From Olanrewaju Lawal,Birnin Kebbi
Max Airline has commenced the airlifting operations of passengers at the Sir Armadu Bello International Airport, Birnin Kebbi, Kebbi state.
The airline plane, marked Max air 5N-BBm arrived Kebbi airport for the first time yesterday, following the grounding of Azman airline from plying the nation’s airspace by the Nigerian Authorities.
While speaking at the inaugural airlifting of the passengers from Kebbi International airport,Kebbi state Governor,Senator Abubakar Atiku Bagudu, represented by his Deputy, Col.(rtd) Samaila Yombe Dabai said the state government had signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the management of the airline for them to be plying the state.
He said; “I have the unique privilege, on behalf of Governor Abubakar Atiku Bagudu flag off Max Air operations in Kebbi. Kebbi state has installed the best facilities in the world. We have the best runway, the best navigation wave and captain Usman can attested to that.
“The Governor always ensure that these equipments were maintain as at when due. And that is why I am proud to say I belong to this professional body that is ensuring air safe for travelers in this country. On Max Air, I am pleasing that you have the best equipments and you have up till date well trained crew. And so, with these two bodies coming together, it is an assurance that their operations will be lift to greater height.”
Earlier, Commissioner for Works and Transport, Alhaji Abubakar Chika Ladan, in his opening remarks explained that the coming on the airline marked the climax of the long time negotiation with the company since 2019 which was not concluded until 2021.
He said, the Governor had ordered that they should be re-invited which eventually materialized after the state government had signed an MoU with them, stressed that they would be coming to the state three times in a week.
“And the state Government is ready to give them all the necessary logistics needed. May be the airline, can even expand their three days operation to more days in future. We thank them for accepting our invitation”.
Speaking on behalf of the Max Air, Mr. Dikko Manga, thank the people of the state for extending their invitation to the company which he said has shown that the airline is expanding their operations in Nigeria.
“We started with Kano, and we opened up Abuja and Lagos,Maiduguri,Yola,Katsina and the rest, and now we are in Kebbi today. This has shown that Max Air is really growing. We thank you for welcoming us. We started few weeks ago with negotiation with government and we signed MoU to commence operations. Now, here we are, we thank you for your cooperation”, he said.
The General Manager Operations of the Max Airline, Raymond Omoduagbe also commended the people of Kebbi state and the Governor for bringing Max Air to the state to open up the state to other parts of the country and assuring the state that they would not failed in fulfilling their agreement.
He added that, they would increase their schedules in the state as their operations progressing, stressed that they would not disappoint their customers.
