“IBOM AIR WELCOMES INITIAL DELIVERY FROM $902 MILLION A220 AIRCRAFT PURCHASE”
Former Akwa Ibom State Governor, Mr Udom Emmanuel, was part of the historic event over the weekend, marking a milestone in Nigeria’s aviation sector with the delivery of the first of 10 new Airbus A220-300 series airplanes. This procurement was initiated during his tenure in 2021.
Ibom Air, established in 2019 under Mr Udom Emmanuel’s administration, finalized the deal for 10 Airbus A220-300 series airplanes during the Dubai Air show on November 16, 2021. The first aircraft was officially received in Montreal, Canada, at Airbus’ Mirabel facility.
In November 2021, Ibom Air signed an agreement for the 10 aircraft, valued at $902 million. The presentation of the new Airbus aircraft was made by Airbus CEO Benoit Schultz, Vice-President Daniel Wenninger, Head of Airbus A220 Delivery Centre Marc Arpin, and Sales Director Middle-East & Africa Cyrille Picard. Ibom Air’s top management, including Managing Director and CEO Captain Mfon Udom and Executive Director and COO Mr George Uriesi, were present.
During the event, Mr Udom Emmanuel emphasized that Ibom Air is the first airline in Nigeria to receive the all-new Airbus A220. He praised the current Governor, Umo Eno, for sustaining the state’s aviation development project and recalled his vision for Ibom Air to be a dominant player in the West African and African aviation hub.
The Airbus A220-300 is renowned for its fuel efficiency, cutting-edge technology, and passenger comfort and safety features. Designed for short and medium-haul commercial operations, the aircraft has a range of up to seven hours (up to 3,450 nautical miles).
The CEO expressed, ‘The introduction of the Airbus A220-300 to our fleet is a game-changing leap forward for Ibom Air.’
Chairman of Air Peace, Mr Allen Onyema, expressed joy over the aircraft’s addition to Ibom Air’s fleet, highlighting the increasing strength of Nigerian carriers. He noted that it’s a historic moment as different domestic carriers are ordering brand new equipment for the first time in Nigeria’s aviation history.”
Iniabasi Umo; From the News Source: DailyTrust
