Akwa Ibom State Government says its two newly acquired aircraft will be unveiled this month.
This, it said, would bring to five the number of aircraft owned by the state government.
The Chairman of Ibom Air, Air Commodore Idongesit Nkanga (retd), told journalists in Uyo that the state government had invested heavily in the aviation sector as an alternative means of boosting its internally generated revenue.
He said since the Ibom Air started operations some months ago, it had recorded over 3,000 flights, adding that its routes had been increased.
“Within these months, we will have five aircraft. Towards the end of last year, we were expecting to add about two more aircraft to the existing three. We did that because we were approaching the Yuletide and we expected more people to travel. But there was a little delay.
“Additional two aircraft are arriving this January. We have operated about 3,000 flights. 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,” he stated.
The former military administrator of the state said the state was targeting 10 more aircraft before 2023 ending.
He said the coming of Ibom Air had hugely improved the economic fortune of the state.
“Before the end of this administration, we should be able to acquire 10 aircraft; that is the target. Before 2022, we should expand our domestic, regional and international routes,” Nkanga added.
