The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo (SAN), has declared the Ekiti State Agro-Allied International Cargo Airport ready for full commercial operations.
Keyamo made the announcement on Tuesday, during an inspection of the airport’s facilities, accompanied by Ekiti State Governor Biodun Oyebanji and other top government officials. The Minister affirmed that the airport is 99.5% complete and equipped for safe commercial operations.
“As I mentioned yesterday, Ekiti Agro Allied International Cargo Airport is 99.5 percent ready for full commercial operations. I am sure you have seen that we have gone around, the basic requirements for the takeoff of an airport are here, you have the fire station, the tower, navigational equipment already installed, all security equipment in place, the runway we have here is of international standard.
“You can also see how big the apron is, it can park many 737s with narrow bodies. A lot of narrow bodies can come here and anchor. So, as it is today, Ekiti is ready for the world.” Keyamo stated.
The Minister praised the efforts of Governor Oyebanji, acknowledging his dedication to completing the project. “A fact that the Governor has put a lot of passion and resources since he came to office is a testament to his desire for this project. What is left is to ignite all regulatory agencies in aviation to give all the necessary approvals,” he added.
“I landed here to show the world that it’s now safe for landing, which is why Aviation 001 had to land here, it’s a testament that I have confidence in the facilities here for public use. The commercial airline will start coming in anytime from now,” he went on to say.
Keyamo also emphasised the airport’s dual-purpose functionality, catering to agro-allied products and commercial passengers, while expressing confidence in the safety and readiness of the facilities.
Governor Oyebanji expressed gratitude to Minister Keyamo, Aare Afe Babalola, and President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for their unwavering support in completing the airport. He also recognised the vision of former Governor Kayode Fayemi, under whose administration the project began, crediting the airport as one of the gains of continuity in governance.
The Governor highlighted the airport’s readiness for non-scheduled flights and reassured residents that commercial operations would soon commence.
“Now that the Honourable Minister has landed here, it is a stamp of authority that the airport is ready for non-scheduled flight. So, anybody that has a chattered flight can fly into this place without any fear, and very soon commercial flight operations would commence. It is a dual-purpose airport, it’s going to serve agro-allied products as well as commercial passengers,” Oyebanji affirmed.
Residents of the area gathered at the airport to welcome the Minister and Governor, celebrating with songs and dances. The Minister departed the airport shortly after the inspection aboard the same aircraft that brought him in.
The Ekiti State Agro-Allied International Cargo Airport is expected to play a transformative role in boosting the state’s economy, particularly in agribusiness, tourism, and commerce.