Gov Mbah Launches Enugu Air's Douala Route, Opens Gateway to Central Africa

Our Reporter 

Enugu Air on Wednesday commenced its inaugural international flight from Enugu to Douala, Cameroon, opening a new air link between Southeast Nigeria and Central Africa.

The inaugural flight departed from the Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu, with stakeholders describing the new route as a major boost to trade, tourism, investment and people-to-people relations between Nigeria and Cameroon.

Governor Peter Mbah of Enugu State said the launch demonstrated that the vision behind Enugu Air was exceeding expectations, describing the airline as a key component of the state’s strategy to connect Enugu to markets and opportunities across Africa and the wider world.

Mbah said Enugu Air was not established merely as a political achievement but as part of a broader economic strategy to position Enugu as a major destination for investment, business, tourism and living.

According to him, the Enugu-Douala connection was about more than air travel, as it would link markets, businesses and opportunities while strengthening Enugu’s position as a gateway to the world.

The governor said Enugu Air had emerged as one of Nigeria’s fastest-growing airlines, assuring that the state government would continue to support initiatives designed to improve connectivity and attract more people, businesses and investments to the state.

The Managing Director of Enugu Air, Capt. Tolu Ita, described the inaugural flight as a new chapter for the airline, Enugu State and Nigeria.

Ita said the airline had first consolidated its domestic operations by connecting Enugu with major Nigerian cities, including Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt, Kano, Owerri, Asaba, Benin and Osubi-Warri, before taking its first major step into the international market.

She said the Enugu-Douala route would facilitate more than the movement of passengers, noting that it would promote the movement of businesses, ideas, investments and opportunities between Nigeria and Cameroon.

According to her, Enugu Air’s mission is to build stronger regional networks across Africa while progressively expanding access to international markets.

The Managing Director of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Mrs Olubunmi Kuku, represented by the Operations Manager, FAAN Enugu, Mrs Onyeka Udenze, described the new route as a strong demonstration of Nigeria’s growing capacity to connect people and businesses across West and Central Africa.

Kuku said the development further positioned Akanu Ibiam International Airport as a regional hub, adding that passengers from Lagos, Abuja and other Nigerian cities could connect to Cameroon through Enugu.

She assured that FAAN would continue to provide the infrastructure, safety standards and operational support required to sustain international air services from the airport.

Also speaking, the Director-General of the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Capt. Chris Najomo, represented by the Director of Air Transport Regulations, Mrs Olayinka Babaoye-Iriobe, said the new route would deepen air connectivity between Nigeria and Cameroon.

Najomo said Enugu and Douala were important economic centres, stressing that direct air connectivity between the two cities would create opportunities for increased trade, investment, tourism and movement of people.

He said the route was also consistent with the broader objective of promoting intra-African connectivity and economic integration.

The NCAA Director-General, however, stressed that sustainable growth in the aviation sector must remain anchored on safety, security, regulatory compliance and operational reliability.

He urged Enugu Air to maintain high standards of operational discipline, professionalism and service quality as it commenced its international operations.

Enugu Air commenced commercial operations on July 7, 2025, from Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu.