Bayelsa airport to take-off end of August

The Bayelsa State Government multi-billion-naira international cargo airport will be ready by the end of August this year.

The government noted that the date of its inauguration would be determined by President Muhammadu Buhari, who is expected to officially declare the facility open.

Bayelsa State’s Commissioner for Works and Infrastructure, Mr Lawrence Erhujakpor, told journalists during an inspection that the government was working closely with the contractors to ensure that the 3.5-kilometre runway airport would start receiving flights before inauguration.

Erhujakpor, however, said the August 27 date initially released to the public was not sacrosanct, stressing that Governor Seriake Dickson and Buhari would agree on a date convenient for both leaders.

According to a report, the commissioner said the airport’s runway, arguably the longest in the country, was sand-filled to a height of 12.5 feet by 200 metres and will welcome direct flights to and from the airport from most parts of the world.

On the necessity for an airport in the state, the commissioner said people avoided visits to Bayelsa because of the difficulty of access and exit, noting that with the airport, the challenge associated with movement of goods and services would be tackled