An Ibom Air aircraft and crew
By Akpan David, Calabar
Governor Ben Ayade of Cross River State has welcomed the arrival of Ibom Air into the state.
He has coroborated the views of the former governor of the state, Mr Donald Duke who alongside his wife and other dignitaries were part of the maiden flight of Ibom Air on July 20, 2020 into the Margaret Ekpo International airport, Calabar.
Duke had commended the high standard of services of the airline and said it will further boost the relationship of Akwa Ibom and Cross River states.
Ayade said the airline will boost air traffic but that when the proposed Cally Air owned by the Criss River State government starts operations, its services will displace other airlines.
He spoke in his hometown of Obudu where he met chiefs and the people of the four communities whose lands were acquired for the proposed Obudu International Air cargo airport, and which N500 million compensation is paid.
Ayade said that in no distant future, the airport will be completed and operational as the federal government has already given the necessary approvals.
“The intention of this airport is to provide cargo support services and export of ornamental and special flowers from the Obudu Cattle Ranch.”
The state Commissioner for Aviation, Dr Jacob Otu Enyia disclosed that the airport runway will be the longest in the country at 5.6km.
Chairman of the Ibom Air, Idongesit Nkanga, a former military governor of Akwa Ibom State, said in keeping with their remarkable services and promptitude, the new airline will fill the yawning gap and also impact the air passengers from the Calabar airport by their daily flights from Uyo to Lagos to Abuja and Calabar and back to Uyo.
Before now, it was mostly the Air Peace airline that serviced the Calabar airport when Arik Air reduced its services.
Array of passengers in the state who were seriously affected by the shortage of flights into and out of the ancient city, have heaved a sigh of relief as they said they will no longer risk travelling long distances to either Uyo or Port Harcourt airports to board flights.
