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Joe Effiong, Uyo
The latest aircraft acquired by Akwa Ibom State Government for the Ibom Air fleet, is said to have the potentialities of fighting and eliminating any virus or bacteria from its cabin.
Secretary to the State Government and Chairman of COVID-19 management committee, Emmanuel Ekuwem, who disclosed this yesterday while giving an update on the committee’s activities, said the plane, a Bombardier CRJ-900, brings to four the number of aircraft in Ibom Air fleet.
“This aircraft, with registration number 5N-BXP, made its maiden commercial flight in May 2014 (just six years ago). Thus, Ibom Air continues to operate the lowest average fleet age among Nigeria’s airlines.
“This fleet strategy is in line with our vision to be a world-class African regional airline. A key benefit of Ibom Air’s modern fleet of Bombardier CRJ 900 aircraft is that they all come fitted with High-Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filters.
“HEPA are high-intensity filters that do not just filter dust, but effectively capture greater than 99 percent of the airborne microbes in the filtered air, including microscopic particles such as bacteria and viruses.
“Cabin air in HEPA equipped aircraft generally pass through the filters 20-30 times per hour, removing contaminants and greatly enhancing the quality of air in the cabin.
“Therefore, when the suspension on domestic flight is lifted, Ibom Air will offer one of the safest, if not safest domestic travel option during COVID-19 pandemic in addition to other personal and respiratory hygiene guidelines already prescribed globally,” Ekuwem said.
