Delta to realise Asaba Airport with 2019 budget

DELTA STATE, THE PRIME promoter of Asaba Airport, which had cost N27.5 billion but is yet to be fully completed, has said it plans to finally realise the project with next year’s state budget of N367.09 billion.

Governor Ifeanyi Okowa while presenting the state’s 2019 budget last week, announced that the airport, which is already receiving flights, would be completed and concessioned, an effort aimed at turning the airport into a commercial and travel hub that would boost the economy, thereby create more jobs for people to be employed.

Recently, the nation’s leading airline, Air Peace began daily scheduled flights in and out of the Asaba Airport, thereby keeping it busy after many months of idleness.

Governor Okowa presented the 2019 budget of N367,09 billion to the state House of Assembly on Wednesday October 17; adding that his administration has spent additional money to ensure the rehabilitation and upgrade of the airport to an international gateway.

He stated that following the successful completion of the runway rehabilitation work, the airport has been approved and upgraded to a Category 6 Airport by the Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), to receive and dispatch large aircraft.

The governor said the management of Air Peace airline has indicated interest to make the airport its operational hub, where it could quickly build its maintenance hangers.

On the concessioning of the airport, Okowa said, “So far, we have received strong interests from both local and international investors in the concession exercise. We expect the airport to be fully concessioned in 2019,” adding that a request for proposal was published earlier in the month.