Ekiti state Governor, Mr Biodun Oyebanji, has restated the commitment of the state government to ensuring that operations of the Ekiti Agro-Allied International Cargo Airport meet international standards in terms of facilities, safety and management in order to make it attractive for local and international air travels.
This, he said, informed the decision of the state government to engage the services of a renowned Airport Facility Manager for the management and operation of the new airport ahead of the commencement of scheduled commercial flight operations.
Governor Oyebanji disclosed this in his office while receiving top officials of the Airport facility Management company, AAC Management Limited led by the Managing Director, Christophe Penninck, in his office in Ado-Ekiti on Tuesday.
He said his administration had deliberately taken aviation as a major catalyst for growth and development in the bid to actualize the shared prosperity agenda of his government.
The Governor said his administration is of the opinion that aviation would make a significance impact on the economy of Ekiti State, Southwest region and Nigeria at large, adding that the State has done well to attract one of the very best hands in Nigeria to manage facilities at the airport and bring it to international standard.
The Governor commended the Managing Director of the facility management company on the guidance he had provided the state, which according to him, had assisted the state achieve certification with ease.
Government, he said, was not unmindful of the teething challenges in the smooth operation of the airport. He however, assured that such challenges were being handled, including getting the BEDC to place the airport on the national grid as well as partnering with a private institution to link the airport with its Independent Power Plant (IPP).
Speaking further, Governor Oyebanji said he is excited to have the airport as a hub for Hajj and Christian pilgrimage operations, said the state was making concerted efforts to ensure the Instrument Landing System (ILS) is installed at the airport before the end of the year for effective night operations.
On the airport road, Governor Oyebanji disclosed that the Federal Government had already awarded the road and that the contractor will soon commence work. He also disclosed that the ring road linking the airport road would be completed by June this year.
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“For us as a government, we are desirous of doing well, we are desirous of attracting investors and tourists to the state. So, creating access through transportation is key. The conception of the airport during the last administration was a deliberate action aimed at making it a game changer to reposition transportation system in the state.
“We believe that access to Ekiti state is key to our shared prosperity agenda, we don’t want an airport in name but one that meets all conditionality for 24 hours access and that is why whatever its going to cost us, we are going to put an ILS in place because for the airport to be competitive, we must put in that place standard facilities that every airline will want to land there.
“We will build the traffic, we’ve done our own traffic studies, as at today we have close to seven higher institutions in the state. We can also have passengers from parts of Kwara, Kogi, Osun and Ondo states. We are deliberate about our action and we know that very soon the airport will fulfill its potentials”, He said.
Christophe Penninck, the Managing Director of the Management outfit, in his remarks, assured that the airport had the potential for rapid growth as the state was aggressively attracting investors and industrialists into the state who will invariably need the services of the airport.
Penninck who disclosed that the airport was already generating revenue for the state, stressed the need to motivate interested airlines to the airport, adding that he is desirous of ensuring that the airport makes profit for the state as well as develop ability to run itself.