Attract Foreign Airlines To PH, RSG Charges FAAN

The Rivers state Government has said that they are ready to support the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) to ensure that international airlines, particularly the Emirates airline would be attracted to Port Harcourt airport for flight operations, urging authority to step up efforts.
Rivers state governor, Chief (Barr) Nyesome Wike who disclosed this in his speech at the maiden/inauguration of the Turkish Airline flight operations at the Port Harcourt International Airport, Omagwa, recently said that the state government was ready and will support the Port Harcourt airport to fulfil its mandate.
“I urge the airport authority to do its best to see that other foreign airlines, especially the Emirates are attracted to Port Harcourt airport.
“ Rivers State government will give every support required to the airport authority to ensure that other foreign airlines are attracted to fly Port Harcourt airport”, Wike said.
To that end, the governor posited that surveyors and engineers have started mapping out the airport road for dualisation from the junction as he had earlier promised.
Wike also urged the people to market Rivers State, rather than demarketing the state, saying that the state is safe, and that the coming of the Turkish airline attest to that.
The state chief executive however thanked the FAAN management for approving the airline to fly to Port Harcourt.
Earlier in his speech, the Nigerian ambassador to Turkey, Mr Ilyasu Audu said that the coming of the Turkish airline to Port Harcourt will improve the bilateral relations of Turkey and Nigeria, and thanked FAAN for such approval.
Also speaking, the Vice President of the Turkish airline, Asking Cantimur expressed satisfaction over the coming of the airline to Port Harcourt.
He said that this was in line with the vision of the airline to expand and operate in numerous airports around the world
Highlight of the ceremony was the exchange of gifts by governor Wike and the Vice President of the Turkish airline.

Stories by Corlins Walter