{"id":27464,"date":"2022-10-16T16:44:24","date_gmt":"2022-10-16T11:14:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/aviationa2z.com\/?p=27464"},"modified":"2022-10-16T16:44:28","modified_gmt":"2022-10-16T11:14:28","slug":"first-atr-42-aircraft-of-nigeria-air-force-lands-as-ekiti-opens-new-airport","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/aviationa2z.com\/index.php\/2022\/10\/16\/first-atr-42-aircraft-of-nigeria-air-force-lands-as-ekiti-opens-new-airport\/","title":{"rendered":"First ATR 42 aircraft of Nigeria Air Force lands as Ekiti opens new airport"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The 1st aircraft, ATR 42 Nigeria Air Force plane, landed at the airport\u2019s runway at exactly 10.20 a.m<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The newly inaugurated Ekiti Airport<\/a><\/strong> will open up the state to partake actively in global commerce and tourism, if completely harnessed and managed, Hadi Sirika, the Minister of Aviation, has told.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ekiti Airport<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Mr. Sirika, who performed the official inauguration of the airport, was among the personalities on board of the aircraft, which flew from Abuja to make the historic landing on Ekiti soil.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Ekiti Airport | Aviationa2z.com<\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

However, the project was a dream come true for the people of Ekiti as the State Agro-Allied International Airport, Ado-Ekiti, was inaugurated for public use, shortly after the first aircraft landed at the facility on Saturday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With its inauguration and landing of the 1st flight, Ekiti has joined the elite club of states in Nigeria that could boast of the functional airport, which is expected to increase the export of agricultural produce, service educational and health institutions as well as abundant tourism potential in the state.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The 1st aircraft, ATR 42 Nigeria Air Force plane <\/a><\/strong>piloted by E.A. Balogun, a flight lieutenant, landed at the airport\u2019s runway at exactly 10.20 a.m. amidst cheers and excitement by eminent guests, government officials and members of the public who arrived to witness the historic occasion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Aviation Minister and officials<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Shortly after the plane landed and taxied to the tarmac, the excited crowd of residents and guests were seen taking pictures of the moving aircraft and enthusiastically welcomed the Aviation Minister and officials of the agencies, who disembarked from the aircraft.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mr. Sirika declared to the excited audience that the federal federal government would site a cargo facility at the airport.<\/p><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

He described the Ekiti Airport as \u201can extremely very important project\u201d which would in turn facilitate the import and export of goods and commodities.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Ekiti Airport | Aviationa2z.com<\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The minister recalled that when he was on the site for a groundbreaking in October 2019, there were divergent views as to the viability of the project, saying airports are being operated as \u201cone-city nation-states in the world\u201d to drive their economy. According to him, \u201cI use to make an assertion, that a one-mile long road leads to nowhere, but one-mile runway leads to everywhere.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You see, I arrived here today through the runway of this airport provided by Goverment. Fayemi. There is a future with this project- market and trade can drive everybody here. \u201cI was at ABUAD, I visited the university, the farm, the industrial park, and the hospital, \u201d he stated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The minister told that an airport here, would connect people to this facility and reduce foreign medical tourism. \u201cAirports are by no means the best catalysts for the economic development of any state or nation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201c35 percent of international trade by value is moved through airports and 18.6 dollar billion of cargo is moved daily through air transportation. \u201cThe wealthy among you should take to agriculture for example and start to produce things that you will be exported to other parts of the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Also, read <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n