The Kaduna Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture, (KADCCIMA), has called for the support and goodwill of all for a special appeal for the effective intervention of the Kaduna State Government and the Federal Government through the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, (FAAN), to consider the use of the old Kaduna Airport for commercial flights to and from Kaduna.
According to an issued statement by the chamber and signed by the President, Sulaiman Aliyu, the temporary use of the Airport as a secure and convenient hub for air travelers and cargoes will go a long way in giving the commercial airlines the confidence to resume flights to/from Kaduna, thereby reducing the hardship experienced by businesses and air travelers alike since the suspension of commercial flights to Kaduna.
He said even though a number of chartered flights operate from and into the Kaduna old airport at the moment, the call to temporarily use it as a hub for commercial flights becomes necessary, as businesses and the ease-of-doing-business are seriously affected by the closure of the International Airport and absence of train services to and from Kaduna.
In addition, he lamented that a significant number of conferences and socio-economic events of note earlier scheduled to hold in Kaduna had to be shifted to other places, a situation he said has in no small measure adversely affected the business climate as well as expected revenues and income in form of taxes that would have accrued to Kaduna state government.
Nevertheless, KADCCIMA continues to appreciate the efforts of Kaduna State and Federal Government of Nigeria in improving security within the State and along our roads nationwide. The speed with which the portion of the rail track bombed recently by bandits was repaired is indeed commendable.
However, we advise that the use of the old airport should be considered as a stop-gap measure until the security situation at Kaduna International Airport improves.
It is our sincere belief that our appeal to His Excellency the Kaduna State governor, Nasir Ahmed el-Rufai, and the Federal Ministry of Aviation will be given the much-needed attention it deserves in the best interest of the State and the business community at large, he stressed.
