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Ibom Air has denied claims that it is exercising monopoly over operations at Victor Attah International Airport or prevents other airlines from operating from the airport.
In a statement, the airline said it has no authority, mandate or regulatory power to prevent another airline from operating from Uyo, or from any other airport in Nigeria.
It said the decision to authorise, regulate, suspend, or otherwise permit an airline’s operations rests with the appropriate aviation regulatory authorities.
It said: “Under Section 8(3) of the Civil Aviation Act 2022, the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) is solely responsible for the regulation of civil aviation in Nigeria. Therefore, where an airline meets the applicable regulatory and operational requirements and receives the necessary approvals, another airline cannot simply be prevented from operating by Ibom Air.
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“It is important to distinguish between an airline choosing to suspend or adjust its own operations and an airline preventing another carrier from operating. For example, Ibom Air has, at various times, temporarily suspended operations to destinations such as Enugu and Calabar to enable mandatory maintenance and other operational requirements on its aircraft.
“Such decisions are internal operational decisions and should not be interpreted as an attempt to create or maintain a monopoly. Similarly, operational constraints at an airport, including aircraft availability, fuel logistics, airport infrastructure, scheduling and regulatory requirements, can affect the number or frequency of flights without meaning that one airline is controlling access to the airport.”
The airline said it welcomes competition as more airlines operating from Uyo can mean more travel options for passengers, greater choice of schedules and fares, increased connectivity for Akwa Ibom and the wider South-South region, greater passenger traffic into the airport and a stronger aviation ecosystem and destination economy.
