Kairoseki77:

Enugu has one of the smallest economies in NIgeria I would not be surprised if the airport suffers from low patronage.

What does that mean? You think you can compare Enugu State with Gombe or Ekiti?

Nigerian GDP figures are nonsensical. State GDP is based on Federal account allocation, which is based on spurious "census" figures. Apart from that there's nothing of substance in them.

I've been to Enugu & seen the economic activity; it is in a different league from Gombe, Ekiti, Bauchi, Osun, Ebonyi - & virtually more than most of the states in Nigeria.

Secondly, Enugu international airport can serve everyone from Benin to Makurdi to Aba to Onitsha to Nnewi.

We need informations and new pictures of the new terminal building. Are there no guys here who are flying or have flown thru the airport recently? We need up date. The contractor should be fast in order to complete it before 2015.

Hope our ppl are still encouraging the airline. Yes let's continue to do so until december wen about half of igbos will know of the airport.

Again arrangements has been made to airlift people from the airport direct to Israel. This will help open the airport more for international traveling.

Kairoseki77:

Enugu has one of the smallest economies in NIgeria I would not be surprised if the airport suffers from low patronage.

^^^Ogun and Oyo that in your estimation have bigger economies; how's the traffic at their airports compared to Enugu and and Owerri?

Kairoseki77:

Enugu has one of the smallest economies in NIgeria I would not be surprised if the airport suffers from low patronage.

Enugu airport is not for Enugu state alone. It is for an entire regions and adjoining states of Middle Belt and SS.

IGBO-SON:


^^^Ogun and Oyo that in your estimation have bigger economies; how's the traffic at their airports compared to Enugu and and Owerri?

Ogun and Oyo have airports? lol

Came into Enugu.
Delighted to see that there is a massive green campaign going on.
A lot of trees have been planted on the major roads.
The roundabouts are being upgraded.

That 82 division army hotel just seem to have emerged from no where.
The pace of work is fast.
The Secretariat is taking shape too.

eaglechild: Came into Enugu.
Delighted to see that there is a massive green campaign going on.
A lot of trees have been planted on the major roads.
The roundabouts are being upgraded.

That 82 division army hotel just seem to have emerged from no where.
The pace of work is fast.
The Secretariat is taking shape too.

u could have taken some pictures.

henrychubayo:


u could have taken some pictures.

Will try

My favorite place in Enugu

This one is smaller and more Private The Hotel

Kairoseki77:

Enugu has one of the smallest economies in NIgeria I would not be surprised if the airport suffers from low patronage.

You need to be enlightened about the demography of Nigeria vis-a-vis Eastern Nigeria, Enugu airport is an international airport meant to serve not just Enugu state but the entire S.E and parts of S.S, N.C etc

http://tribune.com.ng/news2013/index.php/en/business-package/2012-10-29-11-36-27/aviation/item/21898-aviation-minister-tasks-s-east-on-enugu-airport.html
"...THE Minister of Aviation, Princess Stella Oduah, has challenged the people of the South East to make the Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu not just viable, but among the top three airports in West Africa in no distant time.

She also showered appreciation on President Goodluck Jonathan for making this dream come true.

The minister made this statement in Awka, Anambra State, while delivering a keynote address at a conference organised by the league of Anambra professionals.

Speaking through the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Dr George Ossi Afamefuna, the minister, while thanking President Goodluck Jonathan for making the dream come true, urged the state government to draw up a road map to achieve their goals.

"This is what we did upon assumption of office at the Ministry of Aviation. We found civil aviation in a deplorable state and drew up a road map to transform the sector, in line with the Transformation Agenda of the President, Dr Goodluck Jonathan.

“We are following the road map vigorously to be the best Aviation Industry in Africa and one of the best in the world and in our mission to build a safe, secure and efficient aviation industry focused on making Nigeria a hub that meets International Standards and Best Practices for the African continent."

She said that the on-going construction of the new international and cargo terminals, the commissioning of the remodelled and reconstructed terminal of the Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu and the commencement of the Enugu – Addis Ababa route by Ethiopian Airlines, Ndi Igbo are benefitting from Mr President’s Transformation Agenda.

She said the new facility would on completion handle 500,000 international passengers annually and would have several commercial offerings, including 60 shops, lounges with soothing ambience and modern conveyor belts, and a new car park.

The cargo terminal is expected to be completed by the end of this year.

CFCfan: http://tribune.com.ng/news2013/index.php/en/business-package/2012-10-29-11-36-27/aviation/item/21898-aviation-minister-tasks-s-east-on-enugu-airport.html
"...THE Minister of Aviation, Princess Stella Oduah, has challenged the people of the South East to make the Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu not just viable, but among the top three airports in West Africa in no distant time.

She also showered appreciation on President Goodluck Jonathan for making this dream come true.

