Samson Nwafor, Abakaliki
Reconstruction works at Chuba Okadigbo International Airport Runway Onueke has been completed.
This was even as Ebonyi State government has announced plan to float its own airline by procuring four aircrafts.
Each of the aircraft will have atleast 60 passengers capacity.
The State Commissioner for Aviation and Transport Technology, Dr Ngozi Obichukwu disclosed this to Journalists at the weekend.
She said the 3.1metres runway has been completed and currently being marked waiting for the official Commissioning by President Bola Tinubu.
The State Commissioner for Aviation and Transport Technology who said that the State Government gave the project a top priority, further maintained that the runway was enough for three flights to land on it at the same time.
She further emphasized that the airport would serve for both passenger and cargo and assured the users of adequate facilities needed to give the airport the global outfit.
“Permit me to announce to you that His Excellency, Rt Hon Francis Nwifuru is equally passionate of launching our own flight and he is planning to launch four flights at a time, and when it comes, everybody will hear it.
“You may not know the value of development, but I want to tell you that any particular development must give you some headache, either some people may be displaced, the tightening of your pocket to make sure that economically, you maximize what you have.
“His Excellency is looking at Ebonyi with this type of international airport as the economic hub of South East. In the next eight months or one year, you will start seeing what Iam talking about
“So, we are here for all of you to see what His Excellency, Rt Hon Francis Nwifuru has been able to do with the budget he gave for this project.
“He gave it a top priority and today,we are happy that we have the best international airport runway in Nigeria. Not saying that to show pride because we’re the one who did it, but because quality job was done. If you look at the shoulder; the main runway, you will believe me that about three flights will land at the same time in this airport.
“Both landing and taking off at the International airport Onueke, Ebonyi state is free, firm and safest. You wouldn’t have any problem, with the fitness we have here, even from the base of the runway where we have concrete before the asphalting, I don’t think any other can beat this particular one”, she said.
Asked if the State Government intends to lease the prospective flights once launched, she explained that the state had no plan going into leasing nor CRJ as the flight would accommodate about sixty passengers.
“We may go beyond Ibom Air, they started with leasing. we may not go into leasing. We want to have our own and may not go into CRJ, we want to have something bigger than CRJ as CRJ may have about 30-40 people but we are going to have something bigger than CRJ that will accommodate about 60 passengers.
“And recall, we are going to equally have flight for cargo. This airport is for both human and cargo. When I was in Addis Ababa I saw the real cargo department where they have all the warehouses: cassava, palm oil, yam, garri and all sorts. we’ll have it here to export our agricultural produce”, she concluded.
Recall that the Chuba Okadigbo International Airport which gulped about N42billion, was conceived and constructed by the past administration.
The airport was deemed completed completed and commissioned by the past administration of David Umahi who is now Minister of Works.
But flight operations which commenced after the completion stopped shortly after following the bad nature of its runway which was constructed with concrete.
The present administration had to sink about N20billion into the reconstruction of the airport runway with asphalt to make it operational.