The federal government has handed over the Akanu Ibiam International Airport (AIIA) in Enugu to a concessionaire, Aero Alliance Limited, under a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) arrangement.

Aero Alliance Limited will now undertake the financing, rehabilitation, expansion, operation, and management of the airport.

It will also ensure that it meets and sustains internationally recognised standards of safety, efficiency, and passenger experience.

Speaking during the handover ceremony at the international terminal of the AIIA in Enugu on Thursday, Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, SAN, extolled the roles of President Bola Tinubu and Governor Peter Mbah in realising the long-stalled concession plan.

“For 20 years, various governments have tried to concession some of our airports because of the belief that the private sector would run them more professionally and in a more commercially driven way.

“During the time of the previous administration, when almost all the airports were advertised for concession, all the bidders avoided Enugu and Port Harcourt airports.

“There was not one bidder for Enugu and Port Harcourt. Everybody was rushing for Lagos, Kano, and Abuja because many people want food that is ready,” Mr Keyamo said.

The minister noted that, under the leadership of Messrs Tinubu and Mbah, the reverse was the case.

“We have no bidder presently for Lagos, Abuja, and Kano. But Enugu and Port Harcourt are gone.

“Mbah went straight to Mr President a few weeks after his inauguration and said, ‘This is my plan for the airport.”

“The President minuted and said that we should give him all the assistance he needs to turn Enugu into an aviation and investment hub.

“Mbah started with Enugu Air, and now he has brought in capital and investors for the airport,” the minister added.

Mr Keyamo urged Aero Alliance Limited to discharge its responsibilities with the highest standards of professionalism, transparency, operational excellence, and commitment to safety.

He also allayed fears of job losses, noting that the terms of the agreement reached by Aero Alliance would create new jobs rather than trigger job losses.

In his remarks, the Director-General of the Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission (ICRC), Dr Jobson Ewalefor, thanked President Tinubu for making the concession happen, describing it as “historic and special” for Nigeria.

The director-general commended Mr Mbah’s commitment to building infrastructure, extolling his international credibility and tenacity.

“That we are here today is because of the reputation of the governor. His reputation attracted the capital.

“The Enugu Air and an agreement being signed from Guangzhou to Enugu are enough traffic to create viability,” Mr Ewelefoh noted.

In his remarks, Mr Mbah lauded the Tinubu administration for the successful concession, saying that it marked the beginning of a new chapter in the journey to unlock the immense economic potential of the South East region.

“It opens a new chapter of economic possibilities because businesses across our region have long grappled with logistics constraints that increased costs, lengthened delivery timelines, and limited competitiveness.

“We hope that future generations will look back to this day as the moment when Akanu Ibiam International Airport began its transformation into a truly world-class gateway serving the South East.

“Also connecting Nigeria to the world and opening new pathways to prosperity for millions of our people,” he said.

Appreciating the Aero Alliance consortium for believing in the promise and potential of the Enugu airport, the governor urged undecided investors to come and invest in Enugu State.

Responding, the Managing Director of Aero Alliance, Saleem Hussain, promised that the consortium would put its over three decades of experience in the aviation sector to work, focusing on connectivity.

He said that the organisation would also focus on cargo and logistics, passenger experience, commercial development, and technology and operational excellence to transform AIIA into one of Africa’s leading aviation hubs.

The Managing Director of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Olubunmi Kuku, represented by the Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, Henry Agbebire, expressed the commitment to making the concession work for the socioeconomic benefits of the region and the nation as a whole.

(NAN)