The Federal Government has approved the upgrade of the Victor Attah International Airport in Uyo, elevating it from handling only domestic flights to processing international passengers.
The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, made the announcement on Thursday during a meeting with Akwa Ibom State Governor Umo Eno in Abuja, as reported by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).
Keyamo said the approval officially designates the airport as an international facility, adding that a joint team of relevant agencies would immediately begin the process of assessing infrastructure, identifying gaps, and setting a date for full international operations.
He explained that the airport already has modern facilities, including a Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) centre and a runway spanning more than three kilometres, capable of accommodating large aircraft.
“The Federal Government has officially designated the Victor Attah International Airport in Uyo, Akwa Ibom, to be an international airport..
“The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Mr Festus Keyamo, made the declaration on Thursday in Abuja, when he hosted the Governor of Akwa Ibom, Pastor Umo Eno.
“Keyamo said that with the approval, the process for converting to full international operations would commence, qualifying the airport to receive and process international passengers. According to the minister, the airport has all standard facilities that will make it compete with other international airports across the country,” the NAN report read in part.
According to the minister, agencies such as the Nigeria Customs Service, the Nigerian Meteorological Agency, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, and the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority will work together to fast-track the transition from local to international operations. He noted that with the infrastructure already in place, there is no reason the airport could not receive and process international passengers.
Responding, Governor Eno expressed appreciation to the Federal Government for the approval, stating that the state was developing an airport ecosystem to support seamless international travel.
”What we are building is an ecosystem at the airport. We want everything within the airport environment. We will build a cargo terminal, which is already captured in the 2026 budget.
“We will also ensure the 100 units of houses under construction are used to ensure the proper settling down of workers at the airport. My target is that by the end of the first quarter of 2026, the first international plane will take off from Uyo,“ Eno said.
The airport, opened in 2009 and renamed in 2018 in honour of former Governor Victor Attah, is located near the Akwa Ibom capital and was originally designed to serve as a major regional hub.