Ibom Air has expanded its fleet to 10 aircraft with the arrival of a new Airbus A220-300, as the Akwa Ibom-owned airline moves closer to recording five million cumulative passengers.
The aircraft, delivered directly from the Airbus assembly facility in Mirabel, Canada, was welcomed with a traditional water cannon salute at Victor Attah International Airport, Uyo.
The latest addition brings Ibom Air’s fleet to seven Bombardier CRJ-900s and three Airbus A220-300s.
Speaking at the reception, Akwa Ibom State Governor Umo Eno said the airline had carried 4,953,512 passengers across 65,152 scheduled flights and was on course to cross the five-million mark before the end of September.
Eno said five of the airline’s 10 aircraft were acquired under his administration to support the expansion of its route network.
Ibom Air currently operates to seven domestic destinations and Accra, Ghana. The airline plans to expand to 12 destinations and 15 routes by 2027, including services to Douala in Cameroon, Libreville in Gabon and Malabo in Equatorial Guinea.
Chairman of Ibom Air, Mfon Udom, said the new A220-300 would enable the airline to restore its full domestic schedule while supporting its regional expansion plans.
He said the carrier would restore three daily flights on the Uyo-Lagos and Uyo-Abuja routes, while Lagos-Abuja services would return to seven daily frequencies.
The airline said its operations have also generated significant economic benefits for Akwa Ibom, with more than N60 billion injected into the state economy.
Ibom Air currently employs 753 direct staff, including 478 indigenes of Akwa Ibom, while its operations support an estimated 2,000 indirect jobs across the state.
Governor Eno said the state was also investing in aviation manpower, noting that 14 of Ibom Air’s 30 pilots and 16 of its 40 aircraft engineers are Akwa Ibom indigenes. Ten additional pilots are undergoing simulator training in Addis Ababa, while another 10 aviation specialists are training at the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology, Zaria.
Special Adviser on Aviation and Airport Development, Uwem Ekanem, said the state was developing an ‘Aerotropolis’ built around the airline, an international airport terminal and a Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul facility.
He said the initiative was designed to boost tourism, air cargo, foreign exchange earnings and aviation-related technical skills.
Ekanem also dismissed claims that the airport operates as a monopoly, saying it remains open to other commercial airlines. He disclosed that Air Peace was expected to commence operations in September, while discussions were ongoing with ValuJet.
Ibom Air’s Chief Pilot, Ruth Adebanwo, said the A220-300’s fuel efficiency, lower emissions and reduced noise make it suitable for the airline’s next phase of expansion.