Ahead of the planned reopening of the Akanu Ibiam International Airport Enugu on Sunday 30th August 2020, Minister of Aviation, Senator Hadi Sirika has decided to relocate to the coal city along with his officials and aides.
According to a statement signed by the Director, Public Affairs, Ministry of Aviation, James Odaudu, the Minister relocated to the state along with his aides to ensure “nothing stands in the way of the planned reopening.”
“To monitor the finishing touches being done by the contractors handling the runway reconstruction and installation of facilities at the airport.”
Sirika assured that people of the South-East region would enjoy flight operations at the airport.
Even though, there have been apprehensions about the possibility of the resumption of flights at the airport as planned, as a result of the recent unwarranted and ill-advised pulling down of about two kilometres stretch of the perimeter fence of the airport by an individual claiming ownership of the land on which the fence was raised.
The Minister has however given assurance that everything possible was being done to ensure that the people of the South East region who are the major beneficiaries of the project, begin to enjoy flight operations at the airport from Sunday.
Sirika also commends the governors of the South-East states especially Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State for joining efforts with the Ministry of Aviation to ensure a successful return of activities at the airport.
The Akanu Ibiam International Airport Enugu was shut down in August 2019 to enable the Federal government to reconstruct the runway which had become so dilapidated that aviation experts described it as an accident waiting to happen.