FAAN had on August 24,2019 shut down flight operations at the Akanu Ibiam International Airport after prominent Igbo sons and Daughters lamented the deplorable state of the airport,describing it as a death trap.
President Muhammadu Buhari subsequently approved N10bn special fund for the reconstruction /rehabilitation work at the airport after the South-East Governors and AIgbo leaders led a delegation to the Presidency.
During the official reopening on Sunday,The President who was represented by the Minister of Aviation,Senator Hadi Sirika,said that the completion of work at the runway and the reopening of flights operation was a promise kept.
The President said the airport was so important to the aviation industry as well as to the people of the South-East because of its revenue base.
Sirika said that by approving the sum of N10bn for the rehabilitation of the airport,Buhari had shown how dedicated he was towards the infrastructural development of the South-East and the country at large.
"With the airport reopening today,it is now open to local flights and on 5th September,international flights will resume as soon as we begin to allow them into the country," the minister said.
The minister commended the South-east governors for their support in ensuring that the repair works were carried out as quickly as possible and Thanked the governor of Enugu State,ifeanyi Ugwuanyi,especially for removing the obstacles that would have hindered the progress of the project.
Meanwhile,Air Peace on Sunday became the first commercial airline to land at the Akanu Ibiam International Airport,Enugu,after the completion of rehabilitation works at the airport runway.
Onboard the flight which landed at exactly 1:30pm were ministers of Labour and Employment,Chris Ngige,Science and Technology,Ogbonnaya Onu,Foreign affairs,Geoffrey Onyeama and the Minister of state for Education,Emeka NZwajiuba.
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