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This misinformation and blackmail must stop. Sahara Reporters has been in tow spewing lies and uninformed information.
Firstly: The Airport is a fraud. This is outright injustice to Ekiti State government. How can you say a world class facility is a fraud ? This facility is not a fraud. It met all international standard and best practices.
This Airport was classified under construction permit to be a Category 9 Airport. This is in terms of runway length, the runway width, the fire cover. For public information the runway length is 3.2km , the width is 60m, the Airstrip would be 140m from the Centre of the runway. Why these specifications. ? This is because the critical aircraft is Boeing 747-400. Intention is to land the largest Aircraft in the world.
In order to have a test flight before the departure of JKF, we only reduce the operational requirement to Category 5. This would take airstrip to 75m to the centre of the runway. The fire cover was reduced from 36,000 litres of water to 12,000 litres.
Notwithstanding these reduction, all regulatory conditions were met and obtained.
Secondly : Only military aircraft could land . The answer is No. Yes NAF aircraft AKR 42 was used. Aside from the colour, the engine is thesame with Civil Aircraft. . There is no infraction here.
Thirdly: Weather information was not available for the flight. For Gods sake , this is not true. We already constructed a world class Meteorological station where all relevant weather information was received. It is available for verification.
Fourthly: No Control Tower. Yes , you’re right. Control tower is required. We are yet to start full operations. For the test flight, what is required is to establish ground to air communication by the Air traffic Controller with the Pilot. For the information of the public too, we had a mobile Tower manned by the Nigeria Airspace Management Authority personnel. No regulation was flouted.
Fifthly : No markings on the runway. This is equally untrue. We have started the markings from the Active Runway 21 to a reasonable extent to allow a Turbo prop lightweight aircraft to land safely. The rain was disturbing us when we started the marking. We gave the completion date as august 31st ,2022 but had unfavourable weather. Notwithstanding , we deliver to standards.
In Aviation ,you don’t joke with Safety and security. We met all NCAR’s regulations and would never cut corners.
Calling us uncivilized is insultive and uncalled for. That all sons and daughters celebrated the landing and departure of an Aircraft in Ekiti safely is a manifestation of our development. The multiplier effect cannot be quantified in the immediate. A large chunk of passengers going through Akure Airport are Ekiti bound passengers. We shall harvest this and more patronage.
Sixthly ; it is a cargo airport, no room for passengers. This is far from the truth. It is to serve both cargo and passengers. The Passenger apron is first to be completed. It is in ise now. This can accommodate three Boeing 737. The cargo apron is on going
This too can take in two Boeing 747.
Many facilities would be in place before operational flight commence. Scheduled flights need several clearance from the regulatory sector from the aviation industry ànd we would meet all requisite obligations.
Ekiti Airport has come to stay and would never be an abandoned project. It shall generate revenue for Ekiti. We are open to the world
Bunmi Akanbi-Awotiku
Ekiti Airport Project Coordinator
