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By Chinelo Obogo, Lagos
The Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has revealed that the night curfew imposed by the Rivers State Government has affected the resumption of international flights at the Port Harcourt International Airport, Omagwa, in Rivers State.
Speaking to reporters on Monday at the inaugural flight of Ibom Air to Port Harcourt, Regional General Manager of the South-South and South East Mr Felix Akinbinu said that the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) had given approval for international flights to resume following the lifting of COVID-19 restrictions but that the curfew is preventing international airlines from operating at the airport.
Amid rising insecurity, the governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike had in April imposed a statewide night curfew in all the 23 local governments to check the attacks on security agencies in the South East and South-South.
Governor Wike said the human and vehicular movement is prohibited from 10 pm to 6 am from April 29 till further notice.
Before the curfew was imposed, four soldiers attached to an oil company, Starling Global Ltd were shot by unknown gunmen in a hotel in Rivers State and before that, Eight security officials including two police officers were reported to have been killed along the Omagwa/Isiokpo/Elele Owerri road in the state.
Akinbinu said there has been some growth in passenger traffic since domestic flights resumed but said the airport will generate even more revenue if international flights resume.
‘There has been some growth in passenger traffic since the Covid restrictions on domestic operations were lifted and we expect more. I can’t give the exact figures for passenger traffic but I can say for a fact that there has been an increase especially as more airlines are coming in.
‘We have about seven airlines operating in Port Harcourt now and Ibom Air might be the eighth one. Air Peace and Arik operates twice to Lagos and twice to Abuja daily and more frequencies are coming in. With time, there would be even more increase because the airport has high potential.
‘We have been given the approval to resume international flights by the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) but the foreign operators have refused to commence flights because of the curfew imposed by the Rivers State government. That is the only thing holding us down and nothing more. As soon as it lifted, international flights will commence.
‘The curfew is affecting us negatively because if there is any delayed flight or even if domestic flights arrive late, getting to town will be a major challenge especially,’ he said.
