By Chinedu Eze

There are indications that the Akanu Ibiam Airport in Enugu may be closed for international operations, as the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has said the airport’s designation as international airport was not gazetted and therefore there was no white paper to give it legal teeth to that effect.

A dependable source told THISDAY that the designation of Ethiopian Airlines to operate from the airport was done by Presidential fiat so it was a temporary situation that could only subsist at the whims of the regulatory body and at the behest of the President that gave the order.

The NCAA source said only four airports in the country were gazetted and these include Port Harcourt, Abuja, Lagos and Kano airports, adding that tourists who always wanted to land directly from overseas destinations to the Margaret Ekpo International Airport, Calabar were always denied the chance because the airport was not gazetted as international airport.

However, the Special Adviser (Media) to the Minister of Aviation, Joe Obi, told THISDAY that saying that the Enugu airport has not been gazetted as international airport is “very, very improbable.”

“It does not sound plausible because the Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu is an international airport by all definition and once any airline or charter operator has the required clearance he can fly into the airport,” he said.

THISDAY learnt that last week a chartered flight from Accra, Ghana wanted to airlift investors from the Ghanaian capital directly to Enugu for business meeting and from Enugu to Malabo, Equatorial Guinea, but NCAA refused to process the document for the flight’s clearance; rather, the Air Transport Regulation (ATR) of NCAA directed the pilot of the aircraft to fly first to Abuja before taking off to Enugu and from Enugu it flew back to Abuja and henceforth to Malabo, a tortuous journey and waste of fuel.

When contacted the General Manager, Public Affairs of NCAA, Fan Ndubuoke, was ambivalent, unable to authenticate or deny the position of the official from ATR, but said the person or organisation that wanted to process the flight from Ghana might not be the right organisation to do that.

He warned that charter operators and others should be wary about the companies they contact to process flights for them.

Also the General Manager, Corporate Communication, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Yakubu Dati, said he would investigate the matter, and noted that not only that Ethiopian Airlines is operating from the airport but other airlines have indicated interest to also operate from Enugu.

SOURCE: http://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&frm=1&source=newssearch&cd=1&cad=rja&ved=0CC0QqQIoADAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thisdaylive.com%2Farticles%2Fncaa-may-close-enugu-airport%2F159425%2F&ei=kJY7UsuoCevJ0AX70IHwCA&usg=AFQjCNFa-2Fhn-EZV3CthAunEd8wY_Jcvg

They are joking. I am happy other airlines are expressing interest to operate from enugu.

Beer parlour news from Aproko Journalist.

Obviously, clueless retardeed made a political move instead of follow stated laws of the land, the need to please cater a segment of the population for cheap political reasons trumped common sense and rule of law.

Why expect more from a dullard..?

Which one be legal teeth again??

mekaboy: They are joking. I am happy other airlines are expressing interest to operate from enugu.

I sincerely hope they are ooo because it wont be funny

The NCAA director is begging for a sack, cause we will use the utmost of our political weight to sag him down and out.

Make dem please no close am o!

Lins01: Beer parlour news from Aproko Journalist.

THISDAY now beer palour media. Hmmm.

This is highly highly improbable,so why lose sleep over this matter?

sumbody shud tell me dt dey ar nt serious

According to this article,Ethopian Airline is flying international via PRESIDENTIAL FIAT but this same article from thisday confirms that the approval for international flights has been GAZZETTED...

awodman:
Under Jonathan, the Airport was finally gazetted as an
international airport. The gazette was important to lay to
rest the initial fears caused by Omotoba’s statement. Just
last May, Mr. President commissioned the remodeled
Enugu Airport and laid the foundation for a new
international terminal.

www.thisdaylive.com/articles/as-akanu-ibiam-airport-enugu-welcomes-international-flights/156006/

Ihe aa unu. N' ako wu bullshit

So this airport does'nt have credential to operate as an international airport? So if an accident happened and passangers died, that would have been on a presidential fiat. Making a political statement with people's lives.

There are indications that the Akanu Ibiam
Airport in Enugu may be closed for
international operations, as the Nigeria
Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has said
the airport’s designation as international
airport was not gazetted and therefore
there was no white paper to give it legal
teeth to that effect.

Me think, this is no president's fault, I'd rather blame the aviation minister for negligence...

However, it will be bad if that airport is closed down...
Reasons been that;

1. People from the east who fly into the country will still be faced with the task of travelling home by the road from Abuja, Lagos etc on a long journey if the port is closed down.

2. It will be a step backward for Nigeria.

3. It will be waste of resources.

4. People will be thrown back into the labour market.

5. Business people who depend on the airport activities to carry out their businesses will go back to square 1.

Some many childish posts/comments above.

But I thought the Airport is already functioning as an International one. Everything has to be politicized in Nigeria innit? *Sighs*

In other news.. The airport would be closed and relocated to Ebonyi State.

Akuko Mike.

agbameta: Obviously, clueless retardeed made a political move instead of follow stated laws of the land, the need to please cater a segment of the population for cheap political reasons trumped common sense and rule of law.

Why expect more from a dullard..?

why do u talk about ur president with such hatred?
If he is a dullard then even in his foolishness,he has managed to gain the trust of the masses to become the president of ur country,something no one with a strand of ur DNA have never and might never achieve.
He is trying to please a set of the population huh?did u see the location of the other international airports?how many major tribes do we have in the country?why should one have two and one have none?you scream rule of law cos ur arse-leaking tribe was favoured in the military regime.the injustice done to my people-The Igbos,weill never let peace reign in our enemy's camp.100% IGBO

agbameta: Obviously, clueless retardeed made a political move instead of follow stated laws of the land, the need to please cater a segment of the population for cheap political reasons trumped common sense and rule of law.

Why expect more from a dullard..?

You don't just say things simply cos you heard others saying.

Perhaps you should re-read again before you spew trash.
Obviously you are so narrow minded to comprehend this news.

Some people are jealous that airlines are rushing to operate in an airport made international less than a month ago.

Impossicant!

For how long will the President deceive Igbo people?

i never see jealous oh!! Cant believe this! Even FG dey jealous Nawa oh!!
Js cuz alot of passengers are rushing there. Abokis una go see!!

For some reason I find the expression "legal teeth" quite funny.