Oyebanji thrilled by flight operation approval for Ekiti airport

Ekiti State Governor, Mr. Biodun Oyebanji is excited by the approval of the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority for Ekiti Agro-Allied International Cargo Airport, Ado Ekiti, to begin non-scheduled flight operations effective from December 15, 2024.

Reacting to the approval, the Ekiti State number one citizen described it as “a welcome development and a justification for the state’s investment in the airport project designed to boost Ekiti State’s socioeconomic development by making the state more readily accessible.”

This was contained in a statement in Ado Ekiti on Thursday by the Special Adviser, Media to the governor, Yinka Oyebode, who stated that the NCAA gave the approval in a letter dated December 11, 2024, addressed to Governor Oyebanji.

Oyebode stated, “The government of Ekiti State welcomes NCAA’s approval for the non-scheduled flight operation, which allows private jets and other chartered flights to land and take off from the airport between 6 am and 6 pm (or sunrise to sunset), preparatory to the final approval for commercial flight operations.”.

The NCAA Acting Director General, Civil Aviation, Capt. Chris Najomo, stated in the latter that ‘the approval of the non-scheduled operations under Visual Flight Rules at the airport is for a period of six months—December 15, 2024, to June 15, 2025.’

He said that the letter was in response to the state government’s application for a flight operational permit for the airport.

Oyebode stated that, “according to the NCAA, the approval for a six-month non-schedule operation at the airport is to enable the NCAA to validate the implementation of the pending findings and to allow the Ekiti State Government time to rectify a few outstanding corrective action items indicated in the agency’s last inspection report.”.

He stated that as part of compliance steps towards the commencement of the non-scheduled flight operations at the airport, operations are to be in agreement with relevant agencies for the provision of essential services, including air traffic services, aerodrome rescue and fire fighting services, aviation security, and meteorological services.

Recall that the state government had earlier signed memorandum of understanding and service-level agreements with the federal aviation agencies.

Most new airports are usually given non-scheduled flight approval to allow them to clear audit gaps in their compliance before final approval for a flight operational permit.

Oyebanji had earlier in the year assured stakeholders that the Ekiti airport would become operational before the end of the year.