With the recent inauguration of the Enugu Air, Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo insists that the Enugu State governor Peter Mbah joins the league of best performing governors in the country
The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, has numbered the governor of Enugu State as a member of the league of best performing governors. Keya o made the declaration on Monday, July 7, 2025 during the inauguration of Enugu Air, a state-owned commercial airline established by the Enugu State Governor Peter Mbah Administration with three Embraer airplanes for a start.
Commenting on the Mbah’s persistence and energy in bringing Enugu Air to reality, Keyamo described him as “an incredible, performing governor”.
On his part, Governor Mbah himself also described the feat as a triumph of vision, and the beginning of Enugu’s journey to becoming a major aviation hub.
The minister hunted that Governor Mbah “was coming to Abuja almost every week to press the button to make sure that a couple of things happened, and this (launch of Enugu Air) is just one of them.”
Keyamo commended the state’s choice of XEJet as partner and operator of Enugu Air, describing the company as a highly competent and 100 per cent Nigeria-owned key player in the nation’s and Africa’s aviation industry.
He said, “XEJet is not only supporting Enugu Air, it is running the Sierra Leonean National Airline. That is what the Renewed Hope Agenda is all about.”
During his address, Keyamo dismissed the misgivings over the Federal Government’s plan to concession the Akanu Ibiam International Airport and lauded Mbah’s effort to ensure the completion and operationalisation of the airport.
According to him, despite being of a different political party from the governor, he could not hide the fact that Mbah had performed and would be difficult to defeat in any election.
He urged the governor and the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Enugu Air to ensure that the airline was run professionally like a business, while also urging the people of Enugu State to patronise the airline.
Governor Mbah also described the launch of Enugu Air as “a triumph of vision, a testament to Nigeria’s immense aviation potential and economic renaissance.”
Enugu Air, Mbah explained would expand beyond the present routes to various other Nigerian cities and beyond.
The governor further said, “We are starting with three Embraer aircraft – efficient, elegant birds made for our terrain. Our routes begin with a powerful golden triangle: Enugu to Abuja to Lagos. From there, we stretch our wings to Port Harcourt, Owerri, Benin, Kano, and across various other cities.
“But we are not stopping there. In the next phase, we will fly beyond Nigeria, into other African countries, China, Europe, the UK, the US, and other global business hubs.”
While addressing the audience at the launch, the Chairman Board of Trustees (BoT) of the main opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Senator Adolphus Wabara, applauded Governor Mbah for floating a state carrier, Enugu Air. Wabara who was full of praise for the Governor over the move, described him as “an icon, model of excellence, and a true definition of performance who needs no further campaigns for a second term in office.”
