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…New expansion targets Malabo, Douala, Libreville, Kinshasa, Accra, Abidjan, Freetown, Banjul, Dakar routes

In fulfilment of his promise to ensure Ibom Air becomes a dominant player in the aviation sector within the West African and African aviation hub, Governor Udom Emmanuel on Tuesday led a delegation from Ibom Air to the ongoing Dubai Air show, taking place at the purpose-built DWC event arena in Dubai, where he placed an order for ten (10) A220 aircraft with Airbus. With the purchase agreement signed, deliveries of the aircraft to Ibom Air is expected to commence in the first quarter of 2023.

The agreement, which was signed by the Chief Executive Officer of Ibom Air, Mr Mfon Udom and Chief Commercial Officer of Airbus, Mr Christian Scherer, also had the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice of Akwa Ibom State, Mr Uko Udom, SAN, the Chairman of Ibom Air, Mr Imoabasi Jacob, the airline’s Chief Operating Officer, Mr George Uriesi, the Group Manager Marketing and communication, Mrs Aniekan Essienette and the Group Manager Corporate Services, Mrs Imelda Aba, in attendance.

It could be recalled that working in collaboration with the Airbus team, Ibom Air took an innovative approach to make the choice of the A220 which started by wet-leasing two (2) A220s for a year, to test the suitability of the aircraft for their needs. Within 6 months of this process, the airline was able to validate the A220 as the right choice for its domestic and regional aspirations.

Ibom Air’s ordering of the ten (10) Airbus A220 is in line with the airline’s aggressive growth plan, which will see it expanding its footprint into new domestic routes as well as regional routes covering West and Central Africa in the immediate future.

The first phase of this expansion is set to cover cities like Malabo, Douala, Libreville, Kinshasa, Accra, Abidjan, Freetown, Banjul and Dakar. Ultimately the airline intends to operate throughout the continent of Africa.

According to a statement from the company signed by Annie Essienette, Ibom Air’s Group Manager Marketing and Communication, “the all-new A220 is purpose-built for efficiency, targeting the 100-150 seat market. It burns 20% lower fuel per seat compared to previous generation aircraft and flies to a range of up to 3,400 nm (6,297 km), offering performance similar to larger, single-aisle aircraft.

The A220s combination of a superior cabin product and low operating costs are a perfect fit for the airline’s network growth strategy and will help Ibom Air offer its customers an unrivalled value proposition”.

Speaking at the event, Governor Udom Emmanuel of Akwa Ibom State said, the State is proud to be the first airline to order the all-new Airbus A220 in Nigeria.

“The A220 will allow us to increase the number of passengers into Akwa Ibom, thus bringing more first-time visitors and business travellers to the State. These efforts reflect our commitment to enabling local commerce and industry, in line with the State’s economic growth strategy. With this latest acquisition, Ibom Air is better positioned to contribute to driving long term economic growth for Akwa Ibom State. Ibom Air’s giant leap as evidenced by this bold step is a validation of the aviation development pillar of our completion agenda which is on course. I have said and will reiterate that, till the very last day, I will keep working for and in the interest of Akwa Ibom people”, he assured.

Also speaking, the CEO of Ibom Air who threw more light on the choice of the A220 said, with the steep growth Ibom Air has achieved in the two years and five months since the company commenced operations, “a growth mainly driven by the massive embrace of our product and brand by the Nigerian domestic flying public.

As we contemplated the next phase of our expansion strategy, we gave consideration and opted to procure two (2) A220s on a one-year wet lease, in order to try out the aircraft to ensure it was fit for the purposes of our business.

I am pleased to say here that the approach has been a huge success for us. We found out that not only can we fill up the aircraft, but it has also become a favourite in the Nigerian domestic market. Our passengers love it. And so, here we are today, ordering 10 A220s, having tested and validated it as the one-stop solution for our domestic and regional aspirations.”

On his part, the Chief Commercial Officer of Airbus, Mr Christian Scherer said the company is thrilled to add Ibom Air as a new Airbus customer as the A220 is ideally suited to Nigeria’s aviation needs, providing operational flexibility, growing the business, and responding to demand increased passenger services.

“Through this investment, Ibom Air is underscoring its ambition for regional and in due course, international connectivity, efficiency and versatility”, he noted.

Vanguard News Nigeria