Edo signs MoU with China Express Airline and KDN Aero for proposed Edo Air
- Governor Monday Okpebholo signed the agreement at Government House in Benin City on Wednesday.
- The deal follows a seven-member Edo delegation's fact-finding trip to China in September.
- No launch date, fleet size, routes or costs were disclosed.
Edo State has moved closer to having its own airline. Governor Monday Okpebholo on Wednesday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with China Express Airline Co. Ltd and KDN Aero to work towards setting up Edo Air, the state's proposed carrier.
The signing held at Government House in Benin City, with the Chinese airline's President, Shansheng Li, and KDN Aero Managing Director Tianzhi Chen leading the visiting team. Deputy Governor Dennis Idahosa, Secretary to the State Government Umar Musa Ikhilor and other officials attended.
Okpebholo described the agreement as a first step in a longer partnership. "We have signed the MoU, and this is the first part of it. We will continue to build on it," he said, adding that with the partners' capacity shown, "Edo Air will be in the airspace very soon."
In a post on X, the governor said the airline is meant to create jobs, draw tourists and investors, and make air travel easier for residents, rather than just add another state-owned carrier.
What the deal covers, and what it does not
The announcement left out key details: when flights would start, how many aircraft Edo Air would have, which routes it would fly, who would own what, and how much each side is putting in.
Ikhilor said the agreement came after a seven-person Edo team travelled to China on September 14, 2026, with the governor's approval, to look for technical and operational partners. The team included Head of Service Dr Anthony Okungbowa, Accountant-General Julius Anelu and the state's Chief Aviation Consultant, Captain Nuhu Musa.
The delegation visited China Express Airline and the Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (COMAC), a major Chinese planemaker, to check their capacity. At China Express headquarters, the team toured a control room with a large screen tracking flights nationwide, which showed 192 flights logged by 10 a.m. that day. Ikhilor said that visit and talks with management convinced the team China Express was a suitable partner.
At the ceremony, Li gave the governor a model aircraft, while Chen spoke for the Chinese side on the airline's operations.
What happens next
Edo Air joins a growing list of state airline projects. Akwa Ibom started Ibom Air in 2019, Cross River set up Cally Air in 2021 with private operators, and Enugu launched Enugu Air in July 2025. Ebonyi announced its own plan in 2024.
For Edo residents, the practical questions remain unanswered: ticket prices, routes and timelines. The MoU is not a final agreement, and the project's next steps will depend on further deals and the airline's operating plans.
