Ibadan Airport Back to Life as Makinde Fulfils Promise
The Samuel Ladoke Akintola Airport in Ibadan has been cleared to commence flight operations.
In a statement released by the Oyo State Commissioner for Information, Prince Dotun Oyelade, upgrade on local flights was completed before October by the Seyi Makinde administration, but the Governor insisted on the formal issuance of the procedural Notice To All Air Missions (NOTAM) by the Aviation Authority before the Airport could be officially re-opened for flight operations.
Oyelade said that the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), having satisfied itself that all professional requirements have been met by the state government, issued a NOTAM certificate for full operations.
The Commissioner quoted the Chairman of the SLA Airport Upgrade Committee, Hon. Bimbo Adekanmbi, as saying, “Gov. Makinde insisted on due diligence and that he will not officially authorise the usage of the airport until the NOTAM certificate has been issued.”
The Information Commissioner said that since September this year, when President Tinubu’s plane landed at the airport, the facility has accommodated over 50 flights to date.
According to him, the state government increased the runway apron from 5,400 to 15,000 square metres as part of the upgrade.
It also provided a firefighting ambulance, and four new buses, apart from a regime of other structures, including the refurbishment of the passenger halls.
Prince Oyelade said that apart from the convenience of catching flights directly from Ibadan instead of enduring the rigours of going to Lagos, the other takeaway of the re-opening is that direct international flights, including Hajj operations, should begin as soon as the green light is received from the regulatory body and the international terminal is completed.
Meanwhile, commercial flights will commence in earnest any moment from now.