Abuja ------------------ The former Director-General of the Department of State Services, DSS, Mr Ekpenyong Ita, has appealed to Max Air limited to extend its service to Calabar, Cross River.

Ita spoke on Saturday during in an interview with reporters in Abuja, adding that the Margaret Ekpo International Airport, Calabar, is being serviced by only one private airline for now.

According to him, the situation had made most stranded Calabar-bound passengers to re-route their flights to nearby airports outside Cross River State to connect by land with attendant bad interstate roads.

His words, “In my letter that I personally presented to Max Air Chairman, Alhaji Dahiru Mangal, here in Abuja, I urged the esteemed company to consider the introduction of Calabar route in her domestic flight operations this year.

“It is at least, to enhance the quality of flight operations and further boost the confidence of passengers to and from the state.

“This will equally ease the challenges of delays and other related flight encumbrances they often face."

Ita further maintained that the Calabar route would be viable for any airline operations being a veritable tourism destination that Calabar is and assured that the teeming passengers would be ready to welcome such class and exceptional professionalism Max Air could offer.

Ita also, quoted Max Air chairman, while responding to his letter, as saying that the airline would oblige to the request as soon as consultations with the executive management of the airline on modalities were done with.