The Federal Government says it may downgrade Akanu Ibiam
International Airport, Enugu from handling international operations because of
its inability to expand the runway.
Minister of State for Aviation, Sen. Hadi Sirika, made the
disclosure at the 6th Aviation Stakeholders Forum in Lagos on Friday.
Sirika said that there were some developments around the
airport that posed security and safety threat to flight operations, adding that
effort was on to address the challenges.
According to him, the state government decided to situate
its free trade zone, market and radio mast too close to the runway which is
against the international safety standard.
“We have some issues there and I have met the governor three
times to discuss the issue.
“As you approach Enugu, there is a market there, there is an
abattoir and at the end of the runway, there is a free trade zone and as you
know, Enugu is the Kaduna of the east.
“A lot of passengers from the eastern part of the country
travel through Enugu airport.
The minister said that unless the market and the mast were
removed, the government would have no option but to discontinue international
flights into the airport.
He said that the government was committed to ensuring that
all ongoing projects across Nigerian airports were completed before the end of
the year.
He added that the government would also ensure that Kano,
Port Harcourt and Enugu airports obtained the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority
(NCAA) certification.
Sirika also disclosed that the government of President
Muhammadu Buhari had completed 130 of the 157 projects it initiated in aviation
sector within three years.
He explained that agencies like the Nigerian Meteorological
Agency (NiMet), Nigerian College of Aviation Technology (NCAT) and Accident
Investigation Bureau (AIB) had recorded a lot of progress during the period.
According to him, the new terminal projects in Lagos and
Kano will be completed before the end of the year, while the Lagos project
would be delivered earlier.
The minister explained that the airport was over-stretched
over the years because of the increasing number of passengers that traveled
through the airport.
“Lagos airport was initially designed and built for 200,000
people but now accommodates and processes 8 million passengers which is grossly
inadequate.
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