The Wilberforce Chuba Okadigbo Airport in Ebonyi State recorded a historic milestone on Friday, June 13, 2025, as it welcomed its first commercial flight, marking the commencement of flight operations at the airport.
The United Nigeria Airlines aircraft with registration number 5N-8WV touched down at the airport at exactly 10:30 am, arriving from Abuja with several passengers on board.
One of the passengers, Mr. Emmanuel Nwafor, expressed joy over the successful landing, describing it as “a dream come true.” He emphasized the significance of the event, noting the substantial investments made by the Ebonyi State Government in the airport.
“We’ve yearned and at a point we were even agitating because the volume of investment in this airport by the state government is something this airport should have been classified as the best in the country but we were seeing a lot of delay in commencement,” Nwafor stated. “But today, history is made... The flight was very smooth. There was no turbulence. The take-off and landing were perfect.”
Another passenger, Professor Chigozie Ogbu, echoed similar sentiments. “The runway is one of the best in the country and it was a good landing, as good as any place in the world,” he said.
On the departure leg, Chief Elias Mbam, former Chairman of the Revenue Mobilization, Allocation and Fiscal Commission, boarded a flight from the airport to Abuja. He commended the state's efforts and expressed satisfaction with the facilities, urging for increased frequency of flights.
“They have started very well and I am impressed with the facilities that I saw at the airport. They need to beef it up and make the flight more regularly,” Mbam noted.
The Commissioner for Aviation and Transport Technology, Mrs. Ngozi Obichukwu, lauded Governor Francis Nwifuru for his dedication in ensuring the airport became operational. She announced that additional flights are scheduled for the following week, including routes from and to Lagos.
“More are yet to come because on Monday we’re taking off from Lagos to here and we’re taking off from here to Lagos,” Obichukwu said. She urged passengers to strictly adhere to flight schedules to avoid missing future flights.
The successful landing of the first commercial flight at the Wilberforce Chuba Okadigbo Airport represents a significant leap in the infrastructural and economic development of Ebonyi State.
