Ibom Air has dismissed claims that it controls operations at Victor Attah International Airport, Uyo, or prevents other airlines from operating from the airport.
The Akwa Ibom-based carrier, in a statement issued in Uyo, said it had neither the authority nor regulatory power to stop any airline from operating from Uyo or any other airport in Nigeria.
It said the power to approve, regulate, suspend or otherwise permit airlines to operate rests with the relevant aviation regulatory authorities.
Ibom Air cited Section 8(3) of the Civil Aviation Act 2022, which assigns responsibility for regulating civil aviation in Nigeria to the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA).
The airline said any carrier that meets the required regulatory and operational conditions and obtains the necessary approvals could not be stopped from operating by Ibom Air.
The clarification followed public commentary suggesting that Ibom Air, as the home-based carrier in Uyo, exercised a monopoly over operations at Victor Attah International Airport.
The airline also urged the public to distinguish between a carrier adjusting or suspending its own services and preventing another airline from operating.
It explained that it had, at different times, temporarily suspended flights to destinations including Enugu and Calabar because of mandatory aircraft maintenance and other operational requirements.
“Such decisions are internal operational decisions and should not be interpreted as an attempt to create or maintain a monopoly,” the airline said.
According to Ibom Air, factors including aircraft availability, fuel logistics, airport infrastructure, flight scheduling and regulatory requirements could affect the number and frequency of flights at an airport.
It stressed that such operational constraints should not be interpreted as evidence that one airline controls access to the airport.
Rather, the airline said it welcomed competition, arguing that a competitive aviation market would benefit passengers and the regional economy.
It said the entry of more airlines into Uyo could give passengers more travel options, wider choices of schedules and fares, better connectivity for Akwa Ibom and the South-South region, increased passenger traffic and a stronger aviation ecosystem.
“Being the home-based carrier does not confer ownership or control of the airport, nor does it give Ibom Air the power to determine which other airlines may operate there,” the airline stated.
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