NCAA approves operation of Anambra Int’l Airport

NIGERIAN Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has issued authority to Anambra State government to open the Anambra International Cargo and Passenger Airport, Umueri for commercial operations with effect from yesterday.

  Commissioner for Works, Marcel Ifejiofor, disclosed this to journalists in Awka.

  According to Ifejiofor, the approval was contained in a letter dated December 1 2021 and addressed to Governor Willie Obiano.   “The aviation authority said that it has received security clearance from relevant security agencies for the opening. It said that the negative security clearance was the reason the authority had declined approval for the opening of the airport on the 30th of October 2021, when the state government had scheduled the commissioning. In the interim, Category B aircraft are permitted to land and take off from the airport from sunrise to sunset,” he said.

  Commending the approval as part of enduring legacy bequeathed to ndi Anambra by the Gov. Obiano-led administration, the commissioner reiterated the governor’s commitment to working even more for better living standard for the people until handover in March 2022.

  “With this clearance from NCAA, airlines already approved by the relevant authorities to operate at the Anambra airport such as Air Peace, Ibom Air, United Nigeria Airline and others are expected to start scheduling flights into and out of the airport immediately,” he said.

  Ifejiofor also said NCAA gave the approval after receiving security clearance from relevant security agencies for the opening and operation of the airport.

According to him, in the interim, Category B aircrafts are permitted to land and take off from the airport from sunrise to sunset. 

  It is expected that many tourists, including Anambra people living in the Diaspora and other Nigerians, will fly the route as they return for Christmas and New Year festivities.