COMMERCIAL FLIGHT OPERATION COMMENCES AT AKANU IBIAM INT’L AIRPORT MONDAY

Special Report by CHRISTIAN NWANGENE –

Normal flights operations will resume on Monday, September 7, at Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Emene, Enugu. This followed the completion of rehabilitation work at the runway of the airport and installation of modern navigational equipment.

The Chairman of the South East Governors’ Forum Committee on the refurbishment of the airport, Chief Chris Okoye, who announced this while briefing newsmen in Enugu, explained that the rehabilitated runway is the second in Nigeria after Abuja built with fiberglass.

Chief Okoye noted that resumption of commercial flights at the airport was based on a Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) issued by the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA).

Based on the NOTAM, flight operations were approved from 7am to 7pm with effective from Monday, September 7, 2020. Chief Okoye expressed satisfaction with the level of work done at the airport, and the authorization to commence normal flight operations by the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, NCAA.

Chief Okoye debunked allegations making rounds that the airport was not fully operational, noting that preparations to grant final access that would make the facility to start receiving world-class airlines were in top gear.

He announced that the International wing of the airport was ready to receive passengers, while Enugu State Government had made available over two hundred million naira for the construction of standard toilets, including mobile toilets.

Chief Okoye, who wondered why some people would say that the airport was not ready for use, insisted that the ongoing rehabilitation work at the terminal building of the airport would not by any means stop flights from landing and taking off.

”As a matter of fact, some governors in the zone had taken off from this airport after the inauguration of the runway, so it is not fair for somebody to say, the airport has not commenced flight operations.”

According to Chief Okoye, the ten billion naira special fund provided by the Federal Government was only meant for the rehabilitation of the runway, the airfield lighting, runway markings, twelve kilometers perimeter fence, perimeter road, and minor associated works with the runway.

He explained that other works such as, entrance toll gate, Aviation Clinic, external drainages, additional parking lot, and  renovation of the existing terminal building were being funded by Federal Airport Authority (FAAN) and state governments in the zone.  Others are landscaping, over lay of the external roads, sewage treatment plant, water treatment plant, admin block, and fire watch tower. 

Chief Okoye made it clear  that other projects going on now at the airport were not part of the ten billion naira special fund by the Federal Government, rather the Committee on Refurbishement/Palliative Works said since the Federal Government closed the airport to rehabilitate the runway, it was also important to use the opportunity to fix other things which hitherto were not normal.

He maintained that the airport was not closed for the ongoing renovation, instead closed by the Federal Government to rehabilitate only the runway, which had been completed and opened for use.   He said that by Monday September 7, 2020 if the weather conditions and flight operations did not constitute any hindrance, the Airfield Lighting that allowed night operations at a visibility not less than one thousand meters would have been completed.  Also to be installed before Monday were runway centre line lights, tounch down zone lights, CAT 1 approach on RWY, CAT and 11 approach on RWY.  

The Chairman of the Southeast Governors Forum on Akanu Ibiam International Airport Rehabilitation/Palliative Works Committee said Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) had demonstrated capacity and responsibility as the sole Air Navigational Service Provider by ensuring the installation of New Satellite Communication VSAT Earth Station, which facilitates the availability of Remote Control Air to Ground ATS/DS, Air traffic Services Direct Speech-Airport to Airport hotline Communication via Satellite AFTN, Data exchanges between Akanu Ibiam and other Airports around the world via Satellite.

“Also installed, the Extended Range VHF radio coverage for upper Air communication for the Southeast Corridor using 127.3MHZ.

“Provision of new signally Lamp to replace the obsolete one, installation of Rotating Beacon, Prefabricated Pilot Joint Briefing Offices which will provide a one-stop shop at the airside for crew members to obtain Aeronautical Information Services briefing, Meteorological Information and make necessary payments at a signal point in compliance with the International Civil Aviation Organization ICAO Standard.

“Installation of brand new CAT 2 instrument landing system/distance measuring equipment (ILS/DME), which replaces the old system that was installed since 2003, installation of stop Gap 40kva generator set to ensure twenty-four hours availability of newly installed satellite facility and Extended VHF for upper Air Communication for the Southeast Corridor using 127.3MHZ radio, AFTN and ATS/DS and provision of new effective cooling system for equipment and administrative offices,” Chief Okoye enumerated.

Chief Okoye further told reporters that all the effort was to ensure that the airport got the final licence by November this year by International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) for the Airport to start receiving world class airlines and having full International Status.

Also, a member of the Committee and Ebonyi State Commissioner for Works, Mr. Ogbonnia Obasi, while commending the Federal Government for their intervention also praised the cooperation of the governors of the southeast and understanding of the people of the zone, which enabled the successful completion of the runway.

The Southeast Governors Forum Committee on Akanu Ibiam International Airport Rehabilitation/Palliative Works is comprised of five Commissioners for Works of the five States of the Southeast, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, and the Methodist Archbishop of Enugu Archdiocese, the Most Reverend Christopher Edeh representing the Clergy.

Terms of reference for the committee includes:

To interface with the Minister of Aviation, Mr Hadi Sirika and to ensure that the technical details of the refurbishment are in accordance with the International best standards and that the contract would be awarded to a qualified and competent construction company.

To ensure that the airport is built to international standards.

To interface with the Federal Ministry of Works and Housing and FERMA and to ensure that Palliative works are carried out within all the failed segments of the designated routes to all the nominated airports that will stand in for the Airport during the period of closure.

To work with the five southeast governors/governments to provide complimentary infrastructure and resources to ensure seamless palliative operations.

The Federal Government provided a special of ten billion naira for the project.

The project commenced on November 4, 2019, with Mobilisation of equipment and personnel to site while construction work commenced on November 17, 2019 after the installation of necessary equipment on site.

The runway is 3km long, 45m wide with 7.5m shoulder on either side.