Abiodun inaugurates first commercial flight at Gateway Int’l Airport

By : Azeez Olorunlomeru (Abeokuta) and Ayodele Afolabi (Ado-Ekiti)

Date: 8 October 2025 2:31am WAT

Ogun State Pix (South-West), 08=10=2025 okay okay

Ogun State Commissioner for Transportation, Gbenga Dairo (left); Deputy Governor, Noimot Salako-Oyedele; Governor Dapo Abiodun, Chairman/CEO, Value Jet, Kunle Soname, Olofin of Ilishan-Remo, Oba Michael Sonuga, and Head of Service, Kehinde Onasanya, during the cutting of the tape to commemorate the inaugural flight at the Gateway International Airport, Ilishan-Remo, yesterday.

Ekiti Agro-Allied Airport receives NCAA approval for commercial flight operations
Ogun State Governor, Dapo Abiodun, yesterday, inaugurated the first commercial flight of the Gateway International Airport in Ilishan-Remo.

The Valuejet aircraft, with registration number 5N-BXS and 90 passengers on board, departed the airport at 10:10 a.m. for Abuja.

Abiodun, who spoke at the inauguration of the first commercial flight at the airport, said the journey to actualise the airport started in 2021 and was part of the vision to provide a well-modelled transport system for the state.

He emphasised that his administration was determined to have the best-constructed, equipped, and befitting airport for the state, noting that apart from being the industrial capital of the nation, the state is blessed with a population, making it the fastest-growing economy in Nigeria today.

The governor appreciated the regulators in the aviation sector, especially the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) and the Minister of Aviation, Festus Keyamo, for providing quality supervision for the airport.

Also, Speaker of the state’s House of Assembly, Oludaisi Elemide, noted that the airport aligns with the dreams of the state’s founding fathers and would serve as a window to the outside world.

Director-General of the NCAA, Captain Chris Ona-Najomo, commended the state for adhering to all regulatory dictates of the relevant agencies, as he also expressed satisfaction with the project.

RELATEDLY, the Federal Government has given Ekiti Agro-Allied International Cargo Airport approval to commence scheduled flight operations effective October 4.

The development follows the expiration of the initial approval for a non-scheduled flight at the airport by the NCAA in December 2024, as well as compliance with regulatory requirements.

A statement by the Chief Press Secretary to the governor, Yinka Oyebode, yesterday, in Ado-Ekiti, said the NCAA, in the letter dated October 3, 2025, addressed to the governor of the state, Biodun Oyebanji, confirmed the new approval for the scheduled flight, saying that the approval will be for an initial period of six months.

According to Oyebode, Oyebanji has hailed the development as a major boost to the state’s economic development.

However, the Ekiti State Government is in the advanced stage of installing the Instrument Landing System (ILS) to position the airport for night and all-weather operations.