Asaba International Airport (IATA: ABB, ICAO: DNAS): is an international airport serving

Asaba Asaba (''Igbo:'' ''Ahaba'') is the capital of Delta State, Nigeria. A rapidly growing urban area, it is located on the western bank of the Niger River and is the seat of the Oshimili South Local Government Area. Asaba had a population of 149,6 ...

and the whole of the

Delta State Delta is a States of Nigeria, state in the South South (Nigeria), South-South geopolitical zone of Nigeria. Named after the Niger Delta—a large part of which is in the state—the state was formed from the former Bendel State, on 27 August 1 ...

Nigeria Nigeria, officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a country in West Africa. It is situated between the Sahel to the north and the Gulf of Guinea in the Atlantic Ocean to the south. It covers an area of . With Demographics of Nigeria, ...

, and other nearby cities. Located approximately 7.9 kilometeres (4.9 mi) east of the city centre, the airport facilitates both domestic and regional air traffic within the southern region of Nigeria. It officially commenced operations on 13 July 2011. Asaba airport connects the commercial cities of

Lagos Lagos ( ; ), or Lagos City, is a large metropolitan city in southwestern Nigeria. With an upper population estimated above 21 million dwellers, it is the largest city in Nigeria, the most populous urban area on the African continent, and on ...

Port Harcourt Port Harcourt (Pidgin: ''Po-ta-kot or Pi-ta-kwa)'' is the capital and largest city of Rivers State in Nigeria. It is the fifth most populous city in Nigeria after Lagos, Kano, Ibadan and Benin. It lies along the Bonny River and is locate ...

Abuja Abuja (; , ) is the capital city of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, strategically situated at the geographic midpoint of the country within the Federal Capital Territory (Nigeria), Federal Capital Territory (FCT). As the seat of the Federal G ...

Kano Kano may refer to: Places *Kano State, a state in Northern Nigeria *Kano (city), a city in Nigeria, and the capital of Kano State ** Kingdom of Kano, a Hausa kingdom between the 10th and 14th centuries ** Sultanate of Kano, a Hausa kingdom betwee ...

and

Onitsha Onitsha ( or simply ''Ọ̀nị̀chà'') is a city on the eastern bank of the Niger River, in Anambra State, Nigeria. Onitsha along with various cities and towns in southern Anambra State, northern Imo State and neighboring Delta State on the we ...

. It also serves other cities within the South-East and South-South region and is regulated by the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority. It was upgraded to Category 6 status in 2010. In April 2018, Asaba International Airport was temporarily closed to allow for facility upgrades. The airport reopened in June 2018, with Overland Airways resuming flight services on June 6, 2018. In 2021, the Delta State Government ceded the management of the airport to Asaba Airport Company under a 30-year concession agreement.

History

Asaba International Airport was initially conceptualized in 2007 during the administration of Chief James Onanefe Ibori (1999–2007). The overarching objective was to build a standard passenger and cargo airport infrastructure in Asaba, Delta State, capable of accommodating aircraft in categories C, D, and E, thereby serving as an additional revenue source for the state. Asaba was selected due to its strategic geographical position connecting the South-East and Niger-Delta regions. However, the Ibori administration did not embark on the project. The subsequent administration of Dr.

Emmanuel Uduaghan Dr. Emmanuel Eweta Uduaghan (born 22 October 1954) is a retired Nigerian politician and doctor who served as Governor of Delta State from 2007 to 2015. He assumed office via an inconclusive election on 29 May 2007 and was a member of the Peop ...

(2007–2015) initiated the construction of the airport, leading to its official opening on 13 July 2011. Despite the inauguration, the airport faced operational challenges, including infrastructural deficiencies that led to its downgrade by the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) in 2015. These issues necessitated significant rehabilitation efforts. Under the administration of Senator Dr.

Ifeanyi Okowa Ifeanyichukwu Arthur Okowa (born 8 July 1959) is a Nigerian doctor and politician who served as Governor of Delta State from May 2015 to May 2023. He was a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (Nigeria), People's Democratic Party, he was th ...

(2015–2023), comprehensive rehabilitation work was undertaken.This included the construction of a new runway, installation of an instrument landing system (ILS), and field lighting to have the airport return to 24-hour operations. It was completed and the rehabilitation culminated in the airport's upgrade to Category 6 by the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA). Following the completion of the facility upgrade, the Okowa administration commissioned a feasibility study, revealing that operating the airport at full capacity would be approximately 85% more expensive for the government to operate compared to a public-private partnership (PPP) model. Consequently, the Delta State Government decided to expand and modernize the airport facilities under a Private-Public Partnership arrangement.

Concession

Following the upgrade of the airport facility and the government's intent to invite private sector participation, the Delta State Government issued a Request for Proposal to select a Transaction Adviser and in March 2016, Delta State Executive Council approved the appointment of HALCROW Infrastructure Consortium as the Transaction Adviser to the Government to midwife the concession of Asaba International Airport. On 23 February 2021, Asaba Airport Company signed a 30-year concession agreement with the Delta State Government after a rigorous and transparent selection process.

