By Iroyin Yoruba Television
The Brigadier Zakari Maimalari International Airport in Gombe is facing a revenue challenge as its management seeks to expand passenger traffic, attract additional airlines and transform the facility into a stronger aviation gateway for Nigeria’s North-East.
The airport currently handles between 250 and 400 passengers a day, according to its Sole Administrator, Suleiman-Daniel Musa, who said management is pursuing several measures aimed at increasing the facility’s commercial activity.
Musa disclosed that four airlines are currently operating scheduled services at the airport, compared with two when he assumed office in March 2025. Management is also negotiating with additional carriers as it seeks to connect Gombe with more destinations, particularly in southern Nigeria and the North-West.
Despite the increase in airline presence and reported growth in internally generated revenue, the airport has not yet reached the point where its income can cover its operating expenditure. Management therefore continues to depend substantially on government support while working to develop additional sources of revenue.
The situation illustrates one of the major challenges facing smaller airports in Nigeria: increasing passenger numbers and airline participation does not automatically translate into financial self-sufficiency.
REVENUE HAS RISEN, BUT COSTS REMAIN HIGH
Musa said management reforms have produced a 32 per cent increase in revenue since he took over in March 2025.
However, the increase has not been sufficient to close the gap between income and expenditure.
The administrator acknowledged that the airport remains dependent on government funding because its revenue inflow is still considerably below what is required to run the facility and maintain its infrastructure.
The challenge is particularly important because airports have substantial fixed operating costs. Passenger terminals, runways, security systems, emergency services, lighting, power supply, communications equipment and other facilities must be maintained whether passenger traffic is high or low.
An airport also requires personnel across multiple operational areas. Aviation security, air traffic services, fire and emergency response, passenger processing, maintenance and administrative functions all have associated costs.
For a smaller airport, those expenses can become difficult to absorb when passenger volumes remain relatively modest.
Management is therefore attempting to move the facility towards a model in which more of its activities generate income rather than depending primarily on government allocations.
The administrator said the airport had historically not operated sufficiently as a business and that management was now looking at available revenue streams that could be developed.
That approach could include stronger commercial use of airport facilities, improved passenger services, additional airline activity and other aviation-related businesses.
EXPANSION OF AIRLINE SERVICES
One of the clearest strategies being pursued is the expansion of the airport’s airline network.
According to the administrator, four airlines now operate scheduled services from Gombe, compared with two when he assumed office.
The airport’s scheduled activity is currently concentrated largely around the Abuja-Gombe connection, which makes Abuja an important link between Gombe and Nigeria’s wider domestic aviation network. Management wants to move beyond that limited network by securing direct services to additional parts of the country.
Negotiations are reportedly ongoing with airlines that could provide connections to southern and North-Western destinations.
Expanding the route network could make the airport more attractive to passengers who currently have to travel to another city before boarding a flight to their final destination.
For travellers in Gombe and surrounding parts of the North-East, direct connections to commercial centres could reduce journey times and make air travel more convenient.
A broader route network could also increase the airport’s attractiveness to businesses.
Companies generally place value on reliable connections when deciding how easily their employees, suppliers, customers and business partners can move between locations.
If Gombe can establish direct links with additional economic centres, the airport could become more relevant to businesses operating across regional markets.
THE NORTH-EAST HUB AMBITION
Management has stated an ambition to develop the Gombe airport into an aviation hub for the North-East.
Achieving that objective would require more than simply increasing the number of airlines.
A regional aviation hub needs sufficient passenger demand, reliable schedules, adequate terminal facilities, efficient ground handling, dependable power, strong security arrangements and infrastructure capable of supporting increasing traffic.
The airport also needs routes that complement one another.
An airport with several destinations can provide passengers with greater choice, while airlines benefit from a larger potential customer base.
Gombe's geographical position gives it a potential role in connecting communities and businesses within the North-East with other parts of Nigeria.
However, the hub ambition will depend on whether sufficient demand exists to support additional routes.
Airlines must be able to fill aircraft at commercially sustainable levels. They also need confidence that airport facilities can support their operations without excessive delays or additional costs.
For that reason, the ongoing infrastructure work at the airport is closely connected to the route expansion programme.
FACILITY CONSTRAINTS
One of the immediate obstacles identified by the airport management is inadequate office space.
Musa explained that bringing additional airlines into the airport would be difficult if there were not enough suitable space for their operations.
Airlines require offices and operational areas for staff, passenger services, administration and other activities. As the number of operators grows, the demand for such facilities also increases.
The airport is therefore undergoing renovation intended to address some of these limitations.
The work is expected to provide additional offices and other facilities for prospective airline operators.
Other improvements reportedly include a baggage conveyor system, a borehole for water supply and separate arrival and departure halls. The renovation is expected to take about two months, according to information published following the administrator's disclosure.
Such improvements can affect the passenger experience as well as airline operations.
An efficient baggage system can reduce manual handling, while separate arrival and departure areas can improve passenger movement through the terminal.
Reliable water supply is also an essential part of airport operations, particularly in a facility that handles passengers, staff and security personnel throughout the day.
INFRASTRUCTURE INVESTMENT
The current renovation programme forms part of wider infrastructure attention directed towards the airport by the Gombe State Government.
In August, the state government approved funding for several airport-related projects.
The measures included more than ₦414 million for repairs to washouts caused by heavy rainfall and approximately ₦839 million for renovation and furnishing of airport facilities.
