 with China Express Airline Co. Ltd and KDN Aero to drive the proposed Edo Air project.){kind=link}
…Governor Signs MoU with China Express, KDN Aero; Says State-Owned Carrier Will Fly Soon
By Edward Oseghe
BENIN CITY – Edo State Governor, Senator Monday Okpebholo, has taken a major step towards actualising his administration’s plan to establish a state-owned airline, signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with China Express Airline Co. Ltd and KDN Aero to drive the proposed Edo Air project.
The agreement, signed on Wednesday at the Government House, Benin City, followed a presentation by the Chinese aviation partners on their operational capacity and technical capabilities, with Governor Okpebholo expressing confidence in the partnership and assuring that Edo Air would commence operations soon.
Describing the agreement as the beginning of a long-term business relationship, the governor said the presentation had reinforced his administration’s confidence in the capacity of the proposed partners to deliver on the project.
“We have signed the MoU, and this is the first part of it. We will continue to build on it.
“A presentation was made, which was very beautiful and wonderful. We have seen your capability, and we are ready to do business with you. By the grace of God, Edo Air will be in the airspace very soon. So, we are in partnership with you,” he stated.
Providing details of the process leading to the agreement, the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Umar Musa Ikhilor, Esq., disclosed that the MoU was a product of a fact-finding mission to China by a seven-man delegation on September 14, 2026, following the governor’s approval to identify credible technical and operational partners for the proposed airline.
Ikhilor, who led the delegation, said the team included the Head of Service, Dr Anthony Okungbowa; the Accountant-General, Julius Anelu; and the Chief Aviation Consultant to the Edo State Government, Captain Nuhu Musa, alongside other government officials and aviation experts.
He explained that the delegation visited China Express Airline and the Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (COMAC), the country’s major aircraft manufacturer, to assess their operational capabilities and explore potential areas of collaboration.
According to him, China Express made a particularly strong impression on the delegation, which inspected the airline’s flight-monitoring operations at its headquarters.
He recalled that the team was taken through the airline’s flight-control situation room, where a giant screen displayed real-time flight movements across China, with 192 flights already logged by 10 a.m. on the day of the visit.
The SSG said the facilities inspected and engagements with the airline’s management provided sufficient assurance of its suitability as a technical and operational partner for Edo Air.
He expressed optimism that the MoU and subsequent engagements would translate into concrete implementation steps towards establishing the state-owned carrier.
At the signing ceremony, the President of China Express Airline, Shansheng Li, presented Governor Okpebholo with a model aircraft, while the Managing Director of KDN Aero, Tianzhi Chen, spoke on behalf of the Chinese delegation and outlined the airline’s operational structure and capabilities.
The event was attended by the Deputy Governor, Rt. Hon. Dennis Idahosa; the SSG, Umar Musa Ikhilor; the Head of Service, Dr Anthony Okungbowa; the Chief of Staff, Hon. Yakubu Musa, JP; the Commissioner for Finance, Engr. Emmanuel Okoebor; and other top government officials.