The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Mr. Festus Keyamo, SAN, on Monday, inaugurated Enugu Air, a state-owned commercial airline established by the Governor Peter Mbah Administration with three Embraer airplanes for a start.
Recalling Mbah’s persistence and energy in bringing Enugu Air to reality, Keyamo described him as “an incredible, performing governor”, noting that it would be difficult to defeat him in 2027, given the level of work he had done in just two years.
This was even as governor Mbah described the feat as a triumph of vision, and the beginning of Enugu’s journey to becoming a major aviation hub.
“Governor Peter Mbah was the first governor that visited me immediately I was sworn in as a Minister. I said this man will not even allow me to settle down first. The governor was relentless, persistent and pushing to the extent that I asked, this private sector experience you are bringing into Enugu, do you want Enugu to explode?
“It was incredible. He was not even waiting for us to come to him. Dr. Peter Mbah was coming to Abuja almost every week to press the button to make sure that a couple of things happen and this (launch of Enugu Air) is just one of them,” he said.
He commended the state’s choice of XEJet as partner and operator of Enugu Air, describing XEJet as a highly competent and 100 per cent Nigeria-owned key player in the nation’s and Africa’s aviation industry.
“XEJet is not only supporting Enugu Air, it is running the Sierra Leonean National Airline. That is what the Renewed Hope Agenda is all about,” he stated.
The minister dismissed the misgivings over federal government’s plan to concession the Akanu Ibiam International Airport, AIIA, and lauded Mbah’s strenuous effort towards to ensure the imminent completion and operationalisation of the airport.
“He also came back to us and said, ‘look, I want to attract private sector investment into Enugu Airport. I will not wait for beaurocracy to run this airport for the good of Enugu people. The pace of development is too slow.’
“I said, ‘Your Excellency, just finish the Enugu Air first.’ He said no. As I speak to you, in the next few months, and few years, Enugu Airport will not be what you see here today. Private sector is coming into Enugu Airport, driven by the governor.
“We are running the airport at a loss because we don’t have the drive of the private sector. But Enugu will be a bigger international hub now and we are going to approve regional operations from here to African States. Bring your letter tomorrow we will approve it,” Keyamo stated.
