Mixed Reactions as Ebonyi Joins Airport, Airline Bandwagon

Chinedu Eze

Many Nigerians, especially those conversant with air transport in Nigeria have criticised the decision of many state governors investing in airport development. They see it as misplaced priority because there are always more critical projects that will benefit majority of the citizens of the state.

Most often they cite provision of potable water, healthcare system, education and road infrastructure. Such criticism is germane when it is considered that many state governors who hitherto invested in airport infrastructure seemingly wasted the funds expended because today either the airport is abandoned or it is grossly underutilised.

Exasperated with the continuous financial demands of such airports, some of the state governments had begged the federal government to give approval so that the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) could take over the management of the airports.

However, investing in airports cannot be fully written off or condemned because some state governments have utilised their facilities well. For example, the Delta State government built an airport in Asaba, at the nose of the major commercial centre in the South East, Onitsha. That airport has been busy from the day it became operational. Anambra State government is currently building hub of businesses at the Chinua Achebe International Cargo Airport, Umueri, with the help of private investors.

Also, Akwa Ibom State built an airport and it has been busy ever since it was unveiled. The state government went further to establish an airline, which is the second biggest carrier after Air Peace. Not only that; the state government also built Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) facility, which when opened will become the largest maintenance facility for aviation industry in West and Central Africa.

Some aviation industry observers are of the view that the state governments that built some of these airports are nudged to do so for selfish reasons: to have airports that would serve their purpose because in some of those states, majority of the citizens are literally traumatised economically that they will never be able to afford air travel. So, the government operates aircraft charter services to bring top officials to and from the airport to other destinations in Nigeria. The facility is there for their purpose.

Meanwhile, THISDAY investigations revealed that the Ebonyi State government has not only established an airport; it may have also ordered for three Embraer E170 aircraft, which obviously indicates that it wants to operate an airline, thus taking a cue from the Akwa Ibom State government. This may have caused the state government huge amount of money and sustainability of such project is precarious.

But an insider revealed to THISDAY that there could be a lot of goodies coming from Ebonyi State in terms of airport development and air transport. According to the insider, Ebonyi State government has completed a plan, which has been ratified by the state assembly, to establish an airline. This plan is yet to be subjected to the Air Operator Certificate (AOC) process of the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), which will take a while.

“But the state government is desirous of establishing an airline as quickly as possible and on the interim, they are talking to Air Peace and United Nigeria Airlines to start flight service to the airport. The name of the airline is Ebonyi Air. The governor, it was learnt, is working on acquiring the airplanes. “After the acquisition they will prepare for certification. The AOC will take up to 10 months,” a source said.

On the face value, many Nigerians familiar with air transport in the South East believe that the potential travelling public by air from Ebonyi may not justify scheduled flight service from the airport due to low patronage but this was debunked by the insider who is a seasoned aviator and also very close to the Ebony State government. According to him, when Ebonyi airport begins operations it will lower passenger traffic in Enugu, “because most of the passengers who travel through Enugu airport now are either going to Ebonyi or Itigidi or Ogoja in Cross River State and even from Benue near Ebonyi State. All these travellers will divert to Ebonyi airport when it starts operation. Enugu airport runway is in bad shape and currently they suffer low load factor,” the insider said.

He also said that because of the airport in Ebonyi many investors, especially Chinese who want to invest in agriculture and mining have indicated interest to come to Ebonyi State and this will trigger other businesses. He also said that because of the deterioration of Enugu airport runway, the Ebonyi airport would have a head start from Enugu when it would be inevitably closed for rehabilitation, noting that those who chose to travel from Ebonyi would be reluctant to go back to Enugu anytime it is reopened.

The Ebonyi airport runway was shut down for rehabilitation because it did not meet the requirements of a standard airport runway. THISDAY learnt that the runway has rigid pavement due to horizontal expansion system with sealant built like a normal road. So, with mid temperature, the sealant on the pavement will dissolve and cause Foreign Object Debris (FOD) on the runway; hence, the decision to resurface it, which has been done.

The insider sees a huge potential of the airport to airlift perishables and other cargo produce from Benue, Cross River and Ebonyi states.

“In terms of security, the airport has central CCTV. Every critical equipment has been installed or is about to be completed because all the contracts for these had been awarded and all the payments made, from the control tower to installation of airfield lighting to high quality fire tenders and it is the only airport so far that has emergency operations cetnre, a facility they are trying to install at the Lagos airport. It is also the only airport in Nigeria that has five cargo warehouses inside the terminal. In addition, the airport has massive energy supporting equipment, which is secondary power supply. They are five 1000 KVA generators and equivalent capacity in solar farms,” the source said.

Travel expert and Coordinator of AviaCargo Committee of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Ambassador Ikechi Uko, told THISDAY that the airport remained a smart one but when the committee visited, the members identified some gaps in the cargo facility.

“We observed some gaps when we came and I hope they have corrected them. What they built is a passenger airport, but they have to correct those gaps in other to have seamless processing of cargo for freighting,” he said.

However, a social critic in the state, Mr. Abia Onyike, who did not condemn the airport, told THISDAY that the former governor of the state, David Umahi, recklessly spent the state’s resources on elephant projects that did not benefit the majority of the people, alleging that the former governor claimed he spent N47 billion on the airport but the actual expenditure was about N12 billion. “So, Umahi should account for the remaining money. He should resign as Minister and testify on what he used the remaining money to do,” Onyike said.

But a Senior Special Adviser, Media to Umahi, when he was governor, dismissed the allegation and told THISDAY that with the meagre resources Ebonyi State had, “it takes a prudent man like Umahi to transform the infrastructure of the state as he did with the little resources available when he was governor. He is one in a million.”

Although critics may not see a profitable venture in the decision of Ebonyi State government to establish an airline, but it becomes onus on the state government to prove its critics wrong.