By Harris Emanuel

Akwa Ibom State-owned airline, Ibom Air has placed an order for 10 A220 aircraft with Airbus, Vanguard has gathered.

It was further gathered that with the purchase agreement signed, deliveries of the aircraft to Ibom Air will commence in the first quarter of 2023.

The agreement was signed between the Chief Executive Officer of Ibom Air, Mr. Mfon Udom, and Chief Commercial Officer of Airbus, Mr. Christian Scherer, at the ongoing Dubai Air show, taking place at the purpose built DWC event arena in Dubai.

In attendance were Governor Udom Emmanuel of Akwa Ibom State; Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice of Akwa Ibom State, Mr. Uko Udom, SAN, and Chairman of Ibom Air, Mr. Imoabasi Jacob, who led the Ibom Air team, which also includes the airline’s Chief Operating Officer, Mr. George Uriesi; Group Manager Marketing and Communication, Mrs. Aniekan Essienette, and Group Manager, Corporate Services, Mrs. Imelda Aba.

Meanwhile, Ibom Air Group Manager (Marketing and Communication), Annie Essienette, in a statement, yesterday, in Uyo, said:  “We are working in collaboration with the Airbus team and Ibom Air took an innovative approach to make the choice of the A220. The airline started by wet-leasing two A220s for a year, to test the suitability of the aircraft for their needs.

READ ALSO: Ibom Air to get 10 additional aircraft ― Udom

“Within six months of this process, the airline was able to validate the A220 as the right choice for its domestic and regional aspirations. The order for the 10 Airbus A220 is in line with the airline’s aggressive growth plan, which will see it expand 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 such as Malabo, Douala, Libreville, Kinshasa, Accra, Abidjan, Freetown, Banjul and Dakar. Ultimately, the airline intends to operate throughout the continent of Africa.”

 According to her, the all-new A220 is purpose built for efficiency, targeting the 100-150 seat market and burns 20 percent 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 unrivaled value proposition.”

Vanguard News Nigeria

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