Key highlights of the concession

* The concessionaire shall prepare a master Plan for the airport setting out the proposed development for the entire airport, planned over a 20-year time horizon. * The Concessionaire shall commence a mandatory capital project development of the airport, which includes: Passenger Terminal Upgrade and Extension, Cargo Terminal, Aviation Fuel Terminal Upgrade, and a Business Park. Upon the signing of the concession agreement, a Project Delivery Oversight Committee (PDOC) consisting of five members, including the Concessionaire Representative, two employees of the Concessionaire and two persons appointed by the Delta State Government, was established within 30 days of the execution of the agreement. The PDOC is responsible for ensuring that the terms of the concession agreement are duly satisfied, and it shall be the single point of contact for the Concessionaire for all matters concerning the agreement. The PDOC was also responsible for overseeing the six-month transition period. The transition period ensured a seamless transfer of the operations and management of the airport to Asaba Airport Company. The handover of the management of Asaba International Airport to Asaba Airport Company was performed in a symbolic ceremony on 22 August 2021. The Delta State Government is the vested owner of Asaba International Airport ad by virtue of the executed concession agreement, as conceded the development, operation, and management of the airport to Asaba Airport Company Limited for a period of 30 years. The management of the airport covers all airside infrastructure, key airport facilities, and all landside infrastructure.

Infrastructure

Runways

Asaba operates as a single-runway airport (11/29) with a length of 3,400 meters and a width of 45 metres. Runway 11 is equipped with a Category 1 runway lighting system consisting of approach lights, runway edge lights, runway centerline lights, runway threshold lights, and taxiway lights.

Precision approach path indicator A precision approach path indicator (PAPI) is a system of Electric light, lights on the side of an airport runway threshold that provides visual descent (aircraft), descent guidance information during final approach. It is generally located on ...

s (PAPI) are installed on both sides of runway 11. {, class="wikitable" , + !Runway !Length !Width !ILS !Notes , - , 11/29 , {{, 3,400 meters (11,154.86 ft) , 60 meters , CAT 1 , PCN Strong enough for CAT “E” Aircraft; equipped with all NavAids necessary for night and International Operations – VOR, DME & ILS A category 1 Instrument Landing System (ILS) is installed on runway 11 consisting of a glideslope, localiser & CVOR co-located with DME. The Takeoff Run Available (TORA) published in the

Aeronautical Information Publication In aviation, an Aeronautical Information Publication (or AIP) is defined by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) as a publication issued by or with the authority of a state and containing aeronautical information of a lasting char ...

(AIP) is 3,400 meters in both directions. Nearly 90% of take-offs and landings are towards the east.

Airlines and destinations

{{airport-dest-list , Aero Contractors ,

Air Peace Air Peace Limited is a private Nigerian airline founded in 2013 with its head office in Ikeja, Lagos State, Nigeria, and the largest airline of Nigeria and West Africa. Air Peace, which provides passenger and charter services, serves the major ...

Arik Air Arik Air is a Nigerian airline operating mainly from two hubs at Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos and Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja. Arik Air's head office is the ''Arik Air Aviation Center'' on the grounds of Mu ...

Max Air Max Air is a Nigerian airline operating domestic and international flights.ch-av ...

Overland Airways Overland Airways is an airline based in Ikeja in Lagos State, Nigeria. Its main base is Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Ikeja, with a hub at Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja. History The airline commenced operations in 20 ...

United Nigeria Airlines United Nigeria Airlines Limited, trading as United Nigeria Airlines , is a private airline in Nigeria. The new start-up received its Air Operators Certificate (AOC) on 1 February 2021. Headquartered in the city of Enugu, with an office in Abuj ...

Expansion proposals

The FIDC-Menzies Consortium proposed development plan for Asaba International Airport, which are:{{cite web, url=https://www.newtelegraphng.com/delta-state-fidc-menzies-sign-30-year-asaba-airport-concession-pact/ , title=Delta State, FIDC-Menzies sign 30-year Asaba airport concession pact – New Telegraph , publisher=Newtelegraphng.com , date= 23 February 2021, accessdate=2023-01-09 * The commencement of the modernisation programme of the airport through the upgrade of the existing terminal and ancillary facilities, the introduction of optical fibre to provide reliable internet communication the reorganisation of the airside termin,al and the general elevation f thee passenger travel experience.

Short-to-medium-term development plan

* The introduction of international cargo services through the erection of a modern cargo terminal with ancillary facilities. * The enhancement of commerce within the airport through the provision of office space, retail, and leisure facilities. * The development of a hotel and conference facility. The long-term development plan is to transform the Asaba International Airport into an airport city with infrastructure, land use, and economy centering on the airport.

References

{{reflist

External links

*{{ASN, DNAS
Delta Govt hands over Asaba Airport to concessionaire
{{portalbar, Nigeria, Aviation {{Airports in Nigeria {{authority control Airports in Nigeria Delta State