Akwa Ibom state governor, Udom Emmanuel, on Friday, May 26, 2023, inaugurated the new International Smart Terminal Building at the Victor Attah International Airport in Uyo.
The facility will serve as the maintenance, repairs and overhaul hanger for the state-owned airline, Ibom Air.
It also has a new taxiway that will serve as a second runway for the airport.
“This beautiful sight is part of our pledge to make Akwa Ibom a major aviation hub in the Gulf of Guinea, and we give God all the Glory,” an excited Governor Emmanuel announced.
He added:
“Today, I can tell you the terminal you are seeing here is the smartest in this part of the world. Everything is digitised.
“This is part of our total approach to aviation development. We can process 1.2 million passengers in 12 hours.”
Speaking at the event, former governor of Akwa Ibom, Obong Victor Attah, said the facility would be a significant income earner for the state.
“It is the only one in West Africa. We have a similar one in Ethiopia and South Africa. This vision has been realised for Akwa Ibom and the whole of West Africa,” he said.
The facility is expected to make the airport a regional hub, boost tourism and positively impact the state’s economy.
The key features of the smart terminal building include digital self-check-in by a robot, pre-planned before Covid-19, automated luggage screening and weighing, video/scene analytics and static object detection.
Others are queue detection, facial recognition, traffic monitoring incident analysis, vehicle counting, License plate readers, moisture control technology and synchronised motors.
There are regeneration converters, control software, counterweights and cabin lighting yield optimisation, a fully integrated alarm and voice evacuation system, and an infrared toilet system.
