Although an elaborate ceremony which attracted almost all stakeholders in the South East and dignitaries from outside the zone to the official reopening of the Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu, on Sunday, August 30, 2020, commercial aircraft are yet to land at the airport as rehabilitation work is still going on.
Besides, while International flights will have to wait till next month or thereabout, commercial flights commenced operations Thursday, 9th September, 2020, although the airport authority had said that commercial operations would commence on Monday, according to checks by our correspondent, who went to monitor the level of flight operations after the re-opening.
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Air Peace was the first airline to start operations at the rehabilitated airport while United Nigeria Airline had also indicated interest just like the Akwa Ibom State Government-owned Ibom Air has also indicated its intention to commence operations on 13th September. Only private jets are landing at the airport. International flights will have to wait till October or thereabout while commercial airlines may commence operations from next week, checks by our correspondent have revealed.
The Corporate Affairs Manager of the airport, Mrs. Josephine Abbah, who spoke on Wednesday in a brief telephone chat with our reporter, said, “As you can see, work is still going on, but we are expecting commercial flights before the week runs out.”
“Chattered aircraft or private jets can land and take off any time, but the commercial ones – those are the ones that can still hold on at least for now,” and added that, “A private jet landed some minutes ago before you came.”
Clearly, only the runway of the airport has been completed and is ready for use, indicating that the airport can handle only local flights. Also, the rehabilitation of the cargo and the international terminal buildings has not been completed. Besides, night landing which was one of the key issues that needed to be solved at the airport is yet to be resolved. The night landing facility is yet to be fixed, indicating that it would be risky for any flight to use the airport at night.
It was also observed that the main gate to the airport and the access road, as well as other facilities, are yet to be completed.
Senator Victor Umeh who was one of the dignitaries that attended the reopening ceremony, while briefing journalists, appealed to the contractors handling different projects at the airport to ensure they completed all the works that needed to be completed.
Sen. Umeh said, “We in the South East are happy seeing the level of progress made. We believe the entire work would be completed and in record time too.”
Daily Trust recalls that a day to the reopening, an oil magnet and philanthropist, Prince Arthur Eze, made history when his private jet 5N-PAZ became the first to land at the renovated and upgraded airport.
Prince Eze who flew in with the Minister of Aviation, Sen. Hadi Sirika, landed at 04:47pm ahead of Sunday’s official reopening.
Prince Eze was equally the first to land at the airport when it was upgraded to an international standard during the administration of Goodluck Jonathan.
A delighted Prince Eze who briefed newsmen shortly after arrival, said he was happy that the people of the South East now had a standard international airport, and expressed gratitude to President Muhammadu Buhari for the effort, as well as other interventions in the zone which he listed to include Enugu-Onitsha, Enugu-Port Harcourt highways and the Second Niger Bridge in Onitsha.
Sen. Sirika also told journalists that he landed at the airport with a private jet because he wanted to confirm the quality of the rehabilitated runway.
However, the landing of Air Peace No 5N-BUV on Sunday, August 30, 2020, marked the official commencement of flight operations at the airport.
One of the conspicuous features of the rehabilitated airport is a reconstructed and beautified roundabout with an aircraft statue in memory of the 51 passengers and two crew members who lost their lives on Monday, November 28, 1983, aboard Nigeria Airways F28-2000.
The Governor of Enugu State, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, seized the reopening ceremony of the rehabilitated runway to remember the victims of the 1983 plane crash when he unveiled the roundabout.
Daily Trust Saturday recalls that the ill-fated plane was from Lagos to Enugu and crashed 3.2km short of the runway and caught fire. At least 18 people reportedly survived the crash which claimed the wife and four children of late Sen. Offia Nwali. Also, the then Governor of old Anambra State, Chief C.C Onoh, lost a daughter in the crash.
Coming to the grand reopening ceremony proper, the governors of the five South East states and other key political, religious and traditional leaders came in droves to witness the event.
Some of the VIPs who attended the occasion were Governors Okezie Ikpeazu (Abia), Willie Obiano (Anambra), Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi (Enugu), David Umahi (Ebonyi), Deputy Governors Placid Njoku (Imo) and Chief Cecilia Ezeilo (Enugfu).
Others were Senators Smart Adeyemi and Jim Nwobodo, Dr. Okwesilieze Nwodo and Chief Nnia Nwodo (President General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo), Prince Arthur Eze, Dr. Chris Ngige, Chief Ogbonnaya Onu, Geoffrey Onyeama, members of the National Assembly from the zone, the Obi of Onitsha, HRM, Igwe Alfred Nnemeka Achebe and Igwe Lawrence Agubuzu (Chairman Enugu Council of Traditional Rulers).
Daily Trust also recalls that the airport was closed down on August 24, 2019, by the Federal Government to enable contractors upgrade its dilapidated runway and other navigational facilities to international standard.
The date of the reopening of the airport was changed severally as the deadline for rehabilitation could not be met; hence it dragged on till 2020.
Also, the outbreak of COVID-19 did not help matters because repair works were suspended during the lockdown.
Sen. Sirika who declared on Sunday that the airport had been formally opened for domestic flights, also announced that international flights would resume on September 5.
He said, “We are proud to say that this project being commissioned today is indeed a testimony of Mr. President’s commitment to the provision of infrastructure in the country,” and further expressed appreciation to President Buhari “for giving approval of N10bn to undertake rehabilitation of the runway and other works.”
He said the Federal Government had “delivered the project on time and on budget and will focus on delivering the cargo terminal and the international terminal building and many more,” adding that, “Just before I left my office, I approved and released the sum of N1bn for the continuation of the international terminal building.
However, to ensure international best standards in the execution of the strategic project, SouthEast Governors Forum (SEGF), set up the Akanu Ibiam International Airport Rehabilitation/Palliative Works Committee, chaired by a civil engineer, Chief Chris Okoye. The committee had addressed newsmen in Enugu and gave a comprehensive situation report on the airport.
But it was learnt that a vital aspect of the airport – knon as the airfield lightening, is not yet completed as Okoye told newsmen that the airfield lighting was 35 per cent completed while the runway shoulders have reached 85 per cent completion.
Other sections include the crash roads with five per cent job done and no completion date stated, dredging/desilting of drainage on 70 per cent completion.
Okoye explained that the terminal building which work is expected to be completed on September 20, 2020, has reached 35 per cent completion, while the entrance toll gate started on July 20, 2020 was 75 per cent completed.
The group put the drainage work at 72 per cent, the aviation clinic at 52 per cent, perimeter fence (50 per cent), perimeter road (40 per cent), sewage treatment plant (35 per cent), water treatment plant (10 per cent), administration block (10 per cent) while nothing has been done about the fire watch tower as Okoye said they were waiting for inputs from the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA).
The committee said that the actual reason the airport was shut was because of safety and security issues associated with the runway, hence they maintained that the first phase of the project comprising the rehabilitation of the runway, the airfield lighting, the runway markings and minor associated works with the runway were almost completed.
According to them, a good number of the sections yet to be completed consisted of the second phase, which would not stop the operation of the airport.
Okoye noted that once the above was completed, it will allow night operations at a visibility not less than 800 meters on RWY 08 and landings on RWY 26 at a RVR not less than 350 meters; that is assuming the Instrument Landing System is operational.
However, only time and unfolding events will determine whether all the ongoing works at the Akanu Ibiam International airport would be completed or left as unfinished business.
