Ibom Air adds another Airbus to its fleet
BY ORJI ONYEKWERE
Ibom Air is set to add an additional Airbus A220-300 to its fleet. The airline’s acquisition of this new aircraft is a strategic move to boost its capacity and meet growing demand for its product.
In October 2021, Ibom Air put in a firm order for 10 Airbuses A220-300 aircraft, the first of which was delivered in November 2023. However, with demand for the airline’s product outpacing the delivery schedule of the order, the airline decided to purchase this A220 from Carlyle Aviation, a world-renowned aircraft lessor and global player in the industry.
The delivery event, which was held at Maastricht Airport in the Netherlands, was personally attended by the Shareholder, His Excellency Pastor Umo Eno, Governor of Akwa Ibom State, accompanied by a few dignitaries, including the Secretary to the State Government, Prince Enobong Uwah and Hon. Effiong Etim Johnson, Chief Whip, Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly, amongst others.
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Also in attendance were Ibom Air’s Executive team, led by the Accountable Manager and CEO, Mfon Udom; the Executive Director and COO, Mr. George Uriesi; and other Ibom Air Management team members.
The addition of this aircraft will bring Ibom Air’s fleet of A220s to 11, after the delivery of the outstanding nine units. It is worthy of note the continuing embrace of aircraft financing by Nigerian banks. This new purchase was financed by both Fidelity and Union Banks, with Fidelity as the majority partner. Ibom Air is delighted to have Nigerian financial institutions supporting its growth.
In the meantime, the airline has come out to clarify what it tagged as misleading headline from one of the national dailies.
According to an official statement signed by Aniekan Essienette, the airlines Group Manager, Marketing and Communication.
“Ibom Air is compelled to correct the misleading headline story on the front page of Business Day newspaper published on 17 July 2024, titled “13 Nigerian airlines blacklisted for contract breaches”.
This false story severely damaged Ibom Air’s reputation as a business with the highest corporate governance standards. We assure all our business partners that Ibom Air does not have any aircraft on lease from any lessors, foreign or domestic. We own all seven aircraft that we operate, and they are all financed by Nigerian banks”.
He explained further that Ibom Air is not blacklisted by any lessor, local or international, and has never been in breach of any contract into which it has entered. On the contrary, the airline is in good standing with both local and international financiers and lessors.
The Business Day story, they noted was prejudicial to their business interests. They however brought it to the notice of the newspaper, which promptly pulled the story and promised to retract it.
“Our business partners can rest assured that Ibom Air continues to be committed to the letter and spirit of any agreements we enter into”, the statement said
Ibom Air is a limited liability company wholly owned by the Akwa Ibom State Government, a sub-national in Nigeria. It aims to set the standard as an airline of choice for passengers by focusing on schedule reliability, on-time departures, and excellent service. It has a fleet of 7 aircraft: five (5) Bombardier CRJ 900 and two (2) Airbus A220-300, covering seven (7) destinations.
