Ibom Air has rejected suggestions that it exercises a monopoly over operations at Victor Attah International Airport, Uyo, or has the power to prevent other airlines from serving the Akwa Ibom capital.
The airline, in a statement issued on Sunday, August 30, said it has no regulatory authority or mandate to determine which airlines can operate from Uyo or any other airport in Nigeria.
According to Ibom Air, the responsibility for authorising, regulating, suspending or otherwise permitting airline operations rests with the relevant aviation regulatory authorities. It cited Section 8(3) of the Civil Aviation Act 2022, which assigns responsibility for the regulation of civil aviation in Nigeria to the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA).
The airline said any carrier that meets the applicable regulatory and operational requirements and obtains the necessary approvals cannot be prevented from operating at Victor Attah International Airport by Ibom Air.
Ibom Air said perceptions of a monopoly may partly stem from instances when it has temporarily suspended or adjusted its own services to certain destinations. The airline noted that it had, at different times, suspended operations to destinations including Enugu and Calabar to accommodate mandatory aircraft maintenance and other operational requirements.
It stressed that such decisions are internal operational matters and should not be interpreted as efforts to create or maintain a monopoly.
The airline also pointed to several factors that can influence flight frequency and availability at an airport, including aircraft availability, fuel logistics, airport infrastructure, scheduling and regulatory requirements. Such constraints, it said, should not be construed as evidence that Ibom Air controls access to the Uyo airport.
Ibom Air further stated that it welcomes competition and believes the presence of more airlines at Victor Attah International Airport would ultimately benefit passengers and the regional economy.
Greater competition, it said, could provide travellers with more options, wider choices of fares and schedules, improved connectivity to Akwa Ibom and the wider South-South region, increased passenger traffic and a stronger aviation ecosystem.
While acknowledging its position as the home-based carrier in Uyo, Ibom Air stressed that the status does not give it ownership or control of the airport or the authority to determine which other airlines may operate there.
The airline urged the public to distinguish between a carrier’s decision to adjust its own operations and any attempt to restrict another airline’s access to an airport, maintaining that regulatory approvals and operating permissions remain the responsibility of the appropriate aviation authorities.
