Ebonyi to float airline

After Akwa Ibom had successfully set the pace, Ebonyi State may be the second Nigerian state to float an airline.

This is as the state government has proclaimed its readiness to proffered into the airline business starting from August.

Ngozi Obichukeu, the Ebonyi State Commissioner for Aviation and Transport Technology, who made the declaration while speaking with journalists at Onueke, during an inspection tour at the Chuba Okadigbo International airport, said the airline would promote effective and easy air transportation in the state.

Following the completion of the current asphalting of the runway at Chuba Okadigbo International Airport, Abakiliki, the government announced that it would embark on airline business.

She praised Governor Francis Nwifuru; immediate previous governor, David Umahi; engineers on site and monitoring heads of departments engaged in the project for their collaboration and efforts to see that the airport fully took off.

“If you do not blow your trumpet, another person will blow it wrongly. We are here as a team to tell you what our dear governor is doing on the runway of the Wilberforce Chuba Okadigbo Airport, she said.

“Many have been asking questions, are we good to go? Are we able to deliver the road by May as we promised? With your eyes and your senses, you people have seen what we have done and the extent we have gone.

“Before the asphalting, we have started witnessing the coming in of flights and you know as I have said before, it is both human and cargo airport. We are good to go in terms of exporting our food. Ebonyi State is good with production. We can export our rice, we can export our garri and even our salt. We will package it in a way that is acceptable and packaged it out.

“We are at the centre of attraction as far as South East is concerned. Those of them that are coming from Abia, Enugu, Anambra, and even part of Cross River will be landing here. Those of them that are travelling from outside will be landing here. It will not only be a beehive of activities, but an economic hub of the South East because many people will benefit from here.”