Dr. Ngozi Obichukwu, the Ebonyi State Commissioner for Aviation and Transport Technology, has announced that commercial flight operations at the Wilberforce Chuba Okadigbo International Airport in Onueke are set to begin in June 2025.
Gatekeepers News reports that this announcement comes in response to media reports suggesting that flooding in certain areas of the airport lounge was due to a lack of flight activities.
In his statement, Commissioner Obichukwu emphasized that the airport is already operational, with regular chartered flights taking place. He mentioned that two chartered flights, including one that has recently landed, will serve as evidence of the airport’s functional status.
“Thank God you have gone round and seen by yourself. I am happy that each time they said negative things about the state, the state has always stood upright and tall against whatever false allegations.
“Journalism or media information is not meant like this. When there’s criticism it should be a corrective criticism and not attacking negatively, as a reporter, you have seen that there’s nothing like flood here; everywhere is clean and you are seeing our flight is landing and by 5 o’clock today, we will be receiving another one.
“I pity those who have not been here or crossed the gate, but are speculating on this false criticism and the picture I saw on social media (Facebook) is not even gotten from here as it is not our own airport, but must say that it is not depicting well,” she stated.
She further noted that her ministry is complying with directives from the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, which has approved a one-month commercial flight operation window at the international airport.
“We are following the Nigeria Aviation Authority’s rules and regulations which for the past six to seven months now, we have been on a charter basis and gradually we want to enter the passenger lifting exercise which will last for one month from June, until they give us another authority to commence another type of operation.
“That’s how airport graduates, you do not just get up and start choice of operation immediately. Everything follows sequential orders according to FAAN and NCEE, however, the United Nigeria Airline is coming to lift passengers from Ebonyi to Lagos, Lagos to Ebonyi, Abuja to Ebonyi, and Ebonyi to Abuja and it will last for one month and very soon we will be posting how flight payment will be made,” Obichukwu clarified.
