Governor Umo Eno of Akwa Ibom State has assured that his administration will continue to support Ibom Air, the state-owned airline, while promising to address the recent controversial incident involving the carrier and one of its passengers, Comfort Emmanson.

Ms Emmanson was forcefully removed from an Ibom Air aircraft about two weeks ago at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, after she was accused of assaulting a crew member. A viral video of the altercation showed her being dragged off the plane, partially stripped in the process, sparking widespread public outrage.

She was subsequently remanded at Kirikiri Prison after Ibom Air pressed charges against her. The airline, along with the Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON), also imposed a lifetime “no-fly” ban on her.

The development attracted sharp criticism from Nigerians and civil society groups. Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi, and the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) were among those who condemned the treatment meted out to Ms Emmanson. In response, Aviation Minister Festus Keyamo directed airlines and regulators to withdraw legal actions against Ms Emmanson and another high-profile passenger, music icon Wasiu Ayinde, popularly known as KWAM 1, who had a separate run-in with ValueJet officials.

Speaking publicly for the first time on the Ibom Air incident, Governor Eno, at a Town Hall Meeting for Etinan/Nsit Ubium/Nsit Ibom Federal Constituency on Saturday, called for calm and collective support for the airline.

“We’ll continue to support our flagship airline, Ibom Air. Every Akwa Ibom person must support this airline that has flown our colours admirably in the Nigerian aviation sector,” he said.

“My money and your money are in Ibom Airline, so you must be happy about it. If there’s an issue, don’t join others to condemn the airline. We’ll solve what has happened. The girl and Ibom Air are from this state,” he added.

Ibom Air, wholly owned by the Akwa Ibom State Government, has grown rapidly since its inaugural flight on 7 June 2019. The airline currently operates nine aircraft, including seven CRJ 900s and two Airbus A220-300s, flying six domestic routes and Accra, Ghana.

Last year, it expanded into regional operations and earned international recognition after receiving a safety certification from the International Air Transport Association (IATA). The airline also reported N96 billion in revenue at its first Annual General Meeting two months ago.

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