The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, has said Abia State Governor Alex Otti turned down a Federal Government proposal for an airstrip in the state, choosing instead to pursue the development of a full international airport through a counterpart funding arrangement.

Keyamo said the airport project, located in Umuahia, had commenced, adding that the Abia State Government had so far committed more funds to the project than the Federal Government.

The minister also disclosed that the Federal Government and Enugu State were in discussions to begin a direct cargo air service between Guangzhou, China, and the Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu, by December.

He said the proposed service was expected to support traders in the South-East by allowing goods to be transported directly from Guangzhou to Enugu before being distributed to commercial centres such as Onitsha and Aba.

Keyamo made the disclosures in Lagos during the unveiling of two Boeing 737-800NG aircraft acquired by United Nigeria Airlines.

He said the Federal Government had included an airstrip for Abia State in the 2024 budget after he drew President Bola Tinubu’s attention to the absence of both an airport and an airstrip in the state.

According to the minister, the President approved the proposal and directed that the project be captured in the budget as part of efforts to improve aviation facilities across the country.

However, Keyamo said Otti later approached the President with a request that the planned airstrip be converted into an international airport, with the state government pledging to provide counterpart funding.

He said the governor proposed that Federal Government funding earmarked for the airstrip should be released for the larger airport project, while Abia would provide additional funds to complete it as an international facility.

On the Enugu cargo initiative, Keyamo said the Enugu State Government was working to position the Akanu Ibiam International Airport as a cargo hub serving the South-East.

He said the planned direct flights would enable importers and traders, particularly those with business interests in China, to consolidate their goods in Guangzhou and have them flown directly to Enugu twice weekly.

The minister said the arrangement would reduce the burden of moving imported goods through other entry points before transporting them by road to major South-East
.