₦airaland Forum

How Akwa Ibom’s Aviation Push Is Turning Its Runway Into a Tourism Gateway

By Ekaette Okon Joseph

When a state decides that time on its runway matters as much as time in its coffers, its ambition is no longer symbolic, it becomes operational. Last week, Victor Attah International Airport (VAIA) in Uyo resumed night operations after a calibrated overhaul of its airfield lighting and navigational aids, removing the sunrise-to-sunset restriction that had constrained flight schedules for years.

That technical upgrade is small in vocabulary but large in consequence: it makes Akwa Ibom a more predictable destination for tourists, business travellers and cargo operators alike.

“I am pleased to announce that night flight operations have been fully restored at Victor Attah International Airport,” Governor Umo Eno said in an official statement announcing the development. “Last week, I directed the Ibom Airport Development Company to complete the overhaul of navigational aids and lighting systems by September 30, and I am glad to report that the deadline was met.”

The governor’s public deadline followed a decisive injection of capital earlier this year. In July the state authorised ₦1.194 billion for a comprehensive overhaul covering replacement of navigational aids, upgrade of airfield lighting, settlement of electricity bills and service charges to the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA). That budget line made the restoration possible and signalled that the upgrade was policy, not afterthought.

Why does lighting an airfield matter so much to tourism? Because aviation is an ecosystem, each improvement unlocks activity across other sectors. Night operations extend scheduling flexibility, reduce the cost penalties airlines face when they must compress routes into daylight windows, and broaden the range of flight times available to business and leisure travellers.

It also supports cargo, charter, medevac, and even private aviation schedules that demand flexibility.

For Ibom Air, the state-owned carrier that uses Uyo as its hub, the ability to operate after dusk means more rotations, better connections and an easier time matching flights to events, conferences and hotel bookings across the state.

Ibom Air has been a visible anchor of the state’s strategy to use aviation to drive growth; making the airport operational round the clock strengthens that anchor.

Ibom Air is a great success story among state-owned airlines in Nigeria, and for the first time, it recently opened its books to scrutiny, despite being 100 per cent funded by the state government. No airline has come clean on its revenue. Ibom Air has demonstrated tremendous success, indicating that airlines can be profitable in Nigeria if properly managed.

The carrier is projected to increase its revenue to N150 billion in 2025 from N95 billion in 2024, indicating that Ibom Air is growing organically and positioning itself as an airline with the potential to revolutionise the airline business in Nigeria.

The Chief Executive Officer of Ibom Air, George Uriesi, recently reiterated the carrier’s ambitious plan, noting that it plans to join the Global Distribution System (GDS) by October 2025; a key instrument to interline and expand with other global airlines.

His words, “It takes discipline and determination to run airlines like Ethiopian Airlines, ASKY, RwandAir, Air Côte d’Ivoire, and others are cleaning up the market, and we need to respond. They night-stop in Nigeria. ASKY’s passenger traffic was around 100,000 but has grown to I.5 million passengers. That is remarkable. We need to start responding to the market. We believe that there is room for improvement. We can do it.”

Aviation analyst Chris Aligbe recently described the state’s approach as “a rare example of subnational discipline and vision in Nigeria’s aviation sector,” noting that “Ibom Air has already shown that a state can run a viable airline if guided by sound management rather than politics.”

Restoring runway lighting is necessary, but not sufficient. The significance of this milestone lies in how it dovetails with the Arise Agenda’s broader tourism and infrastructure programme. Under the governor’s plan, a modern international terminal, an MRO (maintenance, repair and overhaul) facility, an Aviation Village, the ARISE Resorts and other visitor assets are scheduled to come online in the months ahead.

Together, these projects convert a technical capability, night operations into an end-to-end travel proposition that can support multi-day stays, conferences and family leisure travel.

Consider the visitor’s decision tree. A cultural tourist from Lagos weighing a weekend trip to Akwa Ibom is influenced by flight frequency, arrival and departure times, ease of ground transport and the quality of accommodation.

Before the upgrade, limited flight windows narrowed choices and pushed some travellers to choose destinations with more convenient schedules.

With 24-hour capability, VAIA becomes comparable with other regional hubs and gives tour operators the confidence to package Akwa Ibom into holiday itineraries. That translates directly into hotel bookings, restaurant revenue and employment for guides, drivers and artisans.

The state’s approach is deliberately sequential: funds were allocated to correct the most urgent operational shortfalls, a strict timeline was enforced, and the technical validation by NAMA ensured compliance with aviation safety standards.

Governor Eno publicly commended NAMA and the airport board for delivering on the mandate, reflecting a partnership model that mixes political will with technical oversight.

