Kobojunkie:

Imagine how insensitive that is, coming from a Government official. So, people should be subjected to two flights or more rather than the direct flight they choose to pay for?? And what of additional costs that will likely be incurred in this exercise? Nigerian people pay too, right?

She is doing her work as a minister of aviation nigeria not minister of aviation lagos or abuja! Its her work to make all airports viable or at least running all year round!!

The federal goverment in their wisdom made enugu airport an international airport! Its d work of d minister to make it viable and dats wat she is doing...the same customers dat will travel to lagos from abuja to board a flight out of d country when their was no direct flight from abuja can also travel to enugu to board their flights....besides there are human beings in d east dat also travel

KenGali:
There is absolutely nothing wrong with people connecting an international airport through a local flight. People in the east have been connecting to Lagos and Abuja ever since they were denied an international airport. Infact, they are a good part of the so called demand in Lagos. Who paid for their flights from Enugu to Lagos? Now that there is an International Airport in the east, others should connect to Enugu, it should benefit from new opportunities of patronization. If you do not want to go through Enugu, you still have a choice of an airline that flies from where ever you want. She has not asked all airline to move to Enugu. She only asked new applicants to use the new facility instead of congesting existing older ones (avoiding the kind of congestion Apapa Port suffers from today)

Corrections to your post

a) The East was never denied an international Airport. Long before the renovation of Enugu started back in 2009, the East had PortHarcourt and Calabar airports.

b) People who fly international SHOULD NOT BE FORCED to have to connect when all they want is a direct flight as is the case with many who fly into airports like Lagos and Abuja still. Airlines such as Delta(American), Lufthansa(FrankFurt), and Air France(Paris) have been serving some of the Eastern Airports for a while now.

c) It is silly to argue that because people, in the past, have flown into Lagos and had to connect to other parts, then it is sensible to now force the Lagos/Abuja fliers fly into Enugu and then connect back to Lagos and Abuja.

d) Enugu does not need to FORCE people from other parts to fly their way in order to boast transports from that location. The Airport can work to at least sell itself to it's own people so they patronize airlines with flights directly to Enugu.

psalmizt: I have 2 issues with the comments here... 1. Can't we do anything in this part of the world without resorting to ethnic sentiments? 2. Nigeria is not made up of Abuja and Lagos alone.. For pete's sake consider other parts of the country At least no boko over there..

Another Sentiment

KenGali:
There is absolutely nothing wrong with people connecting an international airport through a local flight. People in the east have been connecting to Lagos and Abuja ever since they were denied an international airport. Infact, they are a good part of the so called demand in Lagos. Who paid for their flights from Enugu to Lagos? Now that there is an International Airport in the east, others should connect to Enugu, it should benefit from new opportunities of patronization. If you do not want to go through Enugu, you still have a choice of an airline that flies from where ever you want. She has not asked all airlines to move to Enugu. She only asked new applicants to use the new facility instead of congesting existing older ones (avoiding the kind of congestion Apapa Port suffers from today)

Well said!

How many people live in Lagos, yet all the international Airlines land there and then you have to get a local flight or bus to wherever else you were going to!!! Are those of you arguing against the minister saying people living in other parts of the country prefer landing in Lagos and then moving on?? The minister should insist and pressurize these airlines to explore other routes and Airports that are closer to people's destinations instead of just turning Abuja airport into another Lagos.

jbyno: How many people live in Lagos, yet all the international Airlines land there and then you have to get a local flight or bus to wherever else you were going to!!! Are those of you arguing against the minister saying people living in other parts of the country prefer landing in Lagos and then moving on?? The minister should insist and pressurize these airlines to explore other routes and Airports that are closer to people's destinations instead of just turning Abuja airport into another Lagos.

a) Not all International Airlines planes land in Lagos.

b) There are international Airports in the East . . . Enugu only happens to be a newly available one. If you did not know this before then please go get updated

I think I understand the minister's point of view. There's every need to protect indigenous airlines from these foreign airlines.This is what UK,US, France,Holland etc do.

