The Edo state in the south of Nigeria is another administrative unit in the country seeking to launch its own airline. It is seeking to partner with unnamed South African investors to launch an indigenous carrier operating from Benin City airport, according to local media reports.
Following a meeting with Nigeria’s aviation minister, Festus Keyamo, in Abuja, Edo governor, Monday Okpebholo, claimed that the South African partners had pledged to provide aircraft and technical expertise, while the state explores multiple investment options, according to Nigeria's Independent newspaper.
He said the aim of the airline is to unlock the airport’s economic potential, improve connectivity, create jobs, boost tourism and trade, and position Benin City as a regional hub. The governor urged that the project be fast-tracked, stressing the need to operationalise the airline without delay, Nigerian Flight Deck reported.
Keyamo welcomed the initiative, calling it timely and noting renewed investor interest in Benin City. He recalled the airport’s role as a hub during the era of now-defunct Okada Air (1982-2002) and said there was no reason it could not regain that status.
To accelerate the project, the minister announced the formation of a technical committee to oversee planning, regulatory compliance, and operations, with weekly reports to both governments. He said the airport could achieve full operational readiness between the first and second quarters of the year.
The move reflects a growing trend of Nigerian states pursuing aviation projects to stimulate regional economic growth, including Akwa Ibom State with Ibom Air; Enugu State with virtual carrier Enugu Air run by AOC-holder Xejet (4U, Lagos); Cross River State with virtual carrier Cally Air; Ebonyi State with Ebonyi Air; and Bayelsa State with Air Bayelsa. In addition, six states, Gombe, Adamawa, Bauchi, Borno, Taraba, and Yobe, have committed NGN5 billion naira (USD3.5 million) each to establish a regional airline, to be called North-East Air Shuttle.
