Ebonyi Govt Confirms Airline Licence, Says Aircraft Ready for Operations
Ruth Ewa
Ebonyi State Government has confirmed that it has secured the required licence to operate its own airline, declaring that the state-owned aircraft is real and already on ground.
The Commissioner for Aviation and Transport Technology, Mrs. Ngozi Obichukwu, disclosed this on Monday while briefing journalists shortly after the departure of 90 Ebonyi State scholarship beneficiaries to Europe from the Chuba Okadigbo International Airport, Onueke.
Obichukwu said the airline initiative aligns with Governor Francis Ogbonna Nwifuru’s emphasis on human capital development, noting that investment in people remains central to the administration’s development agenda. She described the governor as compassionate and committed to repositioning the state through education and skills acquisition.
According to her, the exposure of Ebonyi youths to international training would accelerate the state’s transformation. “When these people go outside the country to improve themselves, Ebonyi will be better for it. The narrative of Ebonyi as a backward state is changing rapidly,” she said.
The commissioner also highlighted major upgrades at the airport, including the completion of the permanent control tower, replacing the mobile tower that had been in use for over five years. She said the newly completed nine-storey tower is equipped with an elevator to enhance operational efficiency and safety.
She further disclosed that the airport now has functional runway lighting, making night operations possible, and confirmed that the facility has been fully licensed for flight operations. “We now have a licence for all flight operations. Ebonyi Air is real and on ground,” Obichukwu stated.
Clarifying concerns over the aircraft’s location, she explained that the state does not yet have hangar facilities, noting that aircraft hangars are currently available mainly in Lagos and Abuja. She added that once all documentation processes are completed, the airline will commence full operations, including cargo, commercial, domestic and international flights.