The minister made this statement in Awka, Anambra State, while delivering a keynote address at a conference organised by the league of Anambra professionals.

Speaking through the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Dr George Ossi Afamefuna, the minister, while thanking President Goodluck Jonathan for making the dream come true, urged the state government to draw up a road map to achieve their goals.

"This is what we did upon assumption of office at the Ministry of Aviation. We found civil aviation in a deplorable state and drew up a road map to transform the sector, in line with the Transformation Agenda of the President, Dr Goodluck Jonathan.

“We are following the road map vigorously to be the best Aviation Industry in Africa and one of the best in the world and in our mission to build a safe, secure and efficient aviation industry focused on making Nigeria a hub that meets International Standards and Best Practices for the African continent."

She said that the on-going construction of the new international and cargo terminals, the commissioning of the remodelled and reconstructed terminal of the Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu and the commencement of the Enugu – Addis Ababa route by Ethiopian Airlines, Ndi Igbo are benefitting from Mr President’s Transformation Agenda.

She said the new facility would on completion handle 500,000 international passengers annually and would have several commercial offerings, including 60 shops, lounges with soothing ambience and modern conveyor belts, and a new car park.

The cargo terminal is expected to be completed by the end of this year.

Cool

biafranqueen: My favorite place in Enugu

Ya protea hotel, the coolest place to be

Pilgrims will also be airlifted from the airport. Very good. Let's continue to patronize the airport. I see developments and jobs coming to east.

spyder880: parts of Abakpa

Okwa ogbe m ka i na abanye ife ahu! Choi! Proudly Abakpa Nti-Ike

joeluv: https://www.nairaland.com/1444748/international-helicopter-flying-school-enugu

you use to update us with pictures here but u have drawn back a bit.

NCAA May Close Enugu Airport


20 Sep 2013

By Chinedu Eze


There are indications that the Akanu Ibiam Airport in Enugu may be closed for international operations, as the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has said the airport’s designation as international airport was not gazetted and therefore there was no white paper to give it legal teeth to that effect.

A dependable source told THISDAY that the designation of Ethiopian Airlines to operate from the airport was done by Presidential fiat so it was a temporary situation that could only subsist at the whims of the regulatory body and at the behest of the President that gave the order.

The NCAA source said only four airports in the country were gazetted and these include Port Harcourt, Abuja, Lagos and Kano airports, adding that tourists who always wanted to land directly from overseas destinations to the Margaret Ekpo International Airport, Calabar were always denied the chance because the airport was not gazetted as international airport.

However, the Special Adviser (Media) to the Minister of Aviation, Joe Obi, told THISDAY that saying that the Enugu airport has not been gazetted as international airport is “very, very improbable.”

“It does not sound plausible because the Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu is an international airport by all definition and once any airline or charter operator has the required clearance he can fly into the airport,” he said.

THISDAY learnt that last week a chartered flight from Accra, Ghana wanted to airlift investors from the Ghanaian capital directly to Enugu for business meeting and from Enugu to Malabo, Equatorial Guinea, but NCAA refused to process the document for the flight’s clearance; rather, the Air Transport Regulation (ATR) of NCAA directed the pilot of the aircraft to fly first to Abuja before taking off to Enugu and from Enugu it flew back to Abuja and henceforth to Malabo, a tortuous journey and waste of fuel.

When contacted the General Manager, Public Affairs of NCAA, Fan Ndubuoke, was ambivalent, unable to authenticate or deny the position of the official from ATR, but said the person or organisation that wanted to process the flight from Ghana might not be the right organisation to do that.

He warned that charter operators and others should be wary about the companies they contact to process flights for them.

Also the General Manager, Corporate Communication, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Yakubu Dati, said he would investigate the matter, and noted that not only that Ethiopian Airlines is operating from the airport but other airlines have indicated interest to also operate from Enugu.

http://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&frm=1&source=newssearch&cd=1&cad=rja&ved=0CC0QqQIoADAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thisdaylive.com%2Farticles%2Fncaa-may-close-enugu-airport%2F159425%2F&ei=kJY7UsuoCevJ0AX70IHwCA&usg=AFQjCNFa-2Fhn-EZV3CthAunEd8wY_Jcvg

******* ******* *******

At bolded: Looks like we can kiss that potential investment goodbye just b'cos someone somewhere didn't do their job well; or maybe the potential investors phoned NCAA for clearance or whatever it is they need to land at AIIA, and some bitter knobhead barked down the phone at them, saying: 'Enugu has no fuc/king international airport......pick Abuja or Lagos instead!', and then slammed the phone down on them. with rude finality!

They had better gazette whatever b/4 GEJ and Stella Oduah leave office!

/\/\/\/\

It obvious the only bad belle people that is plotting all these using their son [size=15pt]Captain Folayele Akinkuotu[/size], the NCAA director.

My only advise is for them to try it. No long stories!

