Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has authorised commercial flight operations at the Bayelsa International Airport. NCAA Director-General, Capt. Musa Nuhu presented the approval letter to the State Governor, Douye Diri, after an inspection of the airport and its facilities, in Yenagoa, the State capital, on Saturday.
Facilities inspected at the airport include the weather observatory stations, control Tower, fire station, fourteen hydrons by the runway, amongst others. Musa noted that the airport met all airspace standards and is ready for daytime flight operations.
The approval, according to the NCAA boss, was sequel to the report of the agency’s inspection team which, prior to the visit, had certified that out of 29 gaps, the airport had been able to close 26.
Musa assured that the other requirements were not safety-related and that work was already in progress to achieve night flight operations. He applauded the State Government for the quality of work done at the airport. NCAA Authorises Commercial Flight Operations At Bayelsa Airport.
Receiving the license for operations, Governor Diri said: “This is a dream come true for our state and our people. I thank God Almighty because this journey had been a winding one from my immediate past predecessor and I have been in the saddle for over a year waiting for this licence. Today, God made it possible.
“I also thank my predecessor, Sen. Seriake Dickson. This airport had been on the drawing board, but he took the bull by the horns by starting the airport and virtually completing it. May I, on behalf of this government and the people of Bayelsa, appreciate him.
“As I came on board, having seen what he did, my administration had to cross the Ts and dot the Is.
“Having been briefed on certain requirements, I wasted no time in approving what was necessary to ensure that the airport was ready for use. Today, we have the approval for the airport to commence commercial flight operations.”