Nearly one year after commercial flights at the military airport in Makurdi, Benue State, were suspended, they are set to resume as relevant regulatory agencies have reached an agreement.
This was disclosed at the signing ceremony of the Joint Use Agreement held at the Benue Peoples House, Makurdi, with governor Samuel Ortom in attendance.
The agreement was among the Nigerian Air Force (NAF), Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA), and Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet).
Air Peace had started inaugural flight operations in December 2020 to Makurdi airport but was stopped after a few weeks.
In June, Ortom had said the suspension was because the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), the regulatory body, said some other regulations needed to be complied with.
Speaking at the event, Ortom said that the lack of flights denied the state of collaborations with top personalities and that many people who wanted to access the state could not due to the lack of commercial flights.
“Benue state had been for a long time deleted from Nigeria map because of no flight,” he said.
“The challenge had been air traffic. I believe that in a short while many things about Benue will now change and the economy of our people will grow.”
The governor also noted the immense support of the Nigerian Air Force to the state in areas of security, education, health, saying that the stoppage of commercial flight operations was due to lack of proper documentation.
NAF chief of training, air operation, James Gwani, who represented the chief of air staff, chief of training and operations headquarters at the event, said that the utilisation of NAF aerodrome for civil flight operations was a component of their corporate social responsibility and civil-military relationship and that the economic and social benefits would be massive.
“The use of NAF aerodrome in Makurdi for civil flights is for the benefits of Benue people. It’s our way of responding to corporate responsibility by ensuring civil flights using our facility,” he said.
“Shortly, we shall see the multiplier effect on the economy of the state. We shall work with FAAN to ensure smooth operations.”
FAAN’s company secretary and legal adviser, Clifford Omozeghian, who represented the MD/CEO, said FAAN management was passionate about fulfilling its role in the agreement, especially with the impending responsibility of operating the Makurdi airport.
“NAF signs a joint user agreement for both civil and
NAF operation. FAAN under the joint user agreement will be responsible for the operation of the Makurdi airport which will include commercial flights, agricultural, and VIP flights, Omozeghian added.
“We shall work to meet our responsibility in the joint agreement.”
Representative of Air Peace, Ayodeji Ayodele, said with the signing of the agreement will ensure that Air Peace was part of the December flight schedule inbound and outbound Makurdi.
Ahmed Abdu, director legal and secretary, NiMet and Aver Gbem, legal adviser NAMA, signed for their agencies, respectively.
