Abia State airport runway at advanced stage as Enugu to launch direct China cargo flights — Keyamo

Governor Alex Chioma Otti and Festus Keyamo, the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, have disclosed that the construction of the runway at the Abia State International Airport, Umuahia, is now at an advanced stage.

This disclosure was made during the official unveiling ceremony of two newly acquired Boeing 737-800 Next Generation (NG) aircraft by United Nigeria Airlines on Thursday.

The new airplanes were named in honor of the Obi of Onitsha, Nnaemeka Achebe, and the late globally renowned author, Chinua Achebe.

Speaking at the event, Governor Otti expressed his long-term vision to see United Nigeria Airlines establish its primary operational hub at the upcoming Abia airport, echoing a strategic blueprint outlined by the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo.

Delivering his address at the ceremony, Festus Keyamo revealed the behind-the-scenes policy shifts that transformed a basic federal airstrip project into a full-scale international airport development for Abia State.

“The first thing we did when we came to power was that I went to Mr. President and said, “Abia does not have an airstrip or airport in the whole of the South.’ He was surprised, and we ensured it was captured as one of our first critical projects in the 2024 budget,” Keyamo stated.

The minister, however, credited Governor Otti’s aggressive counter-funding strategy for scaling up the scope of the project.

“Credit to Dr. Alex Otti—he did not stop at that. When we scheduled an airstrip, he went straight to Mr. President behind me and said, ‘Sir, bring the money budgeted for the airstrip, I have counterpart funding. I will now make it a full international airport.’

“He is bringing his own state’s resources to the table. In fact, let me confess today: Abia State has injected its counterpart funding far ahead of the Federal Government’s allocation. Our money is coming, but work has advanced rapidly under his guidance.”

Keyamo confirmed that the ministry’s long-term plan is to actively guide United Nigeria Airlines to position its main hub within Abia State upon completion to link the commercial clusters of Aba and Umuahia directly to global trade routes.

Shifting focus to regional logistics, the minister announced a structural management overhaul at the Akanu Ibiam International Airport in Enugu, stating that the facility has moved under a state-guided, privately run operational framework.

“One of our prides in the South is the Enugu International Airport. The Enugu governor approached Mr. President, noting that the airport was not maximizing its economic potential under standard bureaucratic structures, and requested to bring in private investors to run it. Mr. President gave the green light,” Keyamo explained. “As I speak with you, Enugu is now fully privately owned and run under the direction of the state government, with the clear objective of turning it into a dedicated cargo hub for the entire Southeast.”

To operationalize this new status, Keyamo revealed that high-level bilateral trade negotiations are underway to secure direct logistics lanes between China and the Southeast by the end of the year.

“Just two days ago, the Enugu governor and I were actively negotiating the first direct cargo flight from Guangzhou, China, straight into Enugu. We are targeting December for the maiden flight. This will allow our Southeast merchants and traders in China to consolidate their goods into unified cargo accounts twice a week, flying straight into Enugu for seamless delivery to hubs like Onitsha and Aba.”

“All governments in the world are divesting from national airlines. It is not possible to run a national carrier under a bureaucratic setup without it collapsing into a bottomless pit,” Keyamo, added.

The minister stated that the federal government’s five-point agenda is strictly centered on the aggressive empowerment of local flag carriers, dropping any policies that undermine domestic airline growth. Consequently, Keyamo announced that the ministry has approved a suite of major international routes for United Nigeria Airlines.

“We are giving United Nigeria Airlines fruitful reciprocal routes, including New York, Canada, and Dubai. We are only looking for the equipment to run these routes right now,” Keyamo said, highlighting that domestic operators must capture a larger share of Nigeria’s 16 million annual passengers, of which 90 percent to 95 percent are currently airlifted by foreign carriers.

Keyamo credited the fiscal prudence of industry trailblazers like Air Peace CEO Allen Onyema for restoring banking sector confidence in local aviation, noting that institutions like Fidelity Bank, Zenith Bank, and the Bank of Industry (BOI) are now actively competing to finance fleet acquisitions.

To institutionalize this support, the minister announced that President Bola Tinubu has approved the creation of a state-backed entity to resolve long-standing aircraft leasing barriers for local operators.

“I went to Mr. President to advocate for local operators who face strict international leasing hurdles. He has formally approved the establishment of the Nigerian Aircraft Leasing Company,” Keyamo concluded. “This company will exist solely to bring in aircraft under a solid government guarantee through private dry-lease agreements, which will then be sub-leased directly to our domestic airlines. We are already in the process of taking this.”