Anambra’s Chinua Achebe airport lifts 400,000 passengers, 7,000 flights in 3 years

The Chinua Achebe International Airport, Umueri in Anambra, says it has transported no fewer than 400,000 passengers in 7,000 flights since it began commercial flight operations in December 2021.

Mr Martins Nwafor, Managing Director of the airport, said this on Tuesday while playing host to Dr Law Mefor, Commissioner for Information in Anambra.

Supreme News reports that Nwafor, while taking the Commissioner and his team on a tour of the facility, said only two commercial airlines were using the airport at present, but that talks were on to bring more airlines on board.

According to him, operations are largely during the daytime, but airfield lighting systems are being installed to make it possible for night flight operations at the airport.

He said the airport had the best runway in Nigeria with a total distance of 3.7 kilometres, second longest in Nigeria with 45 meters of width, which is the capacity for Boeing 748-800 series aircraft.

“We have a well-calibrated instrument landing system, including a localiser and glide slope, and a very high-frequency omnidirectional radio range; these give the direction and bearing to flights.”.

He said, "When the lighting systems are completed and approved, the volume of traffic will witness a significant increase as aeroplanes will be able to land and takeoff after sunset.

“We have been able to move about 400,000 passengers in 7,000 flights, and we hope that we will do better when the lights come up because there are some people who would like to fly late in the evening.

“Our departure hall can take about 400 passengers. Our Arrival Hall can take about 600 passengers at a time, with ICAO facilitation standard, while our car park can take about 750 cars even though we don’t see the cars,” he said.

Nwafor said the Chinua Achebe Airport was planning an airport trade fair that would start on Dec. 1 and end on Dec. 7, which would be the third anniversary of commercial operations at the airport.

He said the fair would be an opportunity for flight operators, passengers, and the general public to showcase their products and interact for economic and social benefits.

He said the anniversary would mark the unveiling of the airport name, which came into existence on Oct. 1, 2023, and also the erection of a statue of Chinua Achebe, the world-renowned literary icon.

In his response, Mefor said the airport was a priority project to Gov. Chukwuma Soludo as it was pivotal to his agenda of industrialisation and tourism development of the state.

He said Soludo had given approval for the construction of a VIP lounge within the airport and that he had already awarded a contract for an airport lighting system.

He said the Anambra mixed-use industrial city was all about economic and industrial unravelling of the state, and the airport was crucial to the actualisation of the objectives of government.

“The Prof. Chukwuma Soludo administration recognises that the airport is an enabler to economic transformation, and that is why he is giving Chinua Achebe Airport this level of attention.

“Between now and next year, so much will happen in this airport.

“We need to understand and key into the vision of Soludo. Anambra is rising; a new Anambra is emerging under this exceptional and transformational leadership that is focused on the future,” he said.