Two months after the federal government approved the resumption of international flights to the Port Harcourt International Airport, Omagwa, flights were yet to resume because of curfew introduced by the state government to check insecurity.
This was disclosed by Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria (FAAN)’s Regional General Manager for the South South and South-east in charge of the airport, Mr. Felix Akinbinu.
He said that the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) had given approval for international flights to resume, following the lifting of Covid-19 restrictions, adding that the curfew was preventing international airlines from operating at the airport.
The Rivers State Government had in April imposed state-wide night curfew in all the 23 local government councils of the state to check the attacks on security agencies in the state.
The statement had stated then that human and vehicular movements were prohibited in the state from 10:00 pm to 6:00 am from April 29 till further notice.
FAAN explained that most international fights took off in the night from various destinations and arrive at the airline’s hub in the morning where the passengers connecting flights to other destinations could do so.
Akinbinu said there has been some growth in passenger traffic since domestic flights resumed but noted that the airport would generate more revenue if international flights had resumed.
“There has been some growth in passenger traffic since the Covid-19 restrictions on domestic operations were lifted and we expect more. I can’t give the exact figures of passenger traffic but I can say for a fact that there has been an increase especially as more airlines are coming in.
“We have about seven airlines operating in Port Harcourt now and Ibom Air might be the eighth one. Air Peace and Arik operates twice to Lagos and twice to Abuja daily from here and more frequencies are coming in. With time, there would be even more increase because the airport has high potential. We have been given approval to resume international flights by NCAA but the foreign operators have refused to commence flights because of the curfew imposed by the Rivers State government. That is the only thing holding us down and nothing more”.
Shortly before the airport was reopened for international flights, the German mega carrier, Lufthansa, which operates to Port Harcourt, had in April 2021 told THISDAY that it was waiting to resume flights from the Port Harcourt International Airport, Omagwa as soon as the federal government reopened the airport.
This was disclosed by the General Manager, Sales, Nigeria and Equatorial Guinea, Lufthansa Group, Mrs. Adenike Macaulay.
Macaulay said that Lufthansa was highly interested in resuming flights from Port Harcourt and had indicated same to the concerned authorities in Nigeria.
“Lufthansa is waiting to resume its flight operations to Port Harcourt with high interest and have indicated same to the relevant authorities. We hope that the airport will soon open again for international flights. For our flights to Port Harcourt we expect good demand, as we are learning from our customers every day that they would like to get back our Lufthansa flights from Port Harcourt.
“The booking figures make us confident that we will run a profitable operation out of Port Harcourt. That is why we offer these flights in our booking systems since months and having to cancel them week-by-week due to the delayed reopening. However, teaming up with PHC airport management and with the support of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) we are confident to reopen this destination hopefully soon, a key one also for the oil and energy business. Lufthansa already resumed its flights to Lagos and Abuja last December 2020 and has well reestablished two out of three Nigerian connections, awaiting finally Port Harcourt,” Macaulay said.
But since government opened the airport to international flight services, the airline is yet to resume flights to that destination.
Meanwhile, motorists driving through the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos on Monday complained of traffic gridlock from the international terminal to the airport road, onward to Oshodi.
Eyewitness told THISDAY that since 8:00 am on Monday there has been hardship and confusion, as motorists driving out of the airport were forced into protracted traffic gridlock.
This was attributed to the kick-off of the automation of parking and entry of vehicles at the Cargo Terminal of the airport, which was earlier announced, would start on July 5.
“In the bid to implement automated toll billing system, FAAN has caused traffic gridlock along the international airport road. All vehicles of all companies with offices in the cargo terminal are forced to pay entry, parking, and exit fees. Both visitors and companies with offices within the complex are issued payment slip by the automated machines and they must pay. The unions, FAAN staff and security personnel are arguing at the gates causing confusion and gridlock. There is a better way to test run before implementation,” he said.
Last week FAAN management informed airport users that it would introduce the automation of the parking process at the Hajj/Cargo terminal, Murtala Muhammed Airport.
A statement from the agency directed that users of the terminal that wanted to drive into designated car parks within the terminal would now have to enter through the newly built automated gate, from where details of their vehicles would be captured electronically on the parking tickets that would be issued to them and they would take the tickets to any of the three designated payment points for payment whenever they are ready to leave the terminal.
