the ▁government ▁started ▁an ▁investigation ▁into ▁the ▁disapp earance ▁of ▁more ▁than ▁  mill ion ▁between ▁ 1 9 8 3 ▁and ▁ 1 9 9 9 . ▁La unch ed ▁in ▁February ▁ 2 0 0 1 , ▁a ▁joint ▁vent ure ▁between ▁Niger ia ▁Air ways ▁and ▁South ▁African ▁Air ways ▁that ▁mostly ▁re lied ▁upon ▁the ▁Johannes burg – L ag os – New ▁York ▁route ▁was ▁un il ater ally ▁terminated ▁by ▁the ▁South ▁African ▁car rier ▁in ▁March ▁ 2 0 0 2 ▁cit ing ▁a ▁decl ine ▁in ▁passenger ▁numbers ▁and ▁a ▁def ic it ▁of ▁. ▁ ▁In ▁May ▁ 2 0 0 3 , ▁when ▁Niger ia ▁Air ways ▁had ▁a ▁Bo eing ▁ 7 3 7 - 2 0 0 ▁as ▁its ▁sole ▁service able ▁aircraft , ▁the ▁government ▁decided ▁not ▁to ▁p ump ▁more ▁money ▁into ▁the ▁over st aff ed ▁car rier ▁but ▁to ▁liquid ate ▁it . ▁The ▁decision ▁was ▁based ▁on ▁the ▁decl ining ▁performance ▁of ▁the ▁air line ' s ▁last ▁ 1 5 ▁years ▁of ▁operations ▁and ▁on ▁the ▁car rier ' s ▁deb ts . ▁The ▁number ▁of ▁carried ▁passengers ▁had ▁fallen ▁from ▁ 2 , 1   mill ion ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 5 ▁to ▁just ▁ 1 0 , 0 0 0 ▁in ▁the ▁first ▁quarter ▁of ▁ 2 0 0 3 , ▁and ▁it ▁controlled ▁just ▁ 6 % ▁and ▁ 1 % ▁of ▁the ▁domestic ▁and