State and Federal governments should adopt a more strategic approach to airport development, rather than haphazard preparation, the Director of Research at Zenith Travels and Consult, Mr. Olumide Ohunayo, has advised.

Speaking with The Guardian in Lagos, Ohunayo warned that constructing new airports without fully utilising existing ones amounts to a misplace of priorities.

On the controversies surrounding the Anambra State government’s proposed second airport project in the state, Ohunayo said while Nigeria required additional aviation infrastructure, new airports should only be developed after careful planning and clear evidence of demand.

Rather than go for a full-fledged airport, Ohunayo advised the government to start with an airstrip and ensure gradual development of such facility.

Ohunayo also queried the rationale behind building another airport in Anambra when the state’s Chinua Achebe International Airport, commissioned less than five years ago, is still operating far below capacity.

According to him, the airport currently operates as a sunset facility, lacks critical infrastructure and equipment, while also utilising less than 20 per cent of its total capacity.

He said: “I agree that Nigeria needs more airports, but we have to be strategic in constructing another airport. You can start with an airstrip. If investors as claimed by the government are interested in any airport project, then, let the government get them a land, start something small.

“Then if the investors see that they needed something bigger, they can come together to build it for that purpose.”

Ohunayo urged the State government to channel its resources towards upgrading the existing airport, reconstruct and expand the industrial roads leading to the airport, rather than embarking on another facility located less than 100 kilometres away.

He further noted that Anambra was already served by neighbouring airports, including those in Enugu, Owerri and Asaba, thereby reducing the urgency for another airport within such close proximity.

“It is not the location of the airport that is the problem; it is the facilities available there. Anambra is not too large to be adequately served by the existing airport and travellers also have access to nearby airports in Enugu, Owerri and Asaba,” he said.

Besides, Ohunayo suggested that the State government should leverage existing aviation assets by partnering indigenous airlines operating from Anambra.

He noted that both Air Peace and United Nigeria Airlines, owned by Anambra indigenes, already operate services into the state.

“Why can’t the State government invest in airlines such as Air Peace by acquiring aircraft to support operations, or establish a Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) facility at the airport? Such investments would make the airport more viable and create greater economic value than building another airport,” he added.

The Anambra State government recently unveiled plans to construct another airport at Ndikelionwu, Orumba North Local Government Area of the state, coming less than five years after the inauguration of the Chinua Achebe International Cargo Airport, Umeri.

Speaking on behalf of the government, the Managing Director, Chinua Achebe Cargo International Airport, Martins Nwafor, said the initiative was part of the present administration’s programme to transform the state into a smart megacity.

Nwafor said: “The project will also attract investments by combining the aviation infrastructure with surrounding commercial, residential and logistics facilities to create a dynamic airport-driven city.”

According to him, having more than one airport in the state would give room for industrialisation and fast-track the overall development of the state.

Nwafor, who doubles as Chairman of the new Airport and Aerotropolis Committee, emphasised that the project would be a game changer as it would break the untapped economic opportunities in the state.