Ibom Air: Wia Akwa Ibom State see di passengers wey make dem start airline?
On Wednesday, Akwa Ibom state goment launch dia own airline wey dem call Ibom Air.
Wen di state govnor oga Emmanuel Udom bin announce am for 2018 say di state airline go sure, many pipo bin think say im dey play. But dat play-play turn reality on Wednesday, as di state goment launch di airline wit three planes. Di state commissioner of Information oga Charles Udoh wey follow BBC Pidgin tok, say dem enta inside partnership wit oda international companies, for di airline to become reality. "As e be now, two of di plane go arrive on Wednesday and dis go be di newest aircraft for Nigeria airspace. "I no go fit tok how much we don spend for dis to become reality, but we dey do yearly audit of di state account and wen time reach, we go tok how much e cost," im tok. Di state goment say di airline go start operations for di Lagos to Uyo route, before dem go expand to oda areas. Wia di passengers dey? According to data wey dey di page of di Nigeria Bureau of Statistics, Uyo, Akwa Ibom state capital no dey di top five of places pipo dey use flight go for Nigeria. Govnor Udom dey contest for re-election and some pipo say di airline bizness na to help im campiagn Di top five states for Nigeria in terms of di number of passengers wey dey pass through dia airports for di first half of 2018 na Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt, Kano, and Owerri. "Dis five airports serve over 89.39% of total passengers (6,707,195 in number) for di first two quarters of 2018." Na wetin di NBS report tok. Infact sef, di Uyo airport no follow for di top ten states wey passengers dey fly go, and places like Katsina, Sokoto and even Borno State wia katakata dey happun, get more air passengers pass Akwa Ibom state. Wen we ask oga Udo dis one, im say: "If you don travel go Uyo for di last six months, if you no book your flight three days before di time, you no go see seat," im tok. Im add say di airline na to look into di future, in terms of wia di state dey go. But e fit be say dis one wey im dey describe fit be say passengers no dey, wey make commercial airlines no see market wey go carri dem go dia. "If you see di one wey Nigeria wan do, na for logo stage e end. E don reach time wey Akwa Ibom State go begin teach Nigeria lesson. "We wan show Nigerians say e dey possible, say wen di passion dey dia to do something, you fit do am." Many Nigerians go dey wait to see how di state owned airline go work, as pipo dey wonda how dem go take do wetin Nigeria as kontri no fit.