Following the need to further deepen aviation business opportunities at the Victor Attah International Airport, Uyo and the need to fill the man power deficit in the field in Akwa Ibom State, a very erudite legislator, the Member speaking for the good people of INI State Constituency, Hon (Dcn) Lawrence Udoide JP has sponsored a motion seeking the resolution of Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly to urge government of the state to establish and operate an aviation college in the state.
The motion brought to the house pursuant to Order lll Rule l of the Standing Orders Of Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly Seventh Edition, notified the house that with the facilities in the airport which can only be compared to those at Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos and Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja; operational capacities of the airport; the future expansion plan which had long commenced; quality of service offered, and the presence of the state owned airline-Ibom Air currently operating at the airport, the state is best suited for the establishment of Aviation College.
Presenting the motion on the floor of hallowed chamber of the State house of assembly on Tuesday, 3rd September 2024, Udoide maintained that the Victor Attah International Airport is the only state owned and managed Category 2 Airport in Nigeria that is currently undergoing a face lift to add a second parallel runway to the existing 3.5 km x 60m runway 21.
The Lawmaker stated that the MRO at the airport was constructed to standard and is capable of handling maintenance and overhaul of heavy aircraft. According to him, The facility can conduct the A, B, C, and D checks and is specifically designed for Boeing 747, and can accommodate two Boeing 747 – 4000 parked juxtaposed, nose-up fully contained within the building.
The INI Lawmaker emphasized that the facility, equipment, arrangement, clearance and supporting workshops of the MRO allows for flexibility in servicing a wide range of commercial aircraft. He also explained that the operational facilities of the Airport has a category 9 aircraft rescue and firefighting capacity, a category 11 instrument landing system, an air traffic control tower, a technical and administrative building, emergency operating centre, aviation fuel farm, health clinic, police station, perimeter fencing in line with global best practice in aviation industry.
He also brought to the notice of the house the fact that Ibom Air which was launched on 7th June 2019 and which has remained a reliable brand since its inauguration with recent additional air buses of various descriptions to its fleet and still expanding even to this day, is a proof of the managerial prowess of the State government.
On this premise, he called on the house to interface with His Excellency Pastor Umo Eno, Governor of Akwa Ibom State on the need to apply to the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority, NACAA to approve and license Victor Attah International Airport as an Approved Training Organisations (ATO) for subsequent upgrading to Aviation College.
