LAGOS FEBRUARY 25TH (URHOBOTODAY)-Flight operations will resume at the Osubi Airstrip, located near Warri, in Okpe council area of Delta state in the next two weeks, Governor Ifeanyi Okowa has assured.
The Delta state governor revealed this during the signing ceremony of a 30-year concession agreement for the Asaba International Airport with First Investment Development Company (FIDC)-MENZIES Aviation (MA) Consortium at the Government House, Asaba, Tuesday.
According to Dr. Okowa, with his intervention in the closure, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has committed to ensuring that commercial flight operations kick off at the airport.
He stated that with the reopening of the airport for business, the hardship its closure forced on the people and businesses will end.
It will be noted that the Osubi Airstrip had been shut to commercial flight operations for close to a year now.
“In concluding this address, I am happy to announce that based on my personal intervention on the Osubi Airport closure, the Federal Airports Authority has made a commitment to resume operations at the airport within two weeks.
“I am relieved that the hardship which the closure had inflicted on our people and businesses is about to end. We will work closely with FAAN to ensure that the target date is met. In fact, I am pleased that the authority’s General Manager, Operations, Mrs Olajumoke Oni, is here with us.
“The State Government is supporting the resumption process with some logistics, particularly in the area of COVID-19 protocols, even though the airport is not our property.
“Furthermore, we have had fruitful discussions with the management of United Nigeria Airways to commence full operation on that route immediately it is reopened and they have assured us of their readiness to do so. It is my earnest hope and expectation that other airlines will follow suit,” Gov Okowa enthused.