Evidence from other jurisdictions bears the point out. States or cities that synchronise airport operations with tourism product development routinely see faster growth in visitor numbers than those that treat transport and attractions as separate problems.

Akwa Ibom’s inventory; Ibeno Beach, historic sites in Ikot Abasi, Oron’s cultural assets and the planned ARISE Resorts is internationally competitive on paper; the recent upgrades make it reachable in practice. Travel trade and media attention already followed the announcement, an early sign that perception is beginning to align with reality.

There will, rightly, be scrutiny. Restoring the lights must be matched with reliable power, robust air traffic procedures, completed terminal works and improved ground transport.

The state has recognised that, and the funding decisions announced in July were aimed precisely at knitting those elements together. What remains essential is steady follow-through: completing the international terminal, bringing the MRO online to reduce aircraft ground time and working with carriers to open new routes that feed Uyo into national and regional networks.

If implemented faithfully, the payoff is tangible and multipronged: increased tourism receipts, diversified revenue for a state preparing for a future “with or without oil,” more jobs in hospitality and aviation services, and the emergence of Uyo as a reliable arrival point for conferences and cultural festivals.

Governor Eno’s directive and the subsequent delivery on the timeline demonstrate that infrastructure strategy, when paired with execution, changes outcomes.

As he said when releasing the funds in July, “World-class infrastructure is the bedrock of economic transformation under the Arise Agenda.”

The restoration of night operations at Victor Attah International Airport is a technical improvement with strategic consequences. It is proof that a state can reimagine its geography by investing in the connective tissue that turns potential into visitation.

Our runway is now lit; the next task is to fill the flights, the hotels and the plates of travellers who will discover that Akwa Ibom’s coastlines, culture and hospitality are, at last, open around the clock.

Ekaette Okon-Joseph is Special Assistant on Media to the Governor of Akwa Ibom State.

The carrier is projected to increase its revenue to N150 billion in 2025 from N95 billion in 2024, indicating that Ibom Air is growing organically and positioning itself as an airline with the potential to revolutionise the airline business in Nigeria

Can someone please explain, is this part of Akwa-Ibom IGR and is this airline making profits

kettykin:

The carrier is projected to increase its revenue to N150 billion in 2025 from N95 billion in 2024, indicating that Ibom Air is growing organically and positioning itself as an airline with the potential to revolutionise the airline business in Nigeria

Can someone please explain, is this part of Akwa-Ibom IGR and is this airline making profits

It will eventually make profits which will be for the state, it will capital appreciation too which will make the airline more valuable and this will be written as an asset of the state.

The airline also making Akwa Ibom its hub improves the economy of the state as it directly and indirectly creates employment. Even if all the pilots and workers are not Indigenes but a large percentage of them will live in Akwa Ibom and they will rent houses, they will use transportation, buy food, shop etc.

This is cool for Akwa Ibom!

Lovely! I love indigenous reasoning like this!

That’s foresight!

Da’ Akwa Ibom ayaya etieti!

God bless that state.

kettykin:

The carrier is projected to increase its revenue to N150 billion in 2025 from N95 billion in 2024, indicating that Ibom Air is growing organically and positioning itself as an airline with the potential to revolutionise the airline business in Nigeria

Can someone please explain, is this part of Akwa-Ibom IGR and is this airline making profits

No Sir

It is a part of Ogun state IGR. The published revenues are not profits. Actually, “revenue” is an ibibio word translated to English as “loss.”

if a state could conceive and execute this idea, how much more a nation, see Ethiopian airlines, its the pride of African air......some people spent millions if not billions to design just a poster.

For the first time a state in Nigeria is getting it right in the aviation industry.

Kudos to all those involved in the progress of the airline.

Lol.

Heads were going to roll if the navigational aids weren't calibrated at a certain deadline. The MD was going to be stacked by the 30th september if the deadline wasn't met. The MD was literally on his knees making sure the NAMA flight inspection team completed the flight inspection and calibration exercise and passed their equipment.


It was a rigorous exercise but eventually, the NAVAIDS passed the calibration exercise. Kudos to the NAMA flight inspection team.

If savage was a person! What a way to answer the question.

Helinuse:
No Sir

It is a part of Ogun state IGR. The published revenues are not profits. Actually, “revenue” is an ibibio word translated to English as “loss.”

On this they're trying, but their tickets 🎟 is on the High side 155k from UYO - ABJ

Helinuse:
No Sir

It is a part of Ogun state IGR. The published revenues are not profits. Actually, “revenue” is an ibibio word translated to English as “loss.”

You well so?

Seun why do I need extra characters?

Nackzy:
On this they're trying, but their tickets 🎟 is on the High side 155k from UYO - ABJ

But You can buy the Captain's seat less and fly the plane.

