‘Assumptions that Asaba Airport’ll thrive on Anambra passengers have failed’
Preliminary assumptions that encouraged the former Governor of Delta State, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan to site Asaba Airport along the Asaba-Onitsha federal highway seemed to have failed as investigations have shown that the bulk of Anambra air travelers either prefer Enugu or Owerri airports for their flights to other parts of the country.
A number of traders at Onitsha Head Bridge market and Nnewi told our correspondent that they prefer travelling from either Owerri Airport or Enugu International Airport.
Though many of them did not give many reasons for their choice, few of them that divulged comments said they have fears of attacks along the expressway and that if you land and disembark form the aircraft, it is possible to trace your movement by criminals on the highway.
To Anambra traders and Politically Exposed Persons (PEPs), they believe that tracing their movement from either Owerri Airport or Enugu will be difficult because there are many routes one can take to get to the main road which is not the same thing with Asaba Airport.
However, experts say to grow Asaba Airport implies attracting enough passenger and cargo airlines to generate the requisite income for the airport and the state government. And this can only be achieved with airlines that are professionally structured, economically sound and shielded from risk of collapse under huge debt overhang and such an airline must be essentially safe and secure. The issue of keeping to scheduled flight departure time is of importance to airlines and passengers alike. These attributes should be the hallmark of any airline that wants to assist in the development of a state-owned airport like Asaba Airport.
