…Set To Take Delivery Of Another Brand New Airbus A220 For Ibom Air
CANADA
The state governor, Pastor Umo Eno has moved to strengthen the technical base of Ibom Air as the state owned airline prepares to take delivery of another brand new Airbus A220 300.
Eno, who was currently in Canada, recently held talks with SAMCO Group Europe and Airbus in Montreal on the management of the Aircraft Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) facility at Victor Attah International Airport, Uyo, and the continued expansion of Ibom Air’s fleet.
The discussions came ahead of his inspection of Ibom Air’s latest Airbus A220 300 at the Airbus production facility in Mirabel, Quebec, over the weekend.
The new aircraft is the third brand new A220 300 in the current delivery programme and is expected to commence operations before the 2026 Christmas travel season.
At the meeting with Constant Van Shani, chief executive officer of SAMCO Group Europe, Governor Eno discussed a possible partnership for the operation and management of the MRO facility.
The governor said the state was looking for a partnership that would go beyond consultancy to include aircraft maintenance, technical support, training, technology transfer and development of local aviation manpower.
Eno said the state had made substantial financial investment in completing the MRO facility and expressed his desire to see it fully operational.
He said the proposed partnership would strengthen the state’s aviation infrastructure, create skilled employment and reduce dependence on overseas maintenance facilities.
Responding, Van Shani said SAMCO was prepared to work with the state to make the partnership successful.
“Governor, we are glad to know that you are willing to work with us. We are here to get it done beyond consulting,” he said.
Eno also met with Hadi Akoum, vice president, Sales, Africa, Airbus, where he reaffirmed the state government’s commitment to Ibom Air and its fleet expansion programme.
The governor described Ibom Air as a strategic economic asset to Akwa Ibom, saying the airline was important to the state’s plans for tourism, trade, investment and connectivity.
“It is a forex denominated business, and airlines must be made to function,” Eno said, stressing that the state would continue to make strategic investments to sustain the airline.
Akoum described Ibom Air as a major Airbus customer in Africa and said Airbus currently produces about 14 aircraft monthly, with an order backlog of about 9,000 aircraft.
He also highlighted the capabilities of the A220 300, including its passenger and cargo capacity.
At the Airbus facility in Mirabel, Eno inspected the new aircraft and expressed satisfaction with its quality, design and technology.
The aircraft, according to the state government, will increase Ibom Air’s capacity and provide greater flexibility for its domestic and regional operations.
Speaking on the aircraft, Guillaume Chevasson, head of the A220 Programme and chief executive officer of Airbus Canada, said the A220 300 offered operational flexibility, fuel efficiency, passenger comfort and performance suited to domestic and regional networks.
Chevasson said the new aircraft would take Ibom Air’s A220 fleet to three. He added that the first two A220s, currently undergoing comprehensive checks, were expected to return to service by the end of September.
He said the return of the two aircraft, together with the new A220 300, would increase Ibom Air’s available capacity and provide greater flexibility for network expansion.
Ibom Air’s chief executive officer, George Uriesi, said the pre delivery inspection marked an important stage in the airline’s fleet expansion programme.
Uriesi said the growing demand for air travel in the airline’s markets had reinforced the need to invest in modern aircraft with improved efficiency, reliability and passenger comfort.
He described the A220 as a good fit for Ibom Air’s network strategy and said the aircraft would support the airline’s growth plans.
Ibom Air, wholly owned by the Akwa Ibom State Government, commenced commercial operations on June 7, 2019, with a Bombardier CRJ900 aircraft. The airline subsequently expanded its fleet to five CRJ900s by 2020.
It began introducing Airbus A220s in 2021 after initially leasing two aircraft to assess their suitability for its network. The airline subsequently placed an order for 10 brand new A220 aircraft with Airbus as part of its plan to expand into domestic and regional markets.
The first brand new A220 300 arrived in Uyo in December 2023, while the second arrived in August 2024.
Ibom Air currently lists seven destinations on its network: Uyo, Abuja, Calabar, Enugu, Lagos and Port Harcourt in Nigeria, and Accra in Ghana.
The airline’s move into international operations has made the development of adequate maintenance and technical support infrastructure more important as its fleet and route network expand.
The MRO facility at Victor Attah International Airport is therefore expected to play a major role in supporting Ibom Air’s growing fleet.
The proposed partnership with SAMCO is expected to provide technical expertise, maintenance support and training while helping to develop indigenous aviation skills in Akwa Ibom.
Governor Eno said the engagements with SAMCO and Airbus were part of a coordinated effort to ensure that fleet expansion was matched by maintenance capacity and technical manpower.
The governor was accompanied at the meetings by Uriesi, members of the Akwa Ibom State Executive Council and other officials of Ibom Air.
Discussion about this post