The federal government has concluded plans to reopen the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport for international flight operations.

The Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika, disclosed this when he received a high-powered delegation from Kano, led by Governor Abdullahi Ganduje on Tuesday in Abuja.

Mr. Sirika further said all that was necessary for the resumption of international flight operations at the airport would be fast-tracked to ensure that its resumption was sooner than later.

According to him, the continued suspension of international flights to and from the airport denied the ministry and its agencies of revenue.

“The suspension did not economically make sense for the government to spend so much money as it has done in the airport and just decide to leave it inoperative with the attendant degeneration on infrastructure, redundancy amongst operational staff, revenue losses, hardship to travellers, amongst others.

“The decision to suspend international flights to and from the airport, like the ones in Enugu and Port Harcourt, were for health and security reasons,” he added.

Mr. Sirika, however, urged Kano residents to create activities that would make the airport more viable through increased passenger traffic.

Earlier, Mr. Ganduje said he was in the ministry to show appreciation to President Muhammadu Buhari to complete the international wing of the airport.

The governor added, “Kano state government has put in place all that was necessary to make the state healthy for flights, including mobilisation of the populace for the COVID-19 vaccinations.”

In a similar development, Mr. Ganduje also appealed to the Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Richard Adebayo, to rehabilitate the trade fair complex in Kano with necessary facilities.

The governor, who made the appeal when he visited the minister, commended him for visiting Kano recently to promote entrepreneurship.

“It is obvious Kano state is now the true economic centre of the northern region. Also, we want to thank President Muhammadu Buhari for the ongoing railway project in the region,” he said.