Dr. Ngozi Obichukwu, the Ebonyi State Commissioner for Aviation and Transport Technology, has stated that commercial flights are set to begin at the Wilberforce Chuba Okadigbo International Airport in Onueke by June 2025. This announcement came in response to media claims suggesting that certain areas of the airport lounge were flooded due to a lack of flight operations. Dr. Obichukwu pointed out that the airport already handles charter flights frequently, indicating that two charter flights, including one that has already landed, will demonstrate the airport’s operational capability. “Thank God you have gone around and seen it for yourself,” he added. I feel pleased that whenever negative remarks have been made about the state, it has consistently maintained its integrity and resilience in the face of false accusations. Journalism and media should not be conducted in this manner. Criticism should be constructive rather than aggressive. As a reporter, you can see for yourself that there’s no flooding here; everything is clean, and our flight is arriving shortly, with another scheduled for 5 o’clock today. “I feel sorry for those who haven’t been here or who lack understanding about the situation. They are speculating based on inaccurate criticism and a social media image (on Facebook) that isn’t from our airport and doesn’t accurately represent us,” she remarked. She also mentioned that her ministry is adhering to guidelines from the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, which has sanctioned a one-month window for commercial flights at the international airport. “We are complying with the Nigeria Aviation Authority’s regulations, and for the past six to seven months, we’ve been operating on a charter basis. Slowly, we will move towards regular passenger services, which will operate for one month starting in June, until we receive new authorization for other types of operations. That’s the typical process for airports; you can’t just jump into a type of operation instantly.” All operations adhere to the guidelines set by FAAN and NCEE, but United Nigeria Airline is now offering flights from Ebonyi to Lagos, Lagos to Ebonyi, Abuja to Ebonyi, and Ebonyi to Abuja. This service will be available for a month, and details on the payment process for flights will be shared soon, according to Obichukwu. During a visit by DAILY POST correspondent, a flight with registration number N989BC was noted arriving at Wilberforce Chuba Okadigbo International Airport in Onueke.
