The governor of Akwa Ibom State, Pastor Umo Eno, says his administration would soon embark on the construction of an aviation village near the Victor Attah International Airport.
The governor disclosed this on Tuesday at a brief ceremony to receive the new A220-300 series aircraft for the state-owned Ibom Air.
He said the growth and expansion of Ibom Air is worth celebrating and enjoined all Akwa Ibomites to always remain grateful to God for the airline.
Governor Eno emphasised the need to always show gratitude, saying, “We will always gather to celebrate growth, hard work, commitment, and dedication because Ibom Air is the pride of Akwa Ibom State.”
Speaking further he said: “As part of our efforts to expand the aviation ecosystem in Akwa Ibom, we will, in the next few weeks, flag off the construction of the Aviation Village, an estate that will accommodate aviation workers because they need to reside near the airport as we are planning to operate 24 hours.
“The housing estate will come with schools, hospitals, and other amenities so that all of our aviation staff will live close to the airport.”
Eno while reflecting on the success story of the airline since its inception five years ago, said, “Ibom Air remains a model of how best government should run business, and we will soon use the same model in the state-owned Specialist Hospital.”
He also disclosed that his government is working towards ensuring the completion of the Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul (MRO) hangar, as well as the new international terminal building.
While also announcing plans to remodel the airport clinic in line with the new international standards of the airport, the Akwa Ibom helmsman paid glowing tributes to his predecessor and visionary of the airline business, Udom Emmanuel, for his resilience in establishing the airline, despite the barrage of criticisms that trailed the vision.
“He received a lot of attacks, like we are receiving now in some of the strategic projects we are bringing to the state. But he (Udom Emmanuel) was focused and undaunted. Today, even the worst critics of this airline, I see them on this airline.”
He noted that the airline currently owns seven aircraft, and none are leased, describing the feat as a product of vision and focus, which every leader should strive to imbibe.
The governor commended President Bola Tinubu for his commitment to supporting the state and its programs.
“I salute all of our past leaders: His Excellency, Arc. Obong Victor Attah, after whom the airport is rightly named, and His Excellency Godswill Obot Akpabio, the Senate President of Nigeria, for their pioneering roles in conceptualizing and constructing this airport and other facilities we find today in the state.”
Promising to always remain supportive of the airline, he said his government will continue to place a premium on tourism and other investment opportunities in the state, saying the state is the destination of choice.
He commended the security agencies, the royal fathers and religious leaders, the youths, and elders for their roles in keeping the state peaceful.
Earlier, the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the airline, Captain Mfon Udom, and the Chairman of Ibom Air, Mr. Imo Abasi Jacob had said the arrival of an additional A220-300 series Airbus to the fleet of Ibom Air was a much-needed boost that would improve the efficiency of the airline’s flight schedule.
“Beyond adding two new destinations to the routes of Ibom Air later this year, the aircraft will boost services on existing routes,” said Captain Udom, who also thanked the financial partners, Fidelity Bank and Union Bank, who helped facilitate the acquisition of the new aircraft.
He said the new plane was different from the ten new A220-300 series aircraft previously ordered and that when the nine remaining expected aircraft arrive, the airline would boast of 11 A220 airplanes.
Also speaking, Charles Nwoke, Executive Director, Risk Management, Fidelity Bank, identified “schedule reliability and in-house inflight service” as factors that make Ibom Air able to compete favorably with international airlines.
