Asaba International Airport: Uduaghan’s gush of goodness Cynicism gave way to reality and doubting thomases were proved wrong barely after the first sod of the Asaba International Airport was turned in 2008. From the jungle where the foundation laying ceremony took place, the Asaba airport which critics also thought was another political deceit became a thing of joy, the pride of Delta State and a project that brought succor to the business community of that axis of the nation. The Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan administration, barely one year in office, seemed to have a vision about the airport taking into cognizance of the strategic location of Delta State capital close to the largest market in West Africa, Onitsha in Anambra. Despite all the words, critics never believed the airport would come to fruition rather that it was another pipe put in place to drain the resources of the state. Today, those who mounted a campaign of calumny against the airport and its architects are seen using the airport. Considered as the flagship of Uduaghan administration, the airport constructed by an indigenous company, Ulo Consultant Ltd, has opened the state to the outside world. The 3.4km runway is built for a typical Boeing 747 aircraft. Infact it can also take in three jumbo aircraft once. There are state-of-the-art facilities for safety and rescue operations including the cargo section of the airport in the making and hopefully to be completed early next year. Also International flights are expected at the airport early 2015 as operators said “everything is being put in place to ensure that flights from outside the country commence here”. So far three major airlines are regular at the airport connecting Lagos – Asaba, Abuja and vice versa. There are AERO, Arik and Overland. There is no Lull in business at the airport with passenger traffic on the increase. Aviation experts have rated the airport as one of the most modern. The former Minister of Aviation, Stella Oduah, during her visit to the airport could not hide her satisfaction with what she saw. She gave kudos to the state describing it as one of the best in the country. Suffice to say that between 2008 and now, many houses have sprung up around the airport. Warehouses are also being built in large numbers especially by businessmen from the east all in anticipation for the take off of the cargo section of the airport. According to Governor Uduaghan, “If we are truly preparing for an economy without oil then we must become relevant to the global economy. Our exports must diversify, and our industrial activity must serve international markets. Delta State must be universally accessible, and for this, we must have an international airport. For these reasons, we built one.” In view of his contribution to the development of the facility, Governor Uduaghan’s aide and Special Project Director in charge of the airport, Hon. Austin Ayemidejor told Nigerian Tribune that the airport is something everyone should be proud of. According to him, “The airport is something everyone has to appreciate and people are still saying that Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan has done something marvelous because nobody thought that a functional airport would have been in place by 2011 in Delta State. It is a beauty to behold and we should give glory to God.” Speaking further, he added that “All over the world, regulatory responsibilities are a continuous assignment on airports because you move from one stage to the other. It is to achieve a milestone and that is why we invite authorities from time to time for inspection so that they can move the success story to the next level. Airports are not motor parks. They are places where authorities have to ensure and comply with rules and safety standards.” He revealed that some airlines are already utilising the benefits of the airport. “The major airlines are Arik and Aero; these two airlines are operating virtually in all the cities in the country. But I can tell you this is one of the busiest and lucrative axes of operation for the airlines. “Also, traffic has been very encouraging. For example, I had cause to appeal to Arik to provide a space for a passenger and by 10am, the Boeing 737 was fully booked with a capacity of over 100 passengers. So it was difficult for them to grant that request. Most times, you have to book ahead and that is an indication to how busy the airport is. “The run way of the airport is critically and specifically built for that category of aircrafts, boeing 747. The next level we are now is to get international approval to get the license of operation because we can’t allow them to land without the approval. The approval we have is for 737. The application for the construction of the airport first of all is an international one. So the next stage we are moving is license for operation for international airlines that will bring in 777 and 747. “Before the end of this administration hopefully we are working assiduously to get to that stage of development. This project is a new development where for the first time, the state government has an airport. To create awareness, people have to understand that run way is not like any expressway for vehicles. “We had challenges of neighborhood, people crossing the runway then. So we started demolishing structures as ministry of lands had already carried out assessment. We made them to understand that the runway is a no go area. However, there is a perimeter wall fence round the airport. “Nigerians and foreigners are already making use of the airport. It is a natural thing. A lot of patronage comes from people, traders across the River Niger. There is so much value in terms of hospitality; investors are coming in and new commercial centers are emerging.”
Posted on: Wed, 10 Dec 2014 12:58:53 +0000
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