The Chinua Achebe International Airport, Umueri in Anambra, says it has recorded 400,000 passengers in 7,000 flights since it began commercial flight operations in December 2021.

Martins Nwafor, the airport managing director, said this on Tuesday while playing host to information commissioner Law Mefor.

Mr Nwafor, while taking the commissioner and his team on a tour of the facility, said only two commercial airlines were using the airport at present, but talks were ongoing to bring more airlines on board.

According to him, operations are largely during the daytime, but airfield lighting systems are being installed to make night flight operations at the airport possible.

He said the airport had the best runway in Nigeria with a total distance of 3.7km, the second longest in Nigeria with 45 metres width, which is the capacity for Boeing 748-800 series airbus.

Mr Nwafor said the Chinua Achebe Airport was planning an Airport Trade Fair, which would start on December 1 and end on December 7, the third anniversary of commercial operations at the airport.

He said the fair would be an opportunity for flight operators, passengers and the general public to showcase their products and interact for economic and social benefits.

He said the anniversary would mark the unveiling of the airport name which came into existence on October 1, 2023, and the erection of a statue of Chinua Achebe, the world-renowned literary icon.

In his response, Mefor said the airport was a priority project to Governor Charles Soludo as it was pivotal to his agenda of industrialisation and tourism development of Anambra.

He said Mr Soludo had approved the construction of a VIP Lounge within the airport and that  he had already awarded the contract for the airfield lighting system.

He said the Anambra Mixed Use industrial City was all about the economic and industrial unraveling of the state and the airport was crucial to the actualisation of government objectives.

(NAN)