Ibom Air expands fleet with new airbus

A state-owned airline, Ibom Air has announced the purchase of a 133-carriage capacity Airbus A220-300 aircraft.

This was made known through a statement made available to the PUNCH on Tuesday by the General Manager for Marketing and Communications,  Aniekan Essienette.

According to the statement, the Airbus which is the second in the fleet of the airline arrived in Nigeria via Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, on August 10, but was formally received by stakeholders of the airline and the Akwa Ibom State Government on Tuesday, at Victor Attah International Airport, Uyo, capital of the state.

Essienette noted that the acquisition aligns with Ibom Air’s strategic goal of rapidly increasing capacity and expanding its route network.

She also further quoted the Chairman of Ibom Air, Imoabasi Jacob, to have saluted the resilience and doggedness of Ibom’s management and the support of the state governor.

The Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Umo Eno, expressed his enthusiasm for the development, saying: “The arrival of our second Airbus A220 reiterates the state’s unwavering commitment to advancing our aviation sector. This addition aligns with our strategic vision for Ibom Air and supports the economic growth and development of Akwa Ibom State by enhancing air travel and connectivity, creating job opportunities, and boosting tourism.”

Chief Executive Officer of the airline, Mfon Udom, emphasised the significance of this addition to the fleet.

“We are thrilled to welcome our second wholly owned Airbus A220. This aircraft will significantly boost our capacity in response to the growing service demand. A special thanks to the Nigerian financial institutions who continue to partner with Ibom Air, especially Fidelity Bank and Union Bank.

“We appreciate the tremendous support shown to us by our valued customers recently as we bore through flight disruption. We are committed to delivering remarkable improvements moving forward,” he promised.