Ibom Air has ordered for 10 A220 aircraft from Airbus at the ongoing Dubai Air show, United Arab Emirates (UAE).
The airline, owned by the Akwa Ibom state government, sighed agreement on Tuesday, according to a statement by its spokesperson Annie Essienette.
The Chief Executive Officer of Ibom Air, Mr Mfon Udom and Chief Commercial Officer of Airbus, Mr Christian Scherer, signed the deal in the presence of His the state governor, Udom Gabriel Emmanuel, the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice of Akwa Ibom State, Mr Uko Udom.
The airline team was led by its chairman, Mr Imoabasi Jacob. Other members of the team are the Chief Operating Officer, Mr George Uriesi, the Group Manager Marketing and communication, Mrs Essienette and the Group Manager Corporate Services, Mrs Imelda Aba.
Working in collaboration with the Airbus team, Ibom Air took an innovative approach to making 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.
“Within 6 months of this process, the airline was able to validate the A220 as the right choice for its domestic and regional aspirations,” the statement said.
The order of the 10 Airbus A220 is in line with the airline’s aggressive growth plan, which will see it expanding its footprint into new domestic routes as well as regional routes covering West and Central Africa in the immediate future, the statement said.
The first phase of this expansion is set to cover cities like Malabo, Douala, Libreville, Kinshasa, Accra, Abidjan, Freetown, Banjul and Dakar. Ultimately the airline intends to operate throughout the continent of Africa.
The all-new A220 is purpose built for efficiency, targeting the 100-150 seat market. It burns 20% 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 to its customers.