Not enough original content
Please take a moment to write a quality post with at least 40 characters.
This will make the forum more interesting for everyone.

.

Nackzy:
On this they're trying, but their tickets 🎟 is on the High side 155k from UYO - ABJ

I think the fare is fair taking into cognizance the current state of the economy.

It seems you are part of the airport personnel?
Great job to you guys, please do the job diligently like you own the business and not the usual Nigerian awkward mentality of, after all it's Government Job......Well Done👍 👍

diabeticdeals:
Lol.

Heads were going to roll if the navigational aids weren't calibrated at a certain deadline. The MD was going to be stacked by the 30th september if the deadline wasn't met. The MD was literally on his knees making sure the NAMA flight inspection team completed the flight inspection and calibration exercise and passed their equipment.


It was a rigorous exercise but eventually, the NAVAIDS passed the calibration exercise. Kudos to the NAMA flight inspection team.

Some people somewhere in their villages will soon claim to have developed Akwa Ibom. Just watch out for them!

Airlines do not make a lot of profits, but they create a lot of jobs. For any state that has people who can be trusted to run a world class logistics business, owning an airline should be at the top of your to do list.

However, the problem starts when the focus shifts from from maintaining an excellent fleet while producing thousands of jobs to making profit. The moment your focus shifts to making profit, the business will start crumbling.

I'll advise Akwa Ibom and Enugu states to focus on creating jobs with the airlines and maintaining an excellent fleet.

Well, I can't say much about Gov. Eno.
But I pray we keep having leaders that'll push this great state to greater heights.
God bless Akwa-Ibom State!

Yes I was there participating in the flight inspection exercise. We do our best to maintain the standards according to NCAA & ICAO.

wallrichy:
It seems you are part of the airport personnel?
Great job to you guys, please do the job diligently like you own the business and not the usual Nigerian awkward mentality of, after all it's Government Job......Well Done👍 👍

The money Akwa ibom spends on propaganda can alleviate a lot of her people from poverty

This long post, and other places where it has been published is just to say the airport has resumed night operations

I am from Akwa ibom by the way

We spend so much money on propaganda meanwhile outside Uyo, you see mature men walking naked in broad day light.

Every other thing on this post is just speculation...

Well, it's not. I'm not from your state and I saw the airfield lighting with my own eyes. I saw the lights at low intensity and full intensity.


Trust me, your government has spent a lot of money on that airport.

opicgif:
The money Akwa ibom spends on propaganda can alleviate a lot of her people from poverty

This long post, and other places where it has been published is just to say the airport has resumed night operations

I am from Akwa ibom by the way

We spend so much money on propaganda meanwhile outside Uyo, you see mature men walking naked in broad day light.

Every other thing on this post is just speculation...

A very welcome development.

I hope the next administration will not run this aground? Tinapa of Calabar started like this, but what is the state of Tinapa currently as we speak?

Ekaette1235:
How Akwa Ibom’s Aviation Push Is Turning Its Runway Into a Tourism Gateway

By Ekaette Okon Joseph

all na bobo

as dem kill tenapa na so dem go take kill this one too

We saw cows on ther runway the other day.

Where are the cows?


Nigerians the journey is still far

Ekaette1235:
How Akwa Ibom’s Aviation Push Is Turning Its Runway Into a Tourism Gateway

By Ekaette Okon Joseph

Dem go whine you, but no panic.

Everything na lie.

Go there and see their youths wasting away no work.

Na for paper dem Dey see everything good for Nigeria. No be so for real life.

Helinuse:
No Sir

It is a part of Ogun state IGR. The published revenues are not profits. Actually, “revenue” is an ibibio word translated to English as “loss.”

Which kind wahala be this this early morning?

Any write up that is written by a government appointee is lined up with sweeteners and I usually don't pay attention to it.

A good time to remind us all they never took responsibility over the 2025 ibom Air agbero type saga that abused a passenger in plain sight

no apology,
no statement,
no temporary suspension of affected staffs
Nothing....

Their culture as per accountability is suspect, and this article at best is a cheap attempt at laundering their image

Not good enough.... Not good

Before you all say this is about the runway....it's the aviation sector associated with that state right?

So you can write all this about the runway and nothing about an abused passenger from the same state on it's flagship airline

Una well done

Helinuse:
No Sir

It is a part of Ogun state IGR. The published revenues are not profits. Actually, “revenue” is an ibibio word translated to English as “loss.”

Your sarcasm wasn't needed as you didn't even understand the question to begin with. Someone who understood the question has already answered the question before you.
You heard the word revenue and you automatically assumed that it means profit. Drop the arrogance and learn