CEO & Co-Founder, Kobo
Search every verified Obi Ozor interview, podcast appearance, and on-the-record quote — each transcript cross-checked by AI and human review to confirm speaker identity. Obi Ozor, the Commissioner for Transportation in Enugu State, has been involved in the launch of Enugu Air, the state-owned airline. In July 2025, Ozor stated that the airline was ready for commercial takeoff and would begin inaugural flights on Monday, July 7, 2025. He described the airline as a company, not a political project, and said it is fully owned by the Enugu state government but operated in partnership with ExJet. Ozor noted that the airline's aircraft are less than 10 years old and that the state is partnering directly with manufacturer Embraer for maintenance. He also discussed the importance of completing the concession of Akanibium International Airport's international wing, which he said the federal government has moved to the concurrent list to allow for private sector involvement. Ozor has also spoken about broader transportation developments in Enugu State, including the rollout of CNG-powered buses and plans for electric taxis. He stated that the administration's vision is to grow the state's economy from $4.4 billion to $30 billion, with the transportation sector playing a pivotal role. Ozor emphasized that the government is focused on making transportation safe, reliable, comfortable, and affordable, and that they are not waiting for the federal government but are taking initiative to build critical infrastructure. He also mentioned that the state has recruited pilots and ground crew through a rigorous process and is building local capacity gradually.
“Enugu Air is ready for takeoff. We started this journey just about December of 2024 and just about 7 months in we are ready to take off. Generally this takes almost two to three years, but thanks to the leadership of His Excellency Barrista Peta who comes from the private sector and knows how to push and set up busines...”
“Enugu Air is a company, not a political project. The airline is owned fully by Enugu state government, but we partner with ExJet to run the airline. There is no government interference as the governor has promised, and pricing will be competitive to break into the market.”
“The aircrafts are less than 10 years old and are very sound. Aircraft generally have a first useful life of 35 years and can be overhauled. We are partnering directly with the manufacturer Embraer for maintenance, which guarantees availability of spares and adherence to maintenance timelines.”
“The concession of Akanibium International Airport's international wing is critical. The federal government has moved the airport to the concurrent list, signaling a desire for private sector involvement rather than injecting public funds. We hope the concession will be completed soon to allow private sector to operatio...”
“The airport has a free trade zone attached, the only one in Nigeria, which will allow merchants to send goods duty-free and enable exports. This will be a major boost for cargo operations once the concession is completed and the cargo terminal is built.”
“We recruited pilots and flight crew through a rigorous process including training abroad and local work. Ground crew for ticketing, customer support, sales, and marketing have also been hired. Safety, reliability, and passenger comfort are priorities, and we are building local capacity gradually.”
“The governor's approach is aggressive and business-minded. We are not waiting for the federal government but taking our destiny into our own hands by launching the airline and building critical infrastructure like maintenance, repair, and overhaul facilities, which are high-paying jobs.”
“Proper business planning and feasibility studies are key to success. We started feasibility studies in November 2023, selecting suitable aircraft and fleet size to avoid burning money. Partnering with the right experienced operator, ExJet, is critical to ensure safety, reliability, and comfort.”
“ExJet is the largest private jet operator in Nigeria with about 11 aircraft. They provide high reliability, safety, and comfort, including flying the presidency. This experience is what we want to bring to regular commercial operations with Enugu Air.”
“Sustainability of Enugu Air goes beyond any administration; it is about the people and the region. We have seen success stories like Ibom Air that transitioned administrations and remained profitable. Our region is business-minded and can do even better.”
“The vision is to grow this economy from $4.4 million to $30 billion, and to achieve that, it requires a lot of serious transformation across different sectors.”
“We can't comfortably tell people to come to Enugu, whether it's within the southeast or across this country or continent, without making sure we have those basic amenities.”
“The BRT is what makes transportation affordable because on each of those buses you have 75 passengers. You remember also that CNG saves you over 60% on fueling and over 40% on maintenance.”
“The administration has not come to that, but for because of the BRT buses and the infrastructure that the citizens of Enugu has invested because it's your tax is taxpayers money that we are used to construct all these things.”
“The Enugu air team selected the Embraer machines as the machine for this. We're looking at E170.”
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