If Enugu airport is indeed ready, govt can make a kind of law for all foreign airlines to atleast have one airline that operates from Enugu.

I was once flown to Kano from Abuja by KLM to pick some passengers on my way to Schipol Airport, Amsterdam enroute New York.

This kind of arrangement can also be made with Enugu.

Kobojunkie:

Corrections to your post

a) The East was never denied an international Airport. Long before the renovation of Enugu started back in 2009, the East had PortHarcourt and Calabar airports.

b) People who fly international SHOULD NOT BE FORCED to have to connect when all they want is a direct flight as is the case with many who fly into airports like Lagos and Abuja still.

c) It is silly to argue that because people, in the past, have flown into Lagos and had to connect to other parts, then it is sensible to now force the Lagos/Abuja fliers fly into Enugu and then connect back to Lagos and Abuja.

d) Enugu does not need to FORCE people from other parts to fly their way in order to boast transports from that location. The Airport can work to at least sell itself to it's own people so they patronize airlines with flights directly to Enugu.

Just read what u typed and see how u are speaking from two sides of ur mouth! How will enugu airport international flights develope when no airline is flying to there!

No body is forcing the airlines not to operate from abuja because they are not even operational from there in d first place! They are looking for a new location! And d minister is advising them where to start their new location from...

Kobojunkie:

a) Not all International Airlines planes land in Lagos.

b) There are international Airports in the East . . . Enugu only happens to be a newly available one. If you did not know this before then please go get updated

There is only one international airport in d east! And dats enugu...ph or calabar which is barely operating international flight is not in d east

I do not understand why some people don't reason before they make public comments, I read some people asking why somebody who wants to take a direct flight would be forced to come to Enugu first to catch his/her flight, but forgot that everybody from the East have been flying to Abuja or Lagos before catching their direct international flights so why the complaint if someone now has to fly from Abuja or Lagos to Enugu to catch a direct flight. That will help businesses like hotels and eateries in Enugu to flourish and thereby ensuring equitable distribution of wealth.Please people should stop being myopic in their thinking.

These Lagos guys are very Funny.
They convert their father's small bungalows to hotels and make good money.
Do they feel our fathers in the East did not leave us bungalows??
Someone should come there and lodge just the way we have been doing for years!

People from the East can also do airport taxi and work in the airports!

Common, support the East too!

Kobojunkie is just talking trash. Easterners have been going to lagos and abuja to take direct flight. So what is wrong if the easterners take off from the east?

This is Nigeria where people rarely ever learn from mistakes of the past.

Tomorrow fools like kobojunkie will be shouting one Nigeria when actually we are not one. What's wrong in flying throug Enugu. All d Onitsha and Aba n Enugu ogbete biz man that r flying to Lagos or Abuja for years not Humans. I pity for this country

If there is market in the east, the airlines would move there themselves. Nobody forced them to come to Lagos or Abuja.. Those asking why only Lagos or Abuja should know that Lagos == commercial capital and Abuja == federal capital. Besides most foriegn embassies are either in lagos or Abuja.

Ogbonaikenna: Kobojunkie is just talking trash. Easterners have been going to lagos and abuja to take direct flight. So what is wrong if the easterners take off from the east?

Nothing is wrong but market forces should determine where airlines land in Nigeria not the minister.

manny4life: This isn't right, you can't force people to fly where they do not want to. How can I come into U.S. and choose to land at Dulles, rather they will tell me NO, you have to go through Atlanta first. That doesn't make sense. There are certain industries that need govt protectionism, while others needs to be left to fierce competition. Why can't our airports be privatized so that there's competition from all corners?

IMO, she ain't getting it right, that's just dead wrong, she needs to reverse her policies, after all, Abuja is their demand. If facilities are overstretched, what people do is build more facilities. That's how many large airports came to be today.

That is the policy worldwide...No Country opens up all its major cities for direct international flights...If you do that, you starve the local airline operators who rely on the shuttle air service between local airports. In addition to government's multiplicity of services, eg immigration, border crossing agents, detention facilities, etc...

