Ibom Air Launches Historic Uyo–Accra Service Amid New Terminal Opening
Ibom Air made history on Saturday as the first state-owned airline to operate a scheduled international flight, connecting Victor Attah International Airport in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, to Accra International Airport in Ghana.
The inaugural flight, operated with a Bombardier CRJ 900, carried 86 passengers and four crew members. The 84-minute journey marked the first time a scheduled commercial service linked Uyo directly to another country from the state government-owned airport, which was recently designated an international facility by the Federal Government.
Passengers, including senior government officials and prominent indigenes of the state, celebrated the milestone. One passenger described the emotional moment when Uyo appeared among the international cities listed on flight display screens at Accra's immigration hall. Former Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Mr. Umana Umana, who served as Finance Commissioner when the airport was conceived under Governor Victor Attah and later as Secretary to State Government during the Godswill Akpabio administration that completed the facility, was also on board.
Ibom Air has been operating scheduled Lagos–Accra–Lagos flights since October 2023. Saturday's launch of the Uyo–Accra–Uyo service represents its first regional connection from the Akwa Ibom capital.
The event was a double celebration, coinciding with the commencement of operations at the airport's brand new terminal building, a project that took 27 years to complete. Speaking at a brief pre-departure ceremony, Governor Umo Eno described the terminal as the most modern in the country, designed to handle both international and domestic flights under one roof with seamless passenger transfers, a feature previously requested by Richard Branson in 2004 as a condition for Virgin Atlantic to operate domestic services in Nigeria.
Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, and Ibom Air Chief Executive, George Uriesi, both underscored the terminal's unique selling point as an aviation hub, with Keyamo highlighting the multiplier effects of seamless passenger transitions under one roof.
Flight QI640 departed at 3:19 pm with Captain Kumi Toyinbo in command. During the flight, Governor Eno walked the aisle, shaking hands and exchanging pleasantries with passengers. Refreshments were served, and the aircraft cruised along the Atlantic coastline before descending into Accra, where the landing was greeted with a long round of applause from those on board.
The return flight the following day, with Captain Abubarkar Abdulkarim at the controls, touched down in Uyo at 4 pm to a tumultuous welcome. Twenty-five minutes before arrival, First Officer Enwongoabasi Esara made an emotional announcement, paying tribute to former Governor Udom Emmanuel, whose administration sent him and 19 other Akwa Ibom youths for pilot training in France in 2020, and thanking Governor Eno for paying the fees for them to complete their training. All 20 have since qualified as certified pilots, while an additional 10 have been sent for similar training at Ethiopian Airlines.
At a press conference later in the evening, Governor Eno announced the creation of a Ministry of Aviation and Airport Development and said a search for a competent aviation professional to head the ministry would commence soon. He also disclosed that construction of a cargo terminal would begin shortly.
The new Uyo–Accra service is strategically positioned to serve passengers from the South East and South South regions, who will no longer need to travel to Lagos and possibly overnight before catching a flight to Ghana. Five Nigerian airlines — Africa World Airline, United Nigeria, Value Jet, Ibom Air, and Air Peace, currently operate in and out of Accra, while ten Nigerian banks and other significant Nigerian investments exist in Ghana.
Ibom Air intends to expand its regional network to include Yaoundé, Douala, Libreville, and Nairobi, with a model inspired by Ethiopian Airlines, the Ethiopian government-owned carrier that grossed $7.6 billion in revenue for the 2024/2025 financial year. Governor Eno's vision is to grow Ibom Air into a business that contributes significantly to Akwa Ibom State's GDP, currently estimated at $50.3 billion. The airline recently took delivery of two new Airbus jets, with a third expected next month.