Jonathan Opens Enugu Airport

Posted by admin Headlines Sunday, December 19th, 2010

President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan yesterday unveiled the Akanu Ibiam Airport, Enugu as an international airport and also marked its reopening after it was closed for 10 months for repairs and expansion of the runway.

In a speech, the President noted that the request for the airports rehabilitation received speedy approval from the Federal Executive Council (FEC) in “response for the desire of our people in the South Eastern part of the country to use the airport to boost the economies of the region.”

He also said: “I believe that our people deserve this upgrading in terms of facilities and status.”After the commissioning, the President visited the Ikemba Nnewi, Chief Chukwuemeka Odimegwu Ojukwu in his residence where they held private talks before going for a meeting with the South
East delegates of the party.

Jonathan told the mammoth crowd that he was at home in Igboland due to the circumstances of his birth and pointed out that his visit was to sensitise the people of the region and to address the delegates towards the January convention
of the party where he needed their votes.

“The ball is in my court to do what is right. I can assure you that I will work with your governors, who are very vibrant young men and so are your ministers; power is dear to all Nigerians and so is our burden and so by the time we would have completed the next four years, this power problem would have been solved,” he said.
The Minister of Aviation, Fidelia Njeze said the airport would be a hub for the Eastern states. Njeze also said that the airfield lighting would be completed by the second quarter of next year

Also the managing director of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Mr. Richard Aisuebeogun, said that the construction of the airport was in the first of two phases which includes the asphalting and extension of the runway length from 2400 metres to 3000 metres and the expansion of the width from 45metres to 60 metres.

“This has been done to enable the runway take wide-body aircraft in the range of Boeing 747s. The second phase which has been started includes the construction of a new runway and taxiway, and the upgrading of the Airfield Lighting System to Category 11.

“It is expected that the completion of the second phase would mark the commencement of international flight operations to this airport. It is also significant to state that the first phase of this runway project was completed in a record time of 10 months, having been closed to flight operations in February 2010.”

The airport was closed to traffic in February 2010 for repairs before it was decided that its facilities should be upgraded and accorded an international status.wp_posts