The Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) facility at the Victor Attah International Airport, Uyo, Akwa Ibom State capital has a capacity to process 1.5 million passengers annually in a 12- hour daily work shift and three million in a 24-hour shift.
Though Obong Victor Attah initiated Akwa Ibom International Airport when he was governor from 1999 to 2007, Chief now Senator Godswill Akpabio, governor from 2007 to 2015 built the airport and landed the first aircraft at the airport on September 23, 2009.
As Arik’s B737-800 aircraft with registration 5N-MJO landed on the runway of the airport, Obong Attah and Akpabio together with other dignitaries made the inaugural flight.
Also read: Ibom Air Kisses Victor Attah International Airport, Uyo Again
Giving an overview of the MRO and a smart International Terminal Building and a parallel taxiway with rapid exits and apron extension, Captain Mfon Udom, the Chief Executive Officer of Ibom Air, saw the International Terminal Building, as another world-class aviation masterpiece by Governor Udom Emmanuel.
Udom explained that the project is a three-floor edifice sitting on a total area of about 28,500m2, measuring 183m in length, 117m in width and a height of 14.5m, with 4 escalators, seven lifts and staircases for ease of movement within the facility and five boarding bridges each with a lift and staircase.
‘‘With a 12160 square metre of hangar space, Captain Udom affirmed that the MRO has the capacity to simultaneously accommodate 8 A220, climate controlled, two Boeing 747-400s side by side or four B737/A320 aircrafts,’’ he stated.
He recalled that Nigeria has been making efforts to get an MRO since 1978 but never succeeded, adding that with the completion of the MRO in Uyo, Ibom Air is saved from the long wait and hassles of getting its aircraft maintained in foreign countries.
Inaugurating the MRO, Nigeria’s former Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki, expressed delight over such unparalleled feats by a State in the aviation industry, affirming Governor Udom Emmanuel as a visionary leader.
The two-time Kwara State governor said the setting up of Nigeria’s most sought-after airline, Ibom Air, construction of an MRO, smart terminal building and a parallel taxiway with a capacity of an alternative runway, indicated Governor Emmanuel’s thoughtfulness towards sustainability and job creation for the youths and prosperous future for the state.
Decrying Nigeria’s loss for not being a player in the aviation industry, Senator Saraki called on the Federal Government to support the Akwa Ibom venture, proposing that all airlines operating in Nigeria should patronise the Akwa Ibom MRO.
At the International Terminal Building, outgoing Governor Udom Emmanuel affirmed that the building, equipped with hi-tech components, stands out as the smartest in the region.
Emmanuel acknowledged that the projects inaugurated were part of his administration’s total approach to aviation development, adding that though the project was done with the planned expansion of Ibom Air in mind, the facilities in the airport remain open to all other airlines and investors.
The former Governor, Obong Attah described the MRO as a money spinner for the state and extolled Governor Emmanuel for making the state’s aviation dream come to fruition.
Also, Pastor Umo Eno, Akwa Ibom Governor-elect, promised a deviation from normal in Nigeria where most magnificent edifices are usually left to rot, pledging to ensure maintenance and expansion of the facilities and other projects initiated by the present administration.
