Dipo Olowookere
By Dipo Olowookere
Chairman of Air Peace, Mr Allen Onyema, has said his company was planning to commence commercial flights from Ibadan, Oyo State to key cities across the country before the end of the year.
Mr Onyema dropped this hint on Tuesday when his airline made an inaugural flight to the Ibadan Airport, with some top government officials, including Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State, in attendance.
Speaking at the event, the aviation stakeholder promised that before November 2021, Air Peace will start flying Ibadan-Kano and Kano-Ibadan, Ibadan to Enugu and Enugu to Ibadan, as well as Ibadan-Port-Harcourt and Port-Harcourt-Ibadan routes.
He described the inaugural flight to Ibadan yesterday as a dream come true for him, commending the Governor for moving the state forward and doing everything possible to woo investors that would bring their resources to expand the economy of the state.
“Today is one of my happiest moments. This is like a homecoming for me. When I say homecoming, I mean it in every sense of that statement. Without Ibadanland, there may not have been an Allen Onyema – that may have been able to achieve certain things today.
“I made a promise some time ago that we are going to start gradual operation to this place and I meant it. The Governor has been very interested in moving this state forward. He is very interested in attracting investments to this place, hence what you are seeing today.
“In fact, beyond this, the Governor and I have also muted the idea of not just doing Abuja flights or Lagos flights to Ibadan. Air Peace, in due course, with the support of this Governor, who wants to see it happen in the immediate, Air Peace will, before November, start flying Ibadan-Kano and Kano-Ibadan; connecting the South-East from Enugu to Ibadan and Ibadan to Enugu; connecting the South-South, Port-Harcourt-Ibadan, Ibadan-Port-Harcourt.
“Hold me to my words, it will come to happen this year by God’s grace because when you meet the man at the helm of affairs who is interested in moving his people forward, you have no other option as a nationalist than to support whatever he is doing and to help my own brothers and sisters in the state,” Mr Onyema said.
Also speaking at the ceremony, Mr Makinde thanked the airline operator for agreeing to begin flights to the state, saying that the flights will uplift the airport and boost the economy of the state.
“This day has finally come and it is exciting for us. We are opening the lounge and also receiving the inaugural flight of Air Peace to Ibadan Airport,” the Governor was quoted as saying in a statement issued by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr Taiwo Adisa.
“Well, it is a fulfilment of a long-held dream. Let me also appreciate Overland because they were here and kept the Airport open but we have been here and have seen situations where people missed the Overland flight because they have one flight in a day. And then, you have to go to Lagos for the next flight.
“So, we are excited today because part of what we said we are going to do as a government is to expand the economy of the state.
“Now, if you miss the Overland flight, you can always get on the Air Peace flight and I am also certain that other airlines will start coming to this airport shortly.
“I believe Air Peace airline also will be operating one flight in a day for now but I look forward to huge passenger traffic and a review of that frequency as soon as possible,” he further said.
The Governor also said his administration has awarded the contract for a 500,000 litres capacity aviation fuel storage and dispensing facility to an indigenous company operating in Ibadan in order to make airlines stay overnight and take off as early as 7 a.m. to other places around the country.
“There are few things we are still doing and we have awarded the contract to have at this airport an aviation fuel storage and dispensing facility. People may ask why we are doing this.
“I have had discussions with some of the airlines and they will love to stay here overnight and take off as early as 7 a.m. to other places around the country but they are not able to do that because they cannot refuel in Ibadan.
“Within the next 12 months, this will become a thing of the past. We awarded the contract to an indigenous company operating in Ibadan.
“We are also fixing the road coming to the airport. The main road from Gate through Onipepeye up to here is at over 50 per cent completion.
“Also, we are fixing the Airport/Ajia/Ife Road with a spur to Amuloko. We are also fixing the Akanran/Dagbolu up to the border with Ogun State. So, with those roads in place, people should not just fly into the airport but come into the town and see what is going on. They can see things, buy things and leave Ibadan.
“But if they don’t want to leave, we can also accommodate them in Ibadan because so many estates are springing up and this is going to serve as a true alternative airport to Lagos.
“Our road networks will ensure that you get to anywhere within a very reasonable time. With the rail link in Ibadan, you can even stay here and work in Lagos.
“So, these are a few of the many reasons that the Ibadan Airport project is a viable one for us,” Mr Makinde stated.
“What this has done for us is that it has crashed the price of flights from Ibadan to Abuja. Now, with close to N30,000, you can fly in a brand new aircraft to Abuja. We will continue to provide the necessary support and collaboration with Air Peace and the FAAN (Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria),” he further stated.
