Governor Dauda Lawal on Sunday witnessed the maiden flight at Gusau International Airport, a milestone for Zamfara State, which has not had an operational airport since its creation over 30 years ago.
A statement by the governor’s spokesperson, Sulaiman Bala Idris, said the test flight, operated by the Federal Government of Nigeria, landed at the airport at exactly 4:30 p.m.
The aircraft, a Bombardier Challenger 605, conducted a one-off assessment to determine the airport’s readiness for VIP movements scheduled next week.
The statement quoted Governor Lawal saying, “Today will remain a historic day in the history of Zamfara State as Governor Lawal witnessed the landing of the maiden flight at the Gusau International Airport.
“The aircraft with registration 5N-FGZ performed a one-off test to assess the airport’s capability for VIP movements scheduled next week.”
According to the statement, the flight was conducted in compliance with the Nigeria Civil Aviation Regulations (Nig. CARs) Part 12.1.4.1(c).
“Before the test flight, the state government requested permission from the NCAA, and the Authority granted a one-off ‘No Technical Objection’ (NTO) for the Aircraft to land in Gusau,” it said.
The statement added that the operation was conducted under Visual Flight Rules (VFR), “which was strictly from sunrise to sunset.”
It concluded by highlighting the significance of the flight for the state, “The historic test flight has significantly boosted Governor Lawal’s administration’s reputation, especially since Zamfara has lacked an airport since its creation over 30 years ago.”
PUNCH Online in April 2025 had reported that Governor Lawal had announced that the state’s airport is nearing completion and is expected to be operational within the next four months.
Lawal emphasised the importance of the airport in addressing one of the state’s accessibility.
The governor pointed out the difficulties investors face when attempting to reach Zamfara, noting that the long and perilous journey from Abuja, which takes up to seven hours by road, often deters potential investors from coming to the state.
