FG hands over Enugu airport to Aero Alliance, hails Governor Mbah’s vision
The Federal Government has officially handed over the Akanu Ibiam International Airport (AIIA), Enugu, to Aero Alliance Limited under a public-private partnership (PPP) arrangement aimed at transforming the facility into a world-class aviation hub. The concessionaire will oversee the financing, rehabilitation, expansion, operation, and management of the facility.
Speaking during the handover ceremony on Thursday at the airport’s international terminal, Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, described the development as a major milestone, praising President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Enugu State Governor Peter Mbah for their roles in making the concession a reality.
Keyamo noted that previous efforts by successive administrations to concession airports had failed to attract investors to Enugu and Port Harcourt, as bidders preferred airports in Lagos, Abuja, and Kano. He said the trend had reversed under the current administration, with investors now showing strong interest in the two airports.
“Dr. Mbah went straight to Mr. President a few weeks after his inauguration and said, ‘This is my plan for the airport.’ The President directed that he be given all the assistance he needed to turn Enugu into an aviation and investment hub. Mbah started with Enugu Air, and now he has brought in capital and investors for the airport,” Keyamo said.
The minister urged Aero Alliance to operate the airport with professionalism, transparency, operational excellence, and a strong commitment to safety, while assuring workers that the agreement was designed to create jobs rather than lead to staff losses.
Also speaking, Director-General of the Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission (ICRC), Jobson Ewalefor, described the concession as historic and credited Mbah’s reputation and determination for attracting investors. He added that initiatives such as Enugu Air and international partnerships would enhance the airport’s viability.
In his remarks, Mbah said the concession would unlock new economic opportunities for the South-East, noting that businesses in the region had long faced logistics challenges that increased costs and limited competitiveness. He expressed confidence that the airport would become a world-class gateway connecting the region to global markets.
The Managing Director of Aero Alliance, Saleem Hussain, pledged to leverage the consortium’s more than three decades of aviation experience to transform AIIA into one of Africa’s leading aviation, logistics, and commercial hubs, with a focus on connectivity, cargo operations, passenger experience, technology, and commercial development.
