NCAA Gives Nod to Gateway Airport for Commercial Flight Operations

The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has granted the Gateway International Agro-Cargo Airport in Ilisan-Iperu, Ogun State, an Interim Aerodrome Operational Permit, clearing it to begin commercial flight operations.

This approval, which aligns with Part 12.15.17 of the Nigeria Civil Aviation Regulations, allows the airport to handle scheduled commercial air transport flights, a statement given to Persecondnews said.

With this new status, a major international aviation company is set to launch two weekly cargo flights from London to the airport. The facility will also serve as a designated alternative to the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos.

Passenger flights are to be launched, starting with direct routes to Abuja and Port Harcourt.

The move is expected to boost trade, investment, and tourism in Ogun State.

It will be recalled that in December last year, regulatory agencies in the aviation industry, including the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA), and Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet), had visited the airport, hailing the quality of facilities put in place, as well as their level of completion.

They adjudged the airport as world-standard and a source of pride for Ogun State, saying that the infrastructure at the airport, which includes the Control Tower, Weather Monitoring Areas, Runway, Fire Service Stations, and the Apron, could rival any of their type around the world, adding that they remain one of the best in West Africa.

At the time, the Director of Aerodrome and Airspace Standards of NCAA, represented by Ango Mohammed, had noted a significant improvement in the state of facilities at the airport since his last visit, “which is now at the level of any other tower in every standard airport around the globe.”