Nigeria will shut its airspace on December 2 and 4, 2025 for at least one hour each day to accommodate aerial displays during the country’s maiden Nigeria International Airshow, the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Mr Festus Keyamo, has announced.
Keyamo disclosed this on Friday during an inspection tour of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, ahead of the international airshow scheduled to run from February 2 to 4, 2025.
He explained that the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency, NAMA, had already issued a Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) restricting flights only during brief air display windows.
According to him, flight operations will be suspended for a short period of about one hour on the opening and closing days strictly for the air displays, while normal commercial operations will continue outside those time frames.
The minister was accompanied on the tour by the Permanent Secretary of the Aviation Ministry, Dr Yakubu Adam Kofamata, senior management staff of the ministry, heads of aviation agencies and private sector partners.
READ ALSO:
On funding, Keyamo stated that no public funds had been spent on organising the airshow, describing it as a major success of the ministry’s Public-Private Partnership model.
He said the entire event was being funded by private investors, with the Federal Government only providing its franchise, infrastructure and institutional support.
He expressed confidence that preparations for the landmark event were progressing impressively, noting that major global airshows such as those in Farnborough, Paris and Dubai have played critical roles in projecting national aviation capabilities and attracting investment.
He added that Nigeria’s first international airshow is expected to deliver similar benefits.
Keyamo said the event would feature daily exhibitions, stakeholder seminars, business networking sessions and special aerial displays by the Nigerian Air Force on the opening and closing days.
He also revealed that thousands of international visitors were expected to arrive from Sunday as global attention continues to build around the event.
The lead private partner, Mrs Brian Okonkwo, Chief Executive of Nigerian International Airshow Limited, confirmed that major global aviation brands, including Textron Aviation and Leonardo Agusta, alongside international and local airlines, lessors, financiers and several industry partners, would participate.
