The Oyo State government has announced that international flights will commence at the Ladoke Akintola Airport, Ibadan next year, while local flights will resume operations by the end of 2025.
The state Commissioner for Information, Prince Dotun Oyelade, stated this in a statement on Monday, adding that activities were in top gear to upgrade the airport to international standard.
Recall, the airport upgrade which was officially flagged off on September 18, 2024 led to the shut down of all flights in March 2025 to intensify work on the project.
The commissioner said the ongoing upgrade at the airport include extension of the runway from 2,400 metres to 3,000 metres, widening of the runway from 45 metres to 60 metres to accommodate wide-body aircraft for international flights.
Oyelade noted that the airfield lighting system has been updated to CAT C standards, adding that the fire-fighting response has been upgraded to ensure a robust safety profile.
The commissioner hinted that facilities were being put in place for the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) and other vital agencies to meet international standard.
He said the runway upgrade, apron, taxiway, and blast pads, among others, “which currently stands at 55 per cent will be completed before the end of the year and local flights should resume thereafter, subject to approval of the relevant regulatory authorities.”
Prince Oyelade said the International Terminal construction which currently stood at 15 per cent completion will be ready by June 2026 for such flights.
Prince Oyelade stated further that the upgrades reflected the vision of the state government of transforming the Ladoke Akintola Airport to a modern and internationally-competitive facility.
“By enhancing our infrastructure to accommodate larger aircraft, we are not only improving domestic connectivity, but also paving the way for global travel,” he said.
He restated the promise made by Governor ‘Seyi Makinde that the next Hajj flight to Saudi Arabia next year will take off from the airport.
