Imo floats airline, acquires new aircraft

The Imo State government has established an airline named Imo Air.

The government said the airline, to be operated by Dana Air, will enhance the revenue base of the state and create jobs for the people.

Governor Rochas Okorocha who has already taken delivery of the first batch of air planes at the Sam Mbakwe International Cargo Airport, said the airline would hold its own against other operators in the Nigerian aviation sector.

Flagging off the airline service at the airport yesterday, Okorocha said the cargo airport would target to open the Southeast up to importers and exporters of all kinds of commodities, thereby reducing over reliance on Lagos,  Kano and other international airports for the export and import of goods.

Okorocha who said the Imo Air would boost the Southeast ‘economic liberation struggle’, explained that the Imo Air would be operated for the state by DANA Air because the state had not got the license to operate full airline service.

Okorocha said it had been his dream to position Imo State on the fast lane of development, prosperity and growth, adding that he would not rest on his oars towards that goal.

He said:”This is a happy moment. The aim of going into the airline business is that I want to drive traffic to Imo State as Imo is genuinely becoming the fastest developing city outside Abuja and Lagos. For this, there is need for more airlines to cushion the effects of high traffic coming to the state.”