United Nigeria Airlines has unveiled plans to commence commercial cargo operations at Ekiti Airport in January 2027.

The airline also said that it would begin daily passenger flights to the state as soon as the airport’s infrastructure is upgraded.
The Chairman of United Nigeria Airlines, , Prof. Obiora Okonkwo, disclosed this yesterday at the commissioning of Reeve Energy Limited’s aviation fuel tank farm facility at the airport.

Okonkwo assured that the airline would be ready to transport agricultural produce and other goods from Ekiti to destinations across Nigeria and eventually, international markets, including London, once the state government was prepared to commence commercial cargo exports.
He pledged that United Nigeria Airlines would be the first airline to lift commercial cargo from the airport when the state was ready.

He said: “By January next year, we will activate a cargo section of our flights so that we can work out a deal. As soon as you are ready to start exporting cargo from here, whether to other parts of Nigeria or beyond, we will be ready.
“If you have cargo by January, we will be the first to lift your commercial cargo. Apart from this, we also intend to introduce daily passenger flights to Ekiti very soon.”

Okonkwo said the commissioning of the fuel tank farm would support the airline’s operations, describing United Nigeria Airlines as the second-largest consumer of aviation fuel in the country after Air Peace.
He stated that a reliable supply of aviation fuel at the airport would be beneficial to the airline as its operations expanded.

Explaining how the airline entered into a partnership with the Ekiti State government, Okonkwo said the company neither applied for the arrangement nor lobbied for it.
According to him, the government conducted due diligence on available domestic airlines and selected United Nigeria Airlines based on its fleet and operational capacity.

He explained that the airline had also made operational sacrifices during periods of low passenger demand, sometimes carrying 40 passengers instead of 50 on some flights, as a demonstration of its commitment to the partnership.
Meanwhile, Ekiti State Governor, Biodun Oyebanji, reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to completing ongoing airport infrastructure projects and providing an enabling environment for private investors.

Oyebanji said the State government was working towards completing the airport upgrade by the end of the year, including improvements to its Instrument Landing System (ILS) and the installation of aerodrome ground lighting infrastructure.
He said the ground lighting project was costing more than N10 billion and, upon completion, would enable the airport to support round-the-clock operations.

“By the time we finish what we are doing with the airport by the end of the year, by God’s grace, we should be able to complete the upgrade of the ILS that has been certified.
“What we are doing now is what they call in aviation aerodrome ground lighting. That project is costing us more than N10 billion. By the time we finish, at least we will be able to have 24-hour operations at the airport, meaning aircraft can land at any time,” he said.

The governor also disclosed that the state was working to secure an Independent Power Producer (IPP) for the airport to ensure a reliable electricity supply and reduce dependence on external power sources.
Oyebanji commended Reeve Energy Limited for investing in the state and assured other investors of the government’s continued support.