Commercial flight operators, Airpeace Airline has carried out the first-ever commercial flight from Lagos and Abuja to the Anambra International Cargo and Passenger Airport, Umueri since the facility became ready for use two months ago.
This is coming days after the Aviation regulator, Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA)issued authority to the state government for take-off of commercial flight operation at the airport, effective December, second, 2021.
Government House Correspondent, Ejike Abana reports that the aircraft, with the number 5N BVD from Lagos airport touched down at exactly 2:30pm, after a flight duration of forty minutes.
The Commissioner for Works, Engineer Marcel Ifejiofor gave an assurance that government would sustain efforts to ensure that its services benefitted generations yet unborn.
According to the Traditional Ruler of Umueri, Igwe Ben Emeka, it is a dream-come-true as he welcomed the crew and passengers soon after the aircraft landed.
Igwe Emeka urged the government to fast track the establishment of a pilot training school and aircraft’s maintenance and repairs centre at the Airport to make it an aviation hub in West Africa, calling on the public to patronize the airport.
For some of the passengers,including a former Minister of Health, Dr. Tim Menakaya and Dr. Amaechi Nwachukwu who were enroute Abuja, the long uncertainty over when the airport will become operational is finally over , just as the member representing Njikoka Constituency Two at the State House of Assembly, Sir Pete Ibida extolled Anambra State Governor for actualizing the dream, expressing optimism that the incoming administration will sustain and add more to the project.
Among the passengers who disembarked from the plane was the Metropolitan Catholic Archbishop of Onitsha Ecclesiastical Province, Most Reverend Valerian Okeke, who described the flight movement as smooth and said that the commencement of flights to and from the Anambra Airport would definitely change the economic status of the State in particular and the South East region in general.
Later on at the airport, passengers scheduled for Abuja boarded and departed at exactly 3:30 pm.
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