The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority has upgraded the firefighting and emergency response facility at Chinua Achebe International Airport, Umueri, Anambra State, from Category Six to Category Seven.
The Managing Director of the Chinua Achebe International Airport, Martins Nwafor, disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria in Umueri on Sunday.
He said the upgrade followed improvements in firefighting equipment and staff training, enabling the airport to meet the regulatory requirements for Category Seven Aerodrome Rescue and Fire Fighting Services.
According to Nwafor, the new classification will allow the airport to accommodate larger aircraft that require enhanced emergency response capabilities.
He said, “The NCAA has audited and upgraded our Aerodrome Rescue and Fire Fighting Service from CAT-6 to CAT-7. What this means is that we can accommodate bigger aeroplanes.
“We are looking forward to having bigger aeroplanes operating here.”
Nwafor also disclosed that airport personnel had undergone a two-week refresher training programme covering wildlife management, airside operations, driving regulations and administrative management.
He described wildlife management as a critical aspect of aviation safety, noting that the training was part of efforts to strengthen the airport’s operational standards.
The airport chief further announced that United Nigeria Airlines commenced operating Embraer 190 and CRJ 900 aircraft on its Abuja-Anambra route on November 5.
He said the introduction of the aircraft would improve passenger comfort and strengthen air transportation between Anambra and major cities, particularly Abuja and Lagos.
Despite the developments, Nwafor expressed concern that the airport was not operating at its full capacity due to the limited number of airlines and flights serving the facility.
He appealed to more airline operators to consider the airport and expand services to other parts of the country.
“We have passengers; what we need is more operators to bring their flights here and also service other routes outside Lagos and Abuja, even though it is not going to be on a daily basis,” he said.
Nwafor added that discussions were ongoing with airline operators to introduce additional routes, including Kano, Bauchi and Gombe.
He noted that the airport was still developing its route network because it was relatively new.
The managing director commended Air Peace and United Nigeria Airlines for maintaining flight operations at the facility.
He also confirmed that the Airport Collaborative Decision-Making system, which facilitates information-sharing and coordination between airport authorities and airlines, was functioning effectively.
Nwafor described air transportation as one of the safest and fastest means of travelling, despite its relatively high cost, adding that passenger safety remained the industry’s foremost priority.
