Race against time: Expectations high as Kaduna Airport gets facelift

Last month, when the Minister of State for Aviation, Alhaji Hadi Sirika, announced the Federal Government’s decision to divert flights to Kaduna in order to pave way for the rehabilitation of the ageing Nnamdi Azikwe International Airport in Abuja, public outcry greeted the decision, with many within the aviation industry, seeing the development as unwelcome.

Findings by the Nigerian Tribune revealed that part of the backlash following the route diversion was predicated on the fact that most of the passengers were not familiar with Kaduna airport. An aviation expert, who spoke to Nigerian Tribune on the condition of anonymity, disclosed that “Kaduna airport is still not known even though it is an international Airport. It does not have the features available at the Abuja airport. Apart from the issue of familiarity, there were also concerns as it relate to insecurity in the state and this bothered both international and domestic airlines.”

It was learnt that out of the eight international airlines operating in Abuja, two airlines, Emirates and Kenya airlines, declared that they were not coming to Kaduna. Although at the time, their excuse was hinged on the increase of the Naira’s exchange rate to the dollar, a reliable source who didn’t want his name on print told the Nigerian Tribune that the pullout was as a result of issues related to security.

“Don’t forget the issue of kidnapping in recent times have portrayed the state in negative light. For instance, many prominent people were kidnapped, including the three clerics of a church, a former minister of state for foreign affairs, and a military colonel, who was later killed. Also, the dilapidated state of the Nnamdi Azikwe road, otherwise known as the Eastern bypass was another contentious issue. The road which was constructed during the Ibrahim Babangida era had not been maintained and motorists plying the road used to go through the metropolis if they are on transit,” the source stated.

Be that as it may, the Federal Government insisted that Kaduna airport would still be used pending when works at the Nnamdi Azikwe International Airport are completed. Speaking on the need for the diversion from the Abuja airport, an aviation expert and the chairman of the Federal Government committee on the flight diversion to Kaduna, Captain Mohammed Joji told the Nigerian Tribune that the rehabilitation of the Abuja airport was long overdue. According to him, the lifespan of any standard runway is usually 15 years, The Abuja airport runway is almost 30 years old.

Buttressing his position, Joji argued that in 2010, he led a delegation to the Senate to make a case for the rehabilitation of the airport. Later, the government called for bidding and Julius Berger was awarded the contract. He added that money was approved for the commencement of work but for reasons he could not understand, the work was suspended.

Speaking in an interview, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Security Matters, Colonel Yakubu Soja, also remarked that Kaduna metropolis and its environs had enjoyed relative peace. He said kidnapping had become a thing of the past with the successfully dislodging of the kingpin of the kidnappers.

However, it was the recent revelation made by the state governor, Mallam el-Rufai, that the state government has so far expended the sum of N2 billion on the proposed flight diversion to Kaduna which also seemed to show the seriousness of the state.

Speaking with Nigerian Tribune, the manager of the Kaduna Airport, Amina Ozi Salami, of the Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) affirmed that the ongoing work was almost 90 per cent completed. According to her, what remained to be done were the ceiling fittings. She said the rehabilitation of the runway was almost completed just as she noted that the runway could now accommodate bigger aircrafts like the Boeing 747,737, among others. She maintained that localisers and lights had been provided on the runways, while also noting that the apron could now accommodate eight bigger aircrafts.

She said: “In case the contractor fails to finish the work on schedule, we have an alternative option, which us using the hajj terminal.”

The Head of the Nigeria Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) at the airport, Mr Gaven Wuyep also reiterated Salami’s position, noting that “We are almost there.” He also said he was satisfied with the level of work so far going on in the airport.

The contractor handling the construction work at the airport terminal, Dari Investment Limited, was also optimistic that they were going to hand over on 28th February, 2017.

Even the car hire service personnel at the airport expressed optimism that work would be completed as scheduled. Speaking on behalf of the union, the field manager of the union, A.M. Ahmad, contended that the insinuation that Kaduna was not safe as a result of the southern Kaduna crisis was false alarm. He said the first set of people the passengers meet on arrival were the car hire service personnel and they usually tell their customers that Kaduna and its environs were safe.

In addition to the landmarks recorded, the chairman of the movement of flight from Abuja to Kaduna, Captain Mohammed Joji also told Nigerian Tribune what should be expected when flights commence at the Kaduna airport.

He said all the airlines would move to Kaduna with the exception of two international airlines, Emirates and Kenya airlines, which had already pulled out till further notice. He added that during the six-week period, there will be 8,700 aircraft movement to/from Kaduna, which is an average of 207 aircraft, while, passengers movement during the same period would be 605,769 which translates to 100,962 passengers weekly and a daily movement of 14,423 passengers.