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The Akwa
Ibom State Government has acquired two new aircraft for Ibom Airlines to make a
total of five aircraft owned by the state.
Chairman of
Ibom Air, Air Commodore Idongesit Nkanga (rtd), said during a press conference
with newsmen in Uyo that the new aircrafts would be unveiled this January.
He said Ibom
Air had made about 3,000 flights since it began operations in June, and is now
flying more routes.
Nkanga
explained that before 2023, the state would float 10 aircraft, adding that the
government had invested a lot in the aviation business to boost the Internally
Generated Revenue (IGR) of the state.
He revealed
that the coming of Ibom Air had brought substantial economic improvement to the
state.
“Within
these eight months, we will have five aircraft. Towards the end of last year,
around October, we were expecting to add about two more aircraft to the
existing three. We did that because during the Yuletide we expected more people
to travel. But there was a little delay.
“nevertheless,
two additional aircrafts are arriving this January. Within these eight months,
we will have five aircraft. And we have operated about 3,000 flight.
“We have
increased our routes, because when we first started, it was Uyo to Lagos and
Uyo to Abuja. We have since added Abuja to Lagos and Lagos to Abuja.
“We have
done enough to make on time departure and we have made about 97percent on time
departure.
“Before the
end of this administration, we should be able to acquire 10 aircrafts. That is
the target, and before 2022 we should expand the domestic, regional and
international routes,” he stated. Bohem Rendost
