The approval, issued on Friday in line with Part 12.15.17 of the Nigeria Civil Aviation Regulations (Nig.CARs), confers an Interim Aerodrome Operational Permit, enabling the facility to handle scheduled commercial air transport flights.
According to a statement by the Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Mr. Kayode Akinmade, a major international aviation company will begin operating two weekly cargo flights from London to the airport. The facility has also been designated as an alternate airport to the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos.
Passenger flight operations are expected to follow soon, with direct routes to Abuja and Port Harcourt already in the works.
The development is projected to stimulate trade, investment, and tourism in Ogun State, positioning the airport as a strategic hub for both cargo and passenger movement.
It will be recalled that in December last year, top aviation regulatory bodies, including the NCAA, the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA), and the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet), had inspected the airport and endorsed its facilities as world-class.
Infrastructure at the airport, such as the Control Tower, Runway, Weather Monitoring Areas, Fire Service Stations, and Apron, were rated among the best in West Africa.
At the time, NCAA’s Director of Aerodrome and Airspace Standards, represented by Ango Mohammed, noted significant improvements in the facilities, stating that the Control Tower had attained “the level of any other tower in every standard airport around the globe.”