Port Harcourt Airport Certification Opens Door To International Routes

Port Harcourt International Airport (PHC), serving the capital city of Nigeria’s Rivers State, has received full certification and an operational license from Nigeria’s Civil Aviation Authority, confirming compliance with International Civil Aviation Organization safety standards and opening the door to expanded international service.

The certification, announced by the Rivers State Government on July 10, caps a 40-year history for the airport, following recent infrastructure upgrades, modernization and the installation of safety equipment required to meet national and international benchmarks.

“The Port Harcourt International Airport, which serves as the gateway to Rivers State and the entire South-South region, is now fully certified,” said Lynda Ezike, regional general manager of South-South Airports and airport manager at PHC. “More international airlines can now operate into Port Harcourt with confidence, knowing that the airport meets internationally recognized safety requirements.”

The airport operates mainly domestic services, with Air Peace, Ibom Air, Arik Air and United Nigeria Airlines connecting it to Lagos and the country’s capital, Abuja.

International services remain limited. OAG Schedules Analyser data shows only three nonstop Central Africa destinations this summer:  Libreville, Gabon; Douala, Cameroon; and Malabo,  Equatorial Guinea. Libreville is the largest international market, with FlyGabon operating 147 flights and 7,578 seats over the season. Lufthansa and Qatar Airways also serve PHC but are classified as domestic routes.

Sabre Market Intelligence data points to where the certification could open new capacity. Within Africa, Accra is the top unserved market with 4,708 annual two-way passengers, ahead of Port-Gentil (2,039), Banjul (1,238), Abidjan (642) and Pointe-Noire (601).

Globally, the largest unserved markets are London (7,286 passengers); Dammam, Saudi Arabia (5,931); Houston (5,360); Delhi (5,170) and Accra (4,708).