IGBO-SON:
NCAA May Close Enugu Airport


They had better gazette whatever b/4 GEJ and Stella Oduah leave office!

The airport was gazetted by the President Yar' Adua administration before he died. That was when it was closed for runway extension and the name changed to "International" airport. All these happened before President GEJ came into office.

^^
This is serious
If this story about being 'non-gazetted' is true, then some folks in the aviation establishment need to be disciplined. Though traffic rights (permit given to foreign airlines to land at a particular airport in Nigeria) are the exclusive preserve of a cabinet level body such as the Aviation ministry, the law establishing the NCAA gives it the sole authority to approve the aeronautical operations of a Nigerian airport.

No body will close that Airport. i know some people have been sad cause the international flights has started to operate thus meaning heavy investment due to come soon, but they won't succeed. Anyone who decides to close it makes himself enemy of the east. That is why we need to finish the terminal building right on time before Jonathan leaves office. Is there anyone who could post pictures of the new terminal building?

Enemies of progress at it again!

henrychubayo: No body will close that Airport. i know some people have been sad cause the international flights has started to operate thus meaning heavy investment due to come soon, but they won't succeed. Anyone who decides to close it makes himself enemy of the east. That is why we need to finish the terminal building right on time before Jonathan leaves office. Is there anyone who could post pictures of the new terminal building?

NDI OFE MMANU are fighting a lost battle.

I know that Enugu airport operating now its a bad business to some airports, business, and people. But it has come to stay. I don't panic cause it will not be closed.

The Federal Government must come out clearly and gazette that AIIA is now categorised as an international airport. I have also noted that the FAAN still classes Enugu as one of the major domestic airports together with Calabar, Jos, Kaduna, Sokoto, Maiduguri and Yola on its website. The Aviation Ministry must clarify this issue.

Thankyou Activity 77 for your timely research of the above article in THISDAY. You are a 'scholar and gentleman'.

Activity77: www.thisdaylive.com/articles/ncaa-enugu-safe-for-international-flights/159525/

"It is entirely false and preposterous to insinuate that gazzetting constitutes a factor in NCAA technical analysis and certification"

My friends, this statement and the others in that report are ambiguous. They are not equivocal on whether the Enugu airport is now gazzetted as international or not. It's like they are telling us Enugu airport is not yet gazzetted as international but has the permit for international flight operations because of the new facilities. I doubt the insinuations for i could remember that GEJ gazzetted Akanu Ibiam Airport as an inter. in one of his Exco meetings this year. Someone out there is playing with the emotions of Ndigbo. However, i just wanna add that Enugu airport is an express train that has departed. No going back.

kostadinis:

"It is entirely false and preposterous to insinuate that gazzetting constitutes a factor in NCAA technical analysis and certification"

My friends, this statement and the others in that report are ambiguous. They are not equivocal on whether the Enugu airport is now gazzetted as international or not. It's like they are telling us Enugu airport is not yet gazzetted as international but has the permit for international flight operations because of the new facilities. I doubt the insinuations for i could remember that GEJ gazzetted Akanu Ibiam Airport as an inter. in one of his Exco meetings this year. Someone out there is playing with the emotions of Ndigbo. However, i just wanna add that Enugu airport is an express train that has departed. No going back.

You re a true son of the soil. Your family must have been very proud of u. I love those words of urs. Express Train and no going back whether they like it or not. As we speak, Ethiopia is En-route to Enugu. Our people have not failed us. The same airline came yesterday and left back to collect those who are for today. Am sure that soonest, will see who or which region flies out of this country more.

henrychubayo:


You re a true son of the soil. Your family must have been very proud of u. I love those words of urs. Express Train and no going back whether they like it or not. As we speak, Ethiopia is En-route to Enugu. Our people have not failed us. The same airline came yesterday and left back to collect those who are for today. Am sure that soonest, will see who or which region flies out of this country more.

Thanks Henry. Many of us are as concerned as you are because the success of AIIA will ignite the long awaited reverse migration of Ndigbo. And with time, will make Igboland the destination of other Nigerians as well. One major reason some of us are taking auxiliary residences outside Alaigbo has been addressed. A large number of our people i talked to here in Belgium are now considering selling off some of their immovable assets to relocate them to the east as they will now be flying direct to the capital of Igboland.

In this wise, I can assure you that telephone calls to Nairaland's property expert Spyder880 will increase as time goes on. :lol:

Then, to finish it off, we will keep pressing the presidency to expedite the opening of the eastern maritime corridor so that Onitsha port and the complimenting deep seaports at Ibaka Akwaibom, the new one at Agge Bayelsa, PH, Calabar and Warri will be highly operational. Each one of these seaports cut the distance from Onitsha to Lagos by more than half. And to see that the politics that makes foreign ships not to berth in eastern ports is nipped in the bud.