‘FG may take over Ebonyi airport’

Talks are said to be ongoing between the federal government and the Ebonyi State Government for the FG to take over the Chuba Okadigbo International Airport which was commissioned in May, 2023.

Daily Trust reports that the airport is yet to commence flight operations one year after the commissioning.

But like other airports developed by state governments and taken over by the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), talks have reached an advanced stage to transfer the ownership to the federal government.

Daily Trust further reports that the airport, which gulped about N42bn, was conceived and constructed by the past administration of David Umahi, who is now Minister of Works.

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But flight operations which commenced after the completion stopped shortly after following the deplorable condition of the runway which was constructed with concrete.

The present administration said it spent about N20bn to reconstruct the runway with asphalt to make it operational.

The Commissioner for Aviation and Transport Technology, Ebonyi State, Dr Ngozi Obichukwu, who spoke on Tuesday at the ninth Airport Business Summit and Expo (ABSE) organised by the Nigeria Aviation (NIGAV) at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos, declared that the federal and state governments were still negotiating on the modality for handing over the airport to it.

Speaking to journalists on the sidelines of the event, Dr Ngozi said the state government had completed the resurfacing of the runway from concrete to asphalt to make it operational and more comfortable for airline operators.

Asked when the airport would commence operation, she said that the state government was awaiting the approval of the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) for the reopening of the airport.