Ibom Air denies monopoly over Uyo airport, says it lacks authority

Ibom Air has denied exercising a monopoly over Victor Attah International Airport in Uyo, saying it has no authority to prevent other airlines from operating from the airport.

The airline made this known in a statement issued on Monday.

The clarification follows public commentary linking its position as the home-based carrier in Uyo to the limited presence of other airlines at the airport.

What Ibom Air is saying

Ibom Air said the authority to approve, regulate, suspend or permit airline operations rests with the relevant aviation regulatory authorities, not with the airline.

• “Public commentary suggests that Ibom Air, as the home-based carrier in Uyo, exercises a monopoly over operations at Victor Attah International Airport or prevents other airlines from operating from the airport,” the airline said.
• “Ibom Air has no authority, mandate or regulatory power to prevent another airline from operating from Uyo, or from any other airport in Nigeria,”

The airline cited Section 8(3) of the Civil Aviation Act 2022, which assigns responsibility for regulating civil aviation in Nigeria to the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA).

It said airlines that meet regulatory and operational requirements and obtain the necessary approvals cannot be prevented by Ibom Air from operating from Uyo.

Ibom Air also rejected suggestions that changes to its flight schedules were intended to limit competition.

Why Ibom Air says flights may change

The airline said it has previously suspended services to destinations such as Enugu and Calabar because of mandatory aircraft maintenance and other operational requirements.

It said such decisions relate to its own operations and should not be interpreted as efforts to create or maintain a monopoly at the airport.

• Ibom Air said aircraft availability, fuel logistics, airport infrastructure, scheduling and regulatory requirements can affect the number and frequency of flights operating from an airport.
• The airline added that its status as the home-based carrier does not give it ownership or control of Victor Attah International Airport or the authority to determine which airlines operate there.

It said the presence of more airlines could expand travel options and schedules for passengers while improving connectivity to Akwa Ibom and the wider South-South region.

Flashback

Concerns over Ibom Air’s dominance of the Uyo route are not new, with reports in 2021 linking the limited presence of competing airlines to high fares and fewer scheduling options for passengers.

• Some travellers argued that competition would give passengers more choices and help reduce airfares.
• However, Ibom Air maintained at the time that no airline was being prevented from operating on the route, saying other carriers had left because they could not compete.

Industry stakeholders also noted that while a lack of competition could limit consumer choice, the absence of other operators could also reflect insufficient traffic to support multiple airlines.

What you should know

Victor Attah International Airport was opened in 2009 and renamed in 2018 in honour of former Akwa Ibom State Governor Victor Attah.

• In November 2025, the Federal Government approved the airport for international operations, with the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, saying the facility had infrastructure including a runway of more than three kilometres and a Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) centre.
• The airport commenced international operations on May 2, 2026, when Ibom Air operated the inaugural flight from Uyo to Accra, Ghana, with the return service operated the following day.

The Akwa Ibom State Government has also been developing an MRO facility in the state, although the project is yet to be completed.