Bamenda Airport: City Mayor blames insecurity over halt of civilian flights.

He said the money and work put in rehabilitating the airport ahead of the Pope’s visit was also meant to prepare the facility for the return of civilian flights. 

He regretted that things have not been able to go as planned due to insecurity. It should be recalled that when Pope Leo XIV’s visit to Bamenda was announced in April 2026, work started at the Bamenda Airport to improve the facility. 

The road leading to the airport, which had been in poor condition, was rehabilitated. Many expected the airport to resume civilian flights after the Pope’s visit. However, after the Pope visited and left, activities at the airport went comatose. Civilian flights have not resumed. 

“Our efforts were projected in such a way that there will be continuity of the airport’s facilities and functionalities. Regrettably, it’s not the way we thought,” Achobong lamented.

He disclosed that CAMAIR-Co had also indicated that civilian flights would resume after the Pope’s visit, but regretted that this has not happened because of security problems.

“How can we have a facility of that magnitude, and the government was available to spend much money to rehabilitate it, yet we cannot provide security for the airport?” he asked.

The City Mayor called on the population and other stakeholders to work for peace and security so that commercial flights can return to Bamenda.

Approves new development initiatives

During the session, City Councillors of the Bamenda City Council unanimously approved several plans for the city. The City Mayor was given the mandate to look for funds to construct an ultra-modern Bamenda City Conference Centre. 

The project is expected to cost more than 500 million FCFA. The City Council also approved plans to construct a canal to help reduce flooding in the city. 

Reports from the various council committees were also presented. The Welfare Committee reported a drop in money collected from the Municipal Cemetery. 

According to the committee’s Secretary General, City Councillor Tasah Godlove, more families now take the bodies of their loved ones to villages for burial, instead of using the Municipal Cemetery. This, he said, has reduced the money collected by the City Council from the cemetery.

He also said some money set aside to assist victims of natural disasters has not been used, despite recent floods in Bamenda that killed two children from the same family.

The session ended with City Councillors reaffirming their support for development projects in Bamenda. The City Council said it would continue looking for funds and partnerships to improve roads, drainage and other public services.

This article was first published in The Guardian Post Edition No:3889 of Tuesday August 25, 2026