The resumption of international flights at the Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu and Port Harcourt International Airport may remain a pipe dream for now as an impeccable source in the Aviation sector told Drumnewsonline that some powerful forces in the government have resolved to shut the southern airports from international services. It would be recalled that the Aviation minister had released a statement slating April 5th, 15th and May 3rd, 2021 as dates for resumption of international flights at Kano, Port Harcourt and Enugu respectively, but after Kano resumed, the Federal Government seemed to have shut its sight and mind on resumption of flights at the remaining airports.
According to the source who preferred anonymity to avoid official reprimand, the forces in the Aviation, Health Ministries and Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, FAAN had deliberately refused to put in place the requirements for the resumption of flight at the Akanu Ibiam Airport, Enugu. According to it, due to the outbreak of Covid-19 the Aviation Ministry had said certain instruments and devices were needed to be in place for checks on inward and out-bound passengers for which a delegation visited the airport but after, nothing has been heard and the resumption date of May 3rd came and passed without any statement from the Ministry to explain why it failed. It is apparent that it was the same scenario that played out in Port Harcourt.
The source went further to explain the process to be followed before international flights would commence at the airport. He said, after the installation of the screening equipment and devices by FAAN and Ministries of Aviation and Health, the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, NCAA would come to inspect and certify the work done, and would in turn inform the Nigerian Aviation Management Authority, NAMA which would subsequently issue a Notice To All Aviation Men, NOTAAM, announcing that the airports was fit for international flights. The NOTAAM according to the source is received worldwide in the Aviation sector announcing that the airport was ready for international flights without which no international flight would land there. But, the source lamented that it had become clear that the ploy behind the announcement of international flights at the three airports then was to open Kano airport in the North, only.
Drumnewsonline had reported that a delegation of Federal Legislators from the North led by Hon. Dogawa had visited Senator Hadi Sirika demanding that the Kano airport be reopened immediately for international flights as according to them, the continued closure ‘was affecting adversely the economy of the North’. Flowing from the visit, the Minister, while explaining that the closure was due to the Covid-19 pandemic assured the delegation of resumption of international flights at the airports. The Ministry later issued a statement on flight resumptions and gave different dates for each airport. However the government simply made sure that only Kano resumed international flights.
The action of the government is seen by some discerning Nigerians as a orchestrated action by the North, hand in gloves with the Southwest, to shut down the economies of the Southsouth and Southeast regions of Nigeria as majority of travelers come from the regions. Drumnewsonline also gathered that Ethiopian Airlines which flies the eastern route is being made by the authorities to pay more landing charges and other fees which had made the airline’s fares from Enugu airport to other parts of the world very exorbitant compared to other airports in Nigeria. Efforts to confirm this information from the airlines office was not successful as the official was not willing to squeal. However an informed source in the sector confirmed it and even went further to say that enquiries made by Emirates, another Asian airliner to fly Enugu was not encouraged in official circles as it would deny Lagos and Kano a greater chunk of their revenue. Even some works embarked upon and facilities to be put in place as part of the upgrading of the Akanu Ibiam Airports have not been completed presently, months after the much publicized reopening.
As at press time it was not clear when the two airports in Enugu and Port Harcourt would resume international flights as no efforts are being made to install the devices needed for passengers in line with the Covid-19 protocols. For now it is still a waiting game orchestrated by some powerful forces in government of the Federation.
Source: Drumnewsonline
