Chinedu Eze
The Anambra State airport, now known as the Chinua Achebe International Cargo Airport, has marked two years of its operation, recording 260, 000 passengers and over 4000 flights within the period.
In a ceremony yesterday, to mark the anniversary, many Anambra sons and daughters that attended the event commended the decision to build the airport, which has become one of the viable state airports in the country.
According to the Managing Director and CEO of the airport, Martins Nwafor, many airports in Nigeria have not recorded such number of throughput in five years.
He noted that the Anambra airport has met expectations of the people and has also filled a vacuum by making it convenient for people to board flights in their state.
Nwafor, said the state government would later celebrate the naming of the airport Chinua Achebe, the late erudite scholar and writer who hailed from the State.
He said as the yuletide was approaching, the airport was prepared for the upsurge of passengers and holiday makers that would return to the State, disclosing that the airlines that already operate to the airport would increase their frequency and capacity to the airport.
“We hope to operate to near capacity. Already Air Peace and United Nigeria Airlines are operating to the airport.
“The airport has the approval from the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) to operate mid-size aircraft, Boeing 737 or its equivalent to the airport. Air Peace is already operating its Boeing 737 and Embraer E195-E2; while United Nigeria is operating its ERJ 145, but the airline may likely bring in its Airbus A320 during the festive period.
“We have also prepared the airport for better service. We have realigned our Instrument Landing System (ILS) and Voice Ominidirectional Radio Range (VOR).
“We are working on getting our runway light. We have also spoken with NAMA to calibrate the landing aids at the airport and we scheduled this will happen next week,” he said.
The Managing Director also complained about the charges by government agencies: the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), the Nigeria Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) and the Nigeria Meteorological Agency (NIMET), saying that what they charge the airport to provide their services was exorbitant.
He disclosed that FAAN charges the airport N8 million monthly; NAMA – N6 million and NIMET, N2, 250, 000 – saying it was difficult for the airport to expend such charges and still remain in business and called for the review of the charges by the said agencies.
According to the Nigeria Civil Aviation Regulation, only these federal government agencies are allowed to provide security, weather report and aerodrome and traffic control charges, so they offer monopoly services.
“How on earth will the airport generate money to be paying for these services every month? I am calling them to review these charges.
“This is why some airports built by states are handing over the facilities to the federal government for FAAN to manage them.
“FAAN already has huge responsibility it is carrying, managing 26 airports. So, we urge the agencies to review these charges so that we will be able to pay them.
“FAAN is even supposed to come with its security equipment but such are provided by the airport and they still charge outrageous sum of N8 million per month,” Nwafor lamented.
