New Airport terminal building, ready before December 2022- Udom

The New Terminal Building; Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul facility (MRO), and Taxi Way, undergoing construction at the Victor Attah International Airport, Uyo would all be inaugurated this year.

Akwa Ibom State Governor, Mr. Udom Emmanuel disclosed this Friday, while inspecting the projects at the Airport on Friday.

The governor who expressed satisfaction with the level of work executed by the contractors stated that the MRO, which is at 84% completion has the capacity of carrying two 747 aircraft series, eight A-220 300 series, and all the CRJs, adding that the MRO, when fully operational, will enhance the economic growth of the State.

“Honestly from what I have seen here, the contractors have exceeded my expectation, they are quite ahead of schedule. You can say it is at 84 percent completion and the materials on the ground can guarantee the expected delivery date.

“The MRO can take two 747 aircraft series, eight of our A-220 300 series, and all the CRJs for now, all installations are near completion and you can imagine we are the newest bride for all the aircraft maintenance companies across the globe and we have received offers from aircraft maintenance companies, you can imagine the foreign exchange this will bring to the state..’ He stated.

At the Terminal Building project, Governor Emmanuel said that the structural part of the project is near completion and the terminal will be the smartest in Africa, adding that Ibom Air will commence its regional flight at the completion of the project.

He pointed out that the project, which is a total approach to aviation development, will attract other foreign airlines and assured that there will be ease of business transactions in the state.

Governor Emmanuel hinted that as part of the government’s efforts in aviation development, 100 youths will be trained in aeronautical engineering and other specialized fields, beginning with the first batch of 40 youths. According to him, the training will be handled by experts from Airbus Company.

“I want to assure Akwa Ibom people, this is what we call a total approach to aviation development and we want to take all at the same time, Airline, Airport Terminal Building, MRO, Runway, and other aviation facilities.

“I hope you are aware that Airbus experts are on the ground, to train youths in Piloting and Aeronautical Engineering, they are on the first phase here in Nigeria, while the second and the third phase will be done at the Airbus facility in France.

We will train more, once we finish the first batch of 40. My target is to train 100 youths before I leave office”. He hinted

The Governor, who expressed satisfaction with the 3.6 km Taxiway, appreciated the quality and standard of the project executed by GITTO Construzioni Generali Nigeria.

The Project Director of Camosa Nigeria Limited handling the MRO project, while conducting the Governor round of the project, said that the project has been on for 13 months and was currently at 84% completion.

At the International Terminal Building, the Project Manager, VKS Construction Limited Mr. Ziya Sungur mentioned that the major structural works had been completed, adding that what was left was furnishing, with the required fittings for smart operations.

Similarly, the Project Manager of Gitto, Chief Ghanem Rasbeih, said that the 1.5 out of 3.6Km of the new Taxiway was 100% completed, while the remaining was at 80% completion.

The project managers assured the Governor that the three projects will be completed before the end of 2022.