Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) issues final clearance for International flights to resume at Enugu Airport.

“Akanu Ibiam International Airport Enugu will resume international operations on the 18 August 2021,” NCAA said in a statement.

In the statement, signed by the CEO, Capt. Musa Nuhu, NCAA said the clearance was approved by the Presidential Taskforce on Covid-19.

Already one flight has been operated from the Airport to Jordan to convey Christians on holy pilgrimage.

The pilgrims, numbering 300, were airlifted on Sunday night of 15 August from Enugu International to the Kingdom of Jordan.

Ethiopian Airline has hitherto been the sole international airline that flies passengers and cargo into Enugu.

The Airline said in a statement today 20 August that it’s thrice weekly flights to Enugu will resume on 15 September.

Consequently, the Airline will be operating it’s regular flights to Enugu on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.

Airlines consider Enugu a lucrative route but were put off by the hazardous nature of it’s runway.

Aviation authorities eventually shut down the airport for repairs that cost N10 billion and took a year to complete.

The outbreak of Covid-19 pandemic caught up with the repairs and workers abandoned the site when Nigeria went on lockdown.

The runway rehabilitation has been completed and regular local flights are being operated since 30 August 2020.

Gov. Ugwuanyi rescued Enugu Operations

Enugu Metro learnt that the PTF on Covid-19 overlooked Enugu airport while provisioning for protocol logistics for international flights.

The Taskforce concentrated on only Kano and Port Harcourt airports which were subsequently reopened yo flights.

When South East Governors asked why Enugu airport was passed over, the committee reportedly said it has no more funds to prepare Enugu airport for international flights.

South-East Governors Committee on Akanu Ibiam Airport Rehabilitation and Palliatives, Sir. Chris Okoye said it was the intervention of Enugu State Government that saved the day.

The Committee visited Enugu three months ago and, after listing the logistics requirements, Gov. Ugwuanyi pledged to provide them.

Okoye said it was the Governor’s intervention that saved the day and made it possible for the airport to reopen.

Analysts have been trying to make sense of the claim that rhe Federal Government had no provision to install Covid-19 protocol equipment at Enugu.

The Federal Executive Council on Wednesday approved N16.6billion to construct a new airport in Yobe State.

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International flights resume from September at Enugu Airport

Author

  • Ogbuagu Bob Anikwe, a veteran journalist and message development specialist, is now a community journalism advocate and publisher of Enugu Metro. Contact him on any of the channels below.

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