Benin airport gets upgrade as aviation minister installs night landing equipment there

AVIATION authorities has upgraded the airport at the Edo State capital Benin by installing night landing facilities so aircraft can operate from there 24 hours a day in response to growing passenger volume.

 

Nigeria currently has 30 airports, 13 airstrips and  three military airports but very few of them have night landing facilities. However, given that Benin has enjoyed increased traffic of late, the federal government  has decided to upgrade the navigational facilities there to enable airlines and aircraft owners operate flights at night and periods when there is  low visibility.

 

According to aviation minister Hadi Sirika, the upgrade followed  the installation of Precision Approach Lighting System and Instrument Landing System Category II. Speaking at the event, Mr Sirika said government embarked on the project as an intervention to complaints by the Edo State governor Godwin Obaseki, who had expressed worries about why aircraft cannot land at night, during bad weather and low visibility.

 

Mr Sirika said: "From now on, you have the instrument landing system which can allow pilots in reduced visibility and bad weather to be able to shoot on approach and land in Benin, just like they will do in London. Also, it is no longer closure from 6pm as the operational capability of the airport has improved with the installation of these equipment.”

 

He added that the  Federal Ministry of Transportation through the Nigeria Meteorological Services has constructed and donated a meteorological station to the University of Benin (UNIBEN). Mr Sirika said there are now further plans to construct a cargo terminal at the Benin Airport.

 

He added: “Here in Benin, we will site an agro-allied cargo terminal. We will soon commence civil works and the governor had promised the state participation.”

 

Governor Obaseki added: “Benin airport, which was built over 60 years ago, is one of the oldest airports in the country because it was built in 1956. It is today being upgraded so that it can be ranked as an airport to match any other in this world by equipping it with the kind of instrument which a modern day airport should have.

 

“For you to have economic growth, you need to have the infrastructure. People must be able to come into your economy and leave freely and with these air transportation infrastructure, it will complement the effort we are currently making in the area of agriculture, industrialisation, tourism and culture and even education."

 

He said that once people know that you can get in and out of Benin, then it helps business. Governor Obaseki expressed his appreciation to the minister on the upgrade of facilities and the equipment donated to Edo State.

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