You cannot fly from Nigeria to any city of your choice in UK (there are about 2 or 3 gateway airports in UK), same thing with the USA or any other European country....

I think that it is a wise decision...

A-ZeD:

Nothing is wrong but market forces should determine where airlines land in Nigeria not the minister.

and who told you easterners are not responsible for the market force in lagos and abuja? If only you could get a manifest from these airlines then you will know what i'm talking about.

A-ZeD:

Nothing is wrong but market forces should determine where airlines land in Nigeria not the minister.

And who told you there is no market forces at enugu? And why wld d minister not determine where d airlines fly to! If the ministry didn't provide facilities at abuja will those airlines even have abuja to consider!?

Uk forced arik to fly from gatwick instead of heathrow!

linearity:

That is the policy worldwide...No Country opens up all its major cities for direct international flights...If you do that, you starve the local airline operators who rely on the shuttle air service between local airports. In addition to government's multiplicity of services, eg immigration, border crossing agents, detention facilities, etc...

You cannot fly from Nigeria to any city of your choice in UK (there are about 2 or 3 gateway airports in UK), same thing with the USA or any other European country....

I think that it is a wise decision...

While I think your posts is contradictory, I felt to provide you a correction. The Eastern States already have a gateway . . . PortHarcourt International has been open for some years now and in operation. I get the sense that no one even wants to mention that Port-Harcourt exists, let alone mention that it is in full use for both passenger and cargo flights.

The successive govt of nigeria has been starving the east of her rights but thank God things are changing now

Ogbonaikenna: and who told you easterners are not responsible for the market force in lagos and abuja? If only you could get a manifest from these airlines then you will know what i'm talking about.

I never said who was responsible or not responsible for the market in Lagos or Abuja.. When the airlines see Enugu as a viable option they will come there on their own. The minister does not need to force them simple.

Kobojunkie:

While I think your posts is contradictory, I felt to provide you a correction. The Eastern States already have a gateway . . . PortHarcourt International has been open for some years now and in operation. I get the sense that no one even wants to mention that Port-Harcourt exists, let alone mention that it is in full use.

so port-harcourt and calabar are no longer niger delta? You call them east when it suits you... Smh for your level of hypocrisy

Like I said. . .

Kobojunkie:

While I think your posts is contradictory, I felt to provide you a correction. The Eastern States already have a gateway . . . PortHarcourt International has been open for some years now and in operation. I get the sense that no one even wants to mention that Port-Harcourt exists, let alone mention that it is in full use for both passenger and cargo flights.

I am sincerely proud of our aviation minister for her to think this way. [maybe I am bias] if it were a male minister of aviation i doubt if he will think this way, I think this GEJ women are doing well from the small quota they are given.

Market forces exist to the extent of prevailing government policies. Lagos and Kano were not the only original airports in Nigeria. Pre-civil war Enugu was an international airport, One of my relatives still have the picture of BOAC that took his uncle abroad for studies..,., But this is secondary. The driving factor in most government policies are Taxes and market protection -aka employment-security. just imagine that these 3 airlines will start operating from enugu. Hotels, Taxes, Landing fees , aircraft maintenance etc will employ thousands meaning more taxes. reduced unemployment equals less Kidnapping and armed robbery.
Again, I cannot fly from here directly to Hokkaido but must stop in Osaka. How many of you can fly directly from Houston to Liverpool or rotherdam etc. these are government policies that focuses the market where and how they want it, it has nothing to do with consumers convienience

Kobojunkie:

You are not making any sense at all here. What does it matter how many airlines fly to multiple destinations? When do Africans realize that to promote your own, you about destroy all advantages you have when you resort to draconian methods? What does it matter who makes the profit where the airlines come from? Please put a cock in your bias box there and try to come back down to reality.

You do not FORCE people to fly to Enugu when they do want to fly to Lagos or Abuja. What will end up happening is people with likely find themselves ways around this and that might lead to these foreign airlines pulling out completely.

wunt there be a connecting flight to abuja from Enugu or due you think they will treck? Why over stretch other international airports where you have others to bring on stream... How do you define development in your own terms?.. That is very thoughtful of the minister. Jaree!!

