Plans by the Delta State Government to concession the Asaba International Airport hub for air transportation have reached advanced stages of completion.
In a chat with the Special Project Director,( SPD) of the airport, Mr Austine Ayemidejor, said that the processes of concessioning the air facility to investors had gone far.
Ayemidejor expressed optimism that once the concession was concluded, the concessionaire would take advantage of the strategic location of the airport and it to International levels for more patronage and profit, adding” the committee headed by Secretary to the State Government ( SSG) is working assiduously to ensure that the concession process is quickly consummated so that we can hand over to the concessionaire and so, we expect it to be completed very soon”
While urging that successful concession of the airport, which will, in turn, boost its International status, Ayemidejor said that concession will create more opportunities for direct and auxiliary businesses in the area, pointing out that the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority ( NCAA), maintained a cordial relationship with the airport, adding that the state government intended to further upgrade the airport to category eight and nine
With the resumption of post-COVID-19 flights, Ayemidejor said that travellers will have more options as two additional airliners, Ibom Air and United will join Arik Air, Air Peace, Azman and Aero contractors at the airport, adding” today, we have the licence to operate the class of 737 which is category six. When we upgraded to the next category, which is eight or nine, then automatically we have become an international airport because we have paid for the designation already, and what we initially paid for, was an airport in domestic nature, but today, we have a standard national airport in Asaba”
Disclosing that there has been series of upgrade at the airport, Ayemidejor said that” we have what it takes to run an international airport, and we have the basic requirements for the fire department: we have all requirements for aviation security: we have the necessary equipment for navigational aids: and recently, we just commissioned the instrument landing system ( ILS) that will aid the landing of aircraft with minimum visibility and what we are waiting for is the calibration of the installed ILS, and once that is done, we know that that part of the navigational aid had been completed”
Ayemidejor expressed the hope that Asaba Airport would be first among equals, adding” from time to time, it’s expected that the state government must push to ensure that workers at the Airport comply with all the standard for it to continue to maintain a particular status that has been given, and when Governor Ifeanyi Okowa came on board, the first assignment was to award the contract for the rehabilitation of the runway, thereafter, he also intensified action on the evacuation of the hill. Simultaneously, he also awarded the contract for the perimeter fence and once those three items were completed, the state of the airport, their report was in the line that the initial items that were downgrading the status of the airport had been taken care of by the state government”
