Ibadan airport came alive yesterday with the commencement of flight operations into the airport by Air Peace airline.
The airline’s inaugural flight from Abuja to Ibadan airport operated by a brand new Embraer 195-E2 with an almost full load was received by the Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, the Olubadan of Ibadan, His Highness, Oba Saliu Adetunji and a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Oyo South in the Senate, Senator Kola Balogun among others.
Speaking at the event, Governor Makinde described the coming of Air Peace to the ancient city as a great relief to air travellers within the city and its environs even as he announced that the airline has come with affordable reduced fares for the comfort of all classes.
Makinde who promised to do everything possible to encourage Air Peace and make the route attractive declared: “The coming of Air Peace will strengthen and enhance the economy of the state.
“We have a dry Port here that will facilitate the clearing of goods in record time. This will take the stress off importers in the state and neighbouring states and save them the stress of going to Lagos port to clear good.
“The coming of Air Peace airline will facilitate this process. We want the airline to also commence cargo flights to the state. On our part, we have already awarded the contract for the extension of the airport runway.”
Ibadan Is My Home — AirPeace Boss
Reacting to the governor’s remarks, the chairman of Air Peace airline, Mr Allen Onyema, promised to link Ibadan and the other South Western States to other parts of Nigeria saying this has always been the reason why the airline was floated.
Onyema who described the coming of Air Peace to Ibadan as his return to his home cited how his educational achievement spanned through many years he spent as an undergraduate to a graduate at the University of Ibadan.
While attributing the coming of the airline to Ibadan route to the “no city left behind” policy of the airline programme where every city in the country will be interconnected by air, Onyema declared: “Plans are already on to commence Port Harcourt to Ibadan flight. Abuja, Ibadan to Kano flight is also already in the pipeline. I believe in the oneness of Nigeria. As a nationalist, I am going to connect all cities in the country.
“I will link Ibadan to the South-South, South-East, North-East, North-West and every part of the country. I believe in the unity of the country.”
Onyema who promised to go into cargo operations at a later time, expressed his joy for the support and cooperation received from the government and people of the state assuring that the coming of the airline will further open up the state to international businesses.
