The Nigerian government has cleared Asaba airport for international operations after inspections confirmed that the facility meets the requirements, the Nigerian media have reported.
Minister of Aviation Hadi Sirika told the journalists that the federal government did not want to wait with the approval after the airport had demonstrated that it meets the requirements.
According to the ch-aviation capacities module, Asaba currently sees minimal domestic traffic with 3x weekly flights to Abuja operated by Overland Airways (OF, Lagos) using ATR42-300 turboprops. So far, no airline has come forth with a proposal to launch international services from Asaba.
Meanwhile, the Imo state government has approached the federal authorities over international status for Owerri airport, The Guardian has reported. The airport is currently served by Air Peace (P4, Lagos) and Dana Air (9J, Lagos) and has scheduled connections to Abuja and Lagos. Air Peace has expressed tentative interest in expanding its presence at Owerri airport once it receives international status.
