The Bauchi airstrip was closed for renovation last year and was officially declared open for use by Gov. Isa Yuguda of Bauchi on Monday.
The airstrip was closed by the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) on grounds of safety after the plane of the presidential running mate of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), Mr Fola Adeolu, had a mishap.
The officials of the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authourity (NCAA), members of the State Executive Council and National Assembly, graced the occasion.
Speaking at the event, Yuguda said the state government spent about N290 million on the renovation of the runway, fencing and Control Tower.
He said the airstrip had now met the International Civil Aviation Organisation safety standard, adding that the safety of passengers has been fully guaranteed.
The governor announced that the government had commissioned a private flight operator to run the Bauchi-Abuja route for three days in a week before commencing full operations.
Yuguda said the economic and tourism potential of the state would be enhanced as a result of the renovation of the airstrip, pledging that the Bauchi International Airport would further boost such potentials when completed.
He said that already, the state government had trained 25 indigenes in piloting and aeronautics so as to have human capacity to manage the various aspects of the aviation sector in the state.
Yuguda said that because of the outstanding performance of the students at the school in the US, all of them were given automatic postgraduate scholarship to further their knowledge.
In his contribution, Dr Harrold Demuren, Director-General of the NCAA, confirmed that the 2.5 kilometre runway had been built to specifications and therefore urged the state government to ensure its maintenance.
He said that he was happy with the level of the state government’s commitment to the development of aviation sector in the state.
Demuren said that the staffs of NCAA were collaborating with the state’s ministry of transport to ensure that the Bauchi International Airport under construction, complied with safety regulations both locally and internationally.
?