Ibom Air will commence international flight operations in April 2026, following near completion of preparations at the Victor Attah International Airport, Uyo, the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Mr Festus Keyamo, has said.
Gatekeepers News reports that Keyamo spoke on Wednesday after inspecting facilities at the airport alongside the Akwa Ibom State Governor, Mr Umo Eno, during a meeting with agencies responsible for international airport operations.
The minister expressed satisfaction with the level of readiness at the airport, noting that Akwa Ibom State had exceeded expectations in preparing the facility for international flights.
“Having heard from all the agencies involved in an international airport ecosystem, they were all here with us, and we held a closed-door meeting—from Customs to Quarantine, the Nigeria Immigration Service, NDLEA, Police, DSS, to NEMA and all aviation agencies,” Keyamo said.
“From all we have heard, Akwa Ibom State is ahead of the plan scheduled. We thought the gaps to be closed would be much, but they are virtually very small gaps. Akwa Ibom State has gone ahead of schedule to a full-blown international airport,” he added.
Keyamo said facilities inspected included a newly constructed international terminal and a Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) facility, which he described as critical to international airport operations.
“This facility we are seeing here is the MRO, which means all international airlines coming here have a facility where they can conduct routine checks before they fly out again. It is one of the standard requirements of any international airport,” he said.
In his remarks, Governor Eno thanked the minister for what he described as his passion and commitment to ensuring that aviation infrastructure is fully utilised to drive national economic growth.
The governor also expressed appreciation to President Bola Tinubu for approving the upgrade of the Victor Attah International Airport to international status and for releasing statutory funds for its development.
Eno further acknowledged the contributions of past leaders in the state, noting that their groundwork laid the foundation for the current level of progress recorded at the airport.
