Five weeks after it commenced scheduled operations into Kaduna International Airport, Ethiopian Airlines says it has airlifted over 4,500 passengers from the airport.

The airline’s Traffic and Sales Manager, Firiehiwot Mekonnen, told the News Agency of Nigeria on Wednesday in Abuja that it had so far operated 28 flights from Kaduna airport.

“We have airlifted more than 4,500 passengers; we also operated 28 flights from March 8 to April 4 and our experience so far is good.

“Ethiopian Airlines, having a vision of being the leading aviation group, is working hard to have more than 120 destinations as one of the vision 2025 goals,” she said.

Describing the progress of renovation works at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, Mrs. Mekonnen said she was optimistic that the airport would be reopened on April 19 as scheduled.

She, however, urged the contractor to maintain the high pace of work on the runway and ensure that the deadline was met.

“We have not seen the runway yet but from the report we are getting we think the government will meet the deadline,” she said.

The Nigerian Minister of State, Aviation, Hadi Sirika, had on March 30, disclosed that over 50 international flights had been operated from Kaduna airport with about 4,000 international passengers in three weeks.

According to NAN, Ethiopian Airline is the only foreign airline operating into and out of Kaduna, while Arik and Medview are the only local airlines operating international flights from the airport.

Ethiopian Airlines and other carriers had, on March 8, 2017, commenced operations into the Kaduna Airport as an alternative while the Abuja Airport is closed for runway repairs.