The Ekiti Agro-Allied International Cargo Airport, Ado Ekiti, on Friday, welcomed a Beechcraft 350i as part of activities for the commencement of full operations.
This is coming barely a month after the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority granted approval for non-scheduled flight operations at the airport for a period of six months.
The Technical Adviser to Ekiti State Governor on Airport Project, AVM Sunday Makinde (retd.), said that the flight, which was conveyed by Nigerian Airspace Management Agency officials, was a working flight operation.
He said, “This is a special plane, a calibration plane from the NAMA.
“Basically, what they came here for is just to check our systems, especially our navigational aids, to ensure that any aircraft that is coming to Ekiti is able to pick the frequencies that we have allocated, and also they will check our communications systems with the control tower. They are all parameters that are very important in flying.
“The Ekiti Agro-Allied International Airport is ready fully. As you are aware, since December 15, we were cleared for non-scheduled flights, basically, I can tell you that we are ready. Just a few crossing of the t’s and dotting of the i’s before we get commercial aviation and shortly we will be able to do that.”
The state Commissioner for Information, Taiwo Olatunbosun, added that the flight was “to check out the regulatory and digital equipment that is attached to our operation of the airport.
“They are here to do the actual test run of the equipment here ahead of the visit of the Minister of Aviation, and you are equally aware that we have taken necessary steps in obtaining the consent of all the regulatory authorities at the federal level NAMA, NCAA and Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria.
“Very soon, you will be seeing traffic of airlines plying this place. From what we have seen here, you can see the quality, the standard, and even the runway is one of the longest and best you can see in the country. This tells you that Ekiti is known for quality, excellence and for doing things right.
“Commencement of operations at the airport is going to transform the economic space of Ekiti. We are going to ensure that Ekiti becomes a destination of industrialisation and every good thing you can think of,” Olatunbosun said.
