Keyamo Inaugurates Enugu Air, Praises Mbah’s VIsion

(AFRICAN EXAMINER) – Nigeria’s Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Mr. Festus Keyamo, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria SAN, on Monday, inaugurated Enugu Air, a state-owned commercial airline established by the Governor Peter Mbah led Administration with three Embraer airplanes for a start.

Inaugurating the aircrafts Tuesday at the international wing of the Akanu Ibiam international Airport Enugu amid a colourful  ceremony, the Minister noted that it was Mbah’s persistence and energy that made the project a reality.

 Keyamo, however, described the governor as “an incredible, performing governor”, pointing out that it would be difficult to defeat him in 2027, given the level of work he had done in just two years.

He said “Governor Peter Mbah was the first governor that visited me immediately I was sworn in as a Minister. I said this man will not even allow me to settle down first. 

“The governor was relentless, persistent and pushing to the extent that I asked, this private sector experience you are bringing into Enugu, do you want Enugu to explode?

“It was incredible. He was not even waiting for us to come to him. Dr. Peter Mbah was coming to Abuja almost every week to press the button to make sure that a couple of things happen and this (launch of Enugu Air) is just one of them”.

The Minister  commended the state’s choice of XEJet as partner and operator of Enugu Air, describing XEJet as a highly competent and 100 per cent Nigeria-owned key player in the nation’s and Africa’s aviation industry.

“XEJet is not only supporting Enugu Air, it is running the Sierra Leonean National Airline. That is what the Renewed Hope Agenda is all about,” he stated.

The minister dismissed the misgivings over federal government’s plan to concession the Akanu Ibiam International Airport, AIIA, and lauded Mbah’s strenuous effort towards ensuring the imminent completion and operationalisation of the airport.

“He also came back to us and said, ‘Look, I want to attract private sector investment into Enugu Airport. I will not wait for bureaucracy to run this airport for the good of Enugu people. The pace of development is too slow.’

“I said, ‘Your Excellency, just finish the Enugu Air first.’ He said no. As I speak to you, in the next few months, and few years, Enugu Airport will not be what you see here today. The private sector is coming into Enugu Airport, driven by the governor.

“We are running the airport at a loss because we don’t have the drive of the private sector. But Enugu will be a bigger international hub now and we are going to approve regional operations from here to African States. Bring your letter tomorrow we will approve it,” Keyamo stated.

He urged the governor and the CEO of Enugu Air to ensure that the airline was run professionally like a business, while also urging the people of Enugu State to patronise their own aircraft.

In his speech, governor Governor Mbah described the launch of Enugu Air as “a triumph of vision, a testament to Nigeria’s immense aviation potential and economic renaissance.”

He explained that Enugu Air would expand beyond the present routes to various other Nigerian cities and beyond.

“We are starting off with three Embraer aircraft – efficient elegant birds made for our terrain. 

“Our routes begin with a powerful golden triangle: Enugu to Abuja to Lagos. From there, we stretch our wings to Port Harcourt, Owerri, Benin, Kano, and across various other cities.

“But we are not stopping there. In the next phase, we will fly beyond Nigeria, into other African countries, China, Europe, UK, US, and other global business hubs,” Mbah said.

He disclosed  that Enugu Air was established to create jobs and career paths for the young people; a faster and more reliable access to markets, clients, and capital by business people; a simpler and more dignified access to home for the diaspora, and a ready gateway to collaboration and opportunity for investors interested in Enugu.

He thanked President Bola Tinubu, Keyamo, and various agencies under the Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Fidelity Bank, among others, for their great support towards the realisation of the state carrier.

The Managing Director of Fidelity Bank PLC, Dr. Nneka Onyeali-Ikpe, and the CEO of XEJet, Engr. Ayuba Emmanuel, described Mbah as a visionary and courageous leader and assured the state of their continued partnership to actualise his dreams for the state.

The event witnessed a large turnout of Enugu people and was graced by many prominent personalities.

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