The renovation package was also reported to include rehabilitation of critical infrastructure and restoration of the airport’s fire service truck.
Another approximately ₦400 million was approved for solar-powered street lighting along the four-kilometre corridor between the Hajj Camp and the airport, including internal airport roads.
The investments address several different aspects of airport operations.
Repairs to infrastructure damaged by rainfall are necessary to maintain the physical condition of the facility, while improvements to the fire service capability relate directly to emergency preparedness.
Lighting along the access corridor and inside the airport can improve visibility and security, particularly during nighttime operations.
Taken together, the projects indicate that the airport's development strategy involves both aviation infrastructure and the surrounding access environment.
INTERNATIONAL OPERATIONS REMAIN POSSIBLE
Although Gombe currently does not have scheduled international passenger services, the airport has handled international movements on an occasional basis.
Musa said the facility is capable of handling international operations and has previously accommodated private international flights when the required approvals were obtained.
However, he identified reliable electricity supply as an important consideration for international operations.
Airport facilities require dependable power for security systems, passenger processing, communications, lighting, baggage handling and other essential functions.
Where an airport experiences interruptions to its power supply, operators may need alternative arrangements to keep critical systems functioning.
Management has indicated that international operations could be reconsidered as the airport develops and if a more dependable power arrangement can be established.
The distinction between occasional private international flights and scheduled international services is important.
A scheduled international route requires consistent passenger demand, airline commitment, immigration and customs arrangements, appropriate security infrastructure and regulatory coordination.
It is therefore a considerably larger operational undertaking than handling occasional international movements.
SECURITY REMAINS A PRIORITY
The airport management is also working on its security arrangements as part of the expansion programme.
Musa acknowledged that the facility has faced security challenges but said additional personnel had been deployed.
Security responsibilities involve several agencies, including the police, Department of State Services, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps and aviation security personnel.
The administrator said management intends to revamp the airport’s wider security architecture as expansion progresses.
This becomes increasingly important when passenger traffic and airline operations increase.
An airport must maintain security not only when aircraft are operating but also when there are no scheduled flights. Aviation facilities contain infrastructure, equipment and other assets that require protection.
The airport management has indicated that security personnel remain on duty even on days without scheduled flights to protect the facility and its assets.
The expansion of passenger services will therefore have to be accompanied by corresponding improvements in security capacity.
CONNECTIVITY AND THE LOCAL ECONOMY
The development of the airport has implications beyond the aviation sector.
An airport provides a transport link that can influence business activity, tourism, government operations and investment.
When direct air connections are available, businesses can move executives and technical personnel between cities more quickly than through long road journeys.
The presence of airlines can also support employment in areas such as ground handling, passenger services, security, cleaning, catering, transportation and hospitality.
Hotels, restaurants, taxi operators and other businesses can benefit from passenger movements.
For Gombe, an expansion of air connectivity could also strengthen the state's ability to attract conferences, business events and visitors from other regions.
However, the economic benefits depend heavily on reliability.
Passengers are more likely to use an airport regularly when flights operate according to dependable schedules and when terminal services are consistent.
For airlines, predictable airport operations are equally important when deciding whether to maintain or expand a route.
THE CHALLENGE OF BUILDING A SUSTAINABLE AIRPORT
The situation at Gombe demonstrates the difference between having an airport and operating a financially sustainable aviation facility.
Passenger traffic provides one source of revenue, but airport management must also develop other commercial activities where appropriate.
That could include leasing office and commercial spaces, improving parking and ground transport arrangements, developing advertising opportunities and expanding aviation-related services, subject to regulatory requirements.
The ability to attract more airlines is also important because additional operators can increase passenger traffic and create greater demand for airport services.
But expansion must be managed carefully.
Rapidly adding airlines without sufficient infrastructure could place pressure on passenger processing, office accommodation, baggage handling, security and other systems.
The airport management's decision to improve facilities alongside its route expansion efforts is therefore central to the broader strategy.
The goal is not simply to increase the number of flights but to create an environment capable of supporting them.
WHAT COMES NEXT
The immediate focus for Gombe airport is likely to remain the completion of the ongoing renovation, strengthening of revenue generation and expansion of the route network.
Management wants additional airlines to connect Gombe with the southern and North-Western parts of Nigeria, while the state government continues to invest in infrastructure around the airport.
The number of passengers using the facility will remain an important measure of whether those efforts are producing results.
At between 250 and 400 passengers a day, the airport has an existing passenger base, but management's stated ambition to turn it into a North-East aviation hub would require substantially broader connectivity and sustained growth.
The revenue challenge will also need to be addressed.
A 32 per cent increase in internally generated revenue represents growth, according to the administrator, but the airport still requires government support because income remains below expenditure.
That makes the development of new revenue streams particularly important.
If the airport can increase passenger numbers, attract more airlines, improve its facilities and generate additional commercial income, it could gradually reduce the pressure on public funding.
The process will require sustained investment and careful operational management.
For now, Gombe's aviation story is one of expansion taking place alongside financial pressure. The airport has increased the number of airlines operating scheduled services, is pursuing new routes and is undergoing infrastructure improvements, but it has yet to reach financial self-sufficiency.
The coming months will show whether the combination of new facilities, additional airline services and stronger commercial management can turn that expansion into a more sustainable aviation operation for Gombe and the wider North-East.