Enugu Air Takes Off: State Joins Aviation Industry Amid Questions Over Strategy and Ownership

Enugu’s state joined the exclusive club of Nigerian states which led their own commercial airlines, after the official launch of Enugu Air on Monday. The new carrier becomes another aviation company supported by the state in the country, after initiatives similar to the OMI, Akwa Ibom and Cross River States.

The inaugural flight of the airline – a symbolic journey from Lagos – landed at the new international wing of Akanu International Airport Ibiam, Enugu, marking what Governor Peter Mbah described as a historic moment.

Piloted by the captain of origin in ENU Kelechi Ossai, the plane is one of the three embra -planes that make up the initial fleet of the airline.

Governor Mbah stressed that the project fully belongs to the government of the State of Enugu and is intended to serve students, traders, investors and everyday travelers. He described it as a key element of the broader economic transformation program of his administration, aimed at transforming ENUGU into a leading destination for investment, tourism and quality life.

“Enugu Air is a triumph of vision, a testimony of the immense aviation potential and the economic renaissance of Nigeria. It was created to create jobs and career paths for our young people; Faster and more reliable access to markets, customers and capital for businessmen for collaboration and opportunities for investors for investors for diaspora.

The launching ceremony attracted the best dignitaries, including the Nigerian Minister of Aviation Festus Keyamo, who promised federal support on the initiative. He revealed that regional road approvals were underway and defended the controversial decision of the federal government of concession at Akanu Ibiam airport, calling it a necessary reform.

Governor MBAH said that Uugu Air would initially exploit a triangular road connecting Enugu, Abuja and Lagos, with plans to extend to other major cities, including Port Harcourt, Owerri, Benin and Kano, before finally branting towards international destinations.

“This airline is a gift for the inhabitants of Enugu,” said Mbah. “It is built to stimulate trade, mobility and investment. It reflects the vision of our administration of a prosperous, connected and world competitive state. ”

The airline is launched at a time when the Nigeria aeronautical industry notes an increased request but also faces recurring challenges concerning security, regulations and operational sustainability.

The FIJ survey reveals an operational gap

Despite the high -level unveiling, a report from the For Investigative Journalism Foundation (FIJ) revealed that Ugu Air currently lacks independent infrastructure for reservations or operational autonomy. When potential customers try to reserve a flight, they are redirected to the XJet website, a high -end classified airline based in Lagos. An prompt on the site can be read as follows: “This flight is operated by XJet and you would be redirected to the XEJET website to complete your reservation.”

This has raised fears that Enugu Air may, for the moment, be a renamed partnership, rather than an operational airline with its own Air Operator certificate (AOC) – a regulatory requirement for full -fledged flight operations.

Nigeria air echoes

The situation made unfavorable comparisons with the now infamous Nigeria Air, a national carrier who was radically revealed by the federal government in 2023. Then, the Minister of Aviation Hadi Sirika defined a plane with national colors and held a sumptuous ceremony of disclosure, therefore, so that it was later revealed that the plane was borrowed from the Ethiopian Airlines for the event.

The airline had no operational license and had no real structure to start flights. After the indignation of the public and a dam of legal and regulatory problems, Nigeria Air has never taken off, becoming one of the most ridiculed aeronautical projects in the history of the country.

A familiar game book: the previous ones of the OMI and the cross river

The current arrangement of Enugu Air establishes parallels with the previous experiences of the airlines managed by the State which have failed to take off permanently.

In 2017, the former governor of Imo State, Rochas Okorocha, launched Imo Air, saying that the state had acquired five planes and joined forces with Dana Air to manage them for 10 years, because the state had no license. The airline operations quietly disappeared in one year, without significant monitoring of the government.

Similarly, in July 2021, the former Governor of Cross River, Ben Ayade, launched Cally Air, operating through aerodynamic entrepreneurs. While Ayade said that the airline was fully belonging to the State without contracted loans, there were never clear operational directives or financial disclosure. Caly Air quickly faded with aviation radar, her planes would have absorbed by the wider operations of Aero.

Enthusiasm encounters skepticism

Although Governor Mbah insists that Ugu Air is built for long -term value, Nigerians are skeptical. Some note that dependence on existing operators and the lack of independent reservation systems are red flags that have tormented similar companies in the past.

“In 2025, a state government in Nigeria launched a third-party airline where the State acts as a specialist in affiliation marketing, then launched a ceremony and a party at the airport for the same affiliation marketing project … Indeed” Europe underdeveloped in Africa, “published Chris Ani, a social media user.

Others also wonder if the State has provided enough transparency around financial and legal agreements with XEJet – including the quantity of public funds, whether the planes are rented or public, as well as the duration and conditions of the partnership.

Nevertheless, Enugu’s decision underlines an increasing interest in the infringing governments in air transport as a tool for economic development – in particular in the regions poorly served by the options of limited airline of Nigeria. This is that experts use federal governments and states to focus on rail transport, offering an affordable alternative to road transport.