Abasifreke Effiong – Uyo
Ovedhe Hezekiah – Warri
Akwa Ibom’s darling airline, Ibom Air will start flight operations to Asaba, Delta state capital when the Delta State International Airport reopens for operations in few days, The Dune can report authoritatively.
Ibom Air which resumed commercial flights in the Nigerian airspace in June 2019 recently added two new 90 passengers bombardier CRJ-900 aircraft to its fleet. The fifth aircraft on the airline’s fleet arrived Nigeria on August 1.
After the fifth aircraft arrived, Ibom Air company launched a destination guess on its Facebook page, asking its followers to guess the next destination the airline is targeting after it landed in Calabar last month.
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Under the destination guess, Asaba, Port Harcourt, Enugu and Kano were listed as options.
The Dune gathered on Tuesday this week ahead of the resumption of operations at the Delta State International Airport in Asaba, that Ibom Air has been enlisted alongside Azman, and Arik Air to fly the route.
Meanwhile, the Secretary to Delta State Government, Mr Chiedu Ebie, said the Asaba International Airport will resume operations soon, months after it was shutdown due to the Coronavirus pandemic.
Delta state SSG, Ebie, speaking during the inspection of the Delta state international airport on Thursday 6th August.
Ebie, who inspected the airport on Thursday August 6, 2020, ascertain the level of preparation on the part of the management of the airport for full resumption of flight operations in the airport, said he was impressed with the level of compliance with guidelines by Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) and the NCDC against the spread of COVID-19.
“The state government had put necessary protocols in place at the airport for passenger compliance with COVID-19 injunctions given by Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) for aviation activities.”
He stated that personnel of the airport were currently undergoing training to enable them function optimally in line with the “new normal’’, assuring that the state government would work out modalities to ensure that social -distancing and wearing of face masks were maintained in the airport operation.
Earlier, the Special Project Director of the airport, Mr Austin Ayemidejor, had said “steps have been taken to ensure that there is physical-distancing, compulsory wearing of face masks, washing of hands at the point of entry and temperature check”.
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Ayemidejor who conducted the inspection team comprising the SSG, Commissioner for Information, Mr Charles Aniagwu, his counterpart in the Ministry of Finance, Sir Fidelis Tilije and the Chief of Staff, Government House, Chief David Edevbie; said the airport was fully set to host full flight operations.
Areas inspected at the airport were the ticketing hall, departure and arrival halls as well as other sections of the airport where a lot of facilities were already fixed in compliance with the fight against COVID-19.
