The Senator Chuba Okadigbo Airport, Onueke in Ebonyi State has gone full swing since it was test-run less than two months ago, says the Project Coordinator, Engr Frank Ngwu.
According to Ngwu, the airport is fully operational and not abandoned as insinuated in the social media.
The Project Coordinator stated this in an interview with newsmen concerning the insinuations on social media that the airport had been turned into a ‘motor park because it was allegedly not operational.
He described the insinuations as “fabricated figments” of people who are still awed that Ebonyi will have an airport of such standard.
He insisted that it was the viability of the airport that made the Federal Government take over the facility with important processes in headway.
“It is difficult to see a newly inaugurated airport in Nigeria recording the volume of passenger operations as ours. It would have taken other airports more than six months to be operational but ours has gone full swing since it was test-run less than two months ago.”
The project coordinator revealed that flight activities are recorded daily at the airport as three aircraft conveyed passengers ‘to and from’ Abuja and Lagos, on Monday. He added: “We however solicit patience from Nigerians because a journey of miles starts with a step. We are deepening our passenger base with the commercial flight aspect steadily undergoing development.
“We have signed several Memorandum of Understanding with corporate organisations to boost our commercial flight and cargo operations and the dividends would start yielding soon,” he said.
A NAN correspondent, who visited the airport reports that the atmosphere was serene with staff attending to the needs of passengers. The environment was neat, facilities were well maintained though flight activities went on a low scale. A staff of the airport, who spoke under the condition of anonymity, expressed optimism that it would soon compete with others across the country on flight operations.
“You can see that there is no motor park activity around this facility as a United Nigeria flight is being expected from Lagos with passengers inside its bowel,” he said.
A passenger, Mrs Jane Ifemenam, said she was impressed with the facilities at the airport and urged its authorities to expedite action in attracting more passengers. “I am waiting to board a United Nigeria flight to Lagos and wish to state that there is room for improvement," she said. -NAN.