Kobojunkie:

Corrections to your post

a) The East was never denied an international Airport. Long before the renovation of Enugu started back in 2009, the East had PortHarcourt and Calabar airports.

b) People who fly international SHOULD NOT BE FORCED to have to connect when all they want is a direct flight as is the case with many who fly into airports like Lagos and Abuja still. Airlines such as Delta(American), Lufthansa(FrankFurt), and Air France(Paris) have been serving some of the Eastern Airports for a while now.

c) It is silly to argue that because people, in the past, have flown into Lagos and had to connect to other parts, then it is sensible to now force the Lagos/Abuja fliers fly into Enugu and then connect back to Lagos and Abuja.

d) Enugu does not need to FORCE people from other parts to fly their way in order to boast transports from that location. The Airport can work to at least sell itself to it's own people so they patronize airlines with flights directly to Enugu.

East? So what does the Midwest have?

In 2005 i was on board a Lufthansa Airbus 340-400 flight from Frankfurt am Main to Port-Harcourt . It was a smooth direct flight . If such flights are allowed in Enugu , millions of Umuigbo in the West and Asia would prefer Enugu than Lagos and Abuja . If not for business , personally i wouldn't like to be a guest to Lagos mosquitoes even for a night after spending some cool months in Europe . This is what Mr. Ekweremmadu and Mrs. Mmadueke should lobby Mr. President to influence European airlines to do. Lufthansa which had about 49% increase on it's Nigerian routes earning last year will love it , even if it means flying Frankfurt - Enugu-Accra. When current work at Enugu Airport finishes , those Umuigbo who call the shots in Abuja, should try make it possible . Its long overdue . How long does Nigeria want to punish Ndigbo because of a lost war?

Very typical of Nigerian politicians these days, whip up public sentiment against foreign airlines for one reason or the other and then wait for the public to unleash their anger on them, then they award contracts to themselves and their cronies without recourse to due process. Afe Babalola did it with all the foreign airlines and is still facing his corruption charges with the EFCC, Femi Fani Kayode did it so perfectly well with British Airways and Virgin and he's also facing corruption charges with the EFCC. Mrs Oduah is learning fast, if we're to go by precedence she'll be a regular visitor at the EFCC after her tenure. She has started awarding contracts for the rehabilitation of Airports in the country to her friends and cronies, while we're all turning a blind eye cos she's helping us fight the "thieving foreign airlines", just like her predecessors did.

Very pedestrian thinking by the minister. I shudder to think of the calibre of policy makers we have in this country. When will they start to see themselves as leaders of a country and not a section? I bet if she has a chance she may want to have an airport in her village and force airlines to land there.

This is exactly the problem with Nigeria. and the Okoro brothers are having orgasms because she wants to force airlines to enugu.

Air traffic is always driven by demand. You can never force reputable foreign airlines to that glorified airfield that looks like a workshop.

Allow the airlines to land where they want, she should feel challenged to expand the capacities of the airports they want to land, and leave that as her legacy after she has stepped down, but banal sentiments are to deep seated to allow her make a rational decision.

O God, provide us with visionary and selfless leaders in Nigeria.

Novice1: Very pedestrian thinking by the minister. I shudder to think of the calibre of policy makers we have in this country. When will they start to see themselves as leaders of a country and not a section? I bet if she has a chance she may want to have an airport in her village and force airlines to land there.

This is exactly the problem with Nigeria. and the Okoro brothers are having orgasms because she wants to force airlines to enugu.

Air traffic is always driven by demand. You can never force reputable foreign airlines to that glorified airfield that looks like a workshop.

Allow the airlines to land where they want, she should feel challenged to expand the capacities of the airports they want to land, and leave that as her legacy after she has stepped down, but banal sentiments are to deep seated to allow her make a rational decision.

O God, provide us with visionary and selfless leaders in Nigeria.

trash