Akwa Ibom State government two weeks ago officially launched the state’s airline , named Ibom Air. This has made the state to be the first to launch a commercial airline. It is expected that the airline will employ 300 people, “but 3,000 people will be involved in Ibom Air at one time or the other.”

According to the State governor, Governor Udom Emmanuel, the aim is to create thousands of direct and indirect jobs with the airline and enhance the acquisition of advanced skills by the people of the state who would benefit from aeronautical training as pilots, engineers, cabin crew and others.

While two of the aircrafts, CRJ 900 series from Canada with registration C-FWNL and C-FWNK arrived the state last Wednesday for operation, the third in the fleet came in Friday, February 22. The planes which are about six years old were unveiled by the Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki at the Victor Attah International Stadium, Uyo,

Unveiling the airline, Saraki said : “Millions of youths are looking for job, government on its own cannot provide those jobs, it is the government that can facilitate an environment for investment that will bring hope for our people and that is what Udom is doing here. He is creating environment for opportunity for people to have job, he is creating environment for investment.”

Speaking at the launch of the airline, Governor Emmanuel said the airline was a monumental achievement of his administration adding that the aircrafts were only six years old and each has a sitting capacity of about 90 persons and were the newest and modern fleet of the Canadian airbus.

He noted that Akwa Ibom was the only state in the country to run a state owned airport and run an airline, adding that the government was running Ibom Air as a business. He further said that the Ibom airline will operate routes that would give preference to Akwa Ibom people, and that the government would soon launch one of the best terminal buildings in this country.

Governor Emmanuel said : “The launching of Ibom Air is a monumental achievement in Akwa Ibom state and indeed Africa. The journey to achieve Ibom airline started in 2016 and today, it is a reality. I want to charge my people that we can achieve a lot if we come together. This is the only state across the country that runs and operates an international airport. We are the only state that runs a category two runway”.

“I want to reassure the former governor, Obong Victor Attah that very soon the MRO will be a place that will maintain fleets of aircrafts across the country. We are running Ibom Air as a business, paying particular attention to Akwa Ibom people.” he declared.

Former governor of the state and initiator of the airport project, Obong Victor Attah lauded the governor for continuing with the project he started, adding that he was happy that the governor was running the state as a business.

The Chairman, Ibom Air, Idongesit Nkanga, in his contribution said the airline will boost the realisation of the MRO facility within the region

Also speaking at the occasion, the Technical Consultant of Ibom Air, Mfon Udom said the project commenced about three years ago and that “One more plane will arrive in August, three will join in 2020 and three others in 2021. The plan is for Ibom air to be a regional air. Ibom air will fly three frequencies a day from Uyo to Lagos, morning, afternoon, evening”.

“The policy of Ibom Air is that Ibom Air will fly when our customers want to fly and not when it wants to fly. All successful airlines in the world is government owned; British airways is still supported by government. The government has taken the right steps. Ibom air will employ 300 people but 3,000 people will be involved in Ibom Air at one time or the other, excellent managers have been selected,” he stated.