Nigeria’s Ibom Air which has transformed the way air travel is carried out in the country since its inception is upping the ante with an order for 10 new Airbus A220s. The order is broken down between the types, with the A220-300 being delivered from 2023, with the A220-100 to follow. The order pushes Airbus to an even stronger lead in terms of orders placed on day three of the Dubai Airshow, as well as the total orders for the Dubai Airshow so far.
While Boeing took an early lead in the Dubai day three order book, it was quickly overtaken by rival Airbus when the Middle Eastern carrier Jazeera Airways placed an order for up to 28 new jets from the Airbus A320neo family, worth more than $3.3 billion.
For now, Ibom Air’s order is comprised of three of the larger Airbus A220-300, and seven of the smaller A220-100s. However, while the numbers of aircraft have been set, the split between the two types remains fluid, meaning we could see more of one type, and less of another.
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The airline isn’t totally new to the Airbus A220. Instead, it is already wet-leasing two Airbus A220-300s from fellow African airline, Egyptair. Wet leasing means that Ibom Air is paying Egyptair to provide the aircraft, fuel, and crew.
Ibom Air isn’t eyeing an all A220 fleet. According to ch-aviation.com, the airline already has five Embraer CRJs.
During the press conference, Mfon Udom said that the Airbus A220 order would complement its existing fleet, rather than replace it. The airline is owned by the Akwa Ibom state government, and as such, both its CEO and the Governor of the state, Udom Emmanuel.
Commenting on the order, Mfon said, “We at Ibom Air are delighted with the steep growth we have achieved in just over two and a half years since we commenced operations… The addition of the A220 to our fleet will support our growth strategy and boost operational efficiency. It will also offer our passengers more space and enhanced cabin experience as a value added for choosing us.”
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Airbus’ chief commercial officer, Christian Scherer, commented that the aircraft is ideally suited to the Nigerian aviation market. By the end of October, the Airbus A220 had already clocked 643 firm orders from customers around the globe. While many aircraft were impacted by the global pandemic, the A220 has already exceeded its pre-pandemic schedule
Kelechi Deca
Kelechi Deca has over two decades of media experience, he has traveled to over 77 countries reporting on multilateral development institutions, international business, trade, travels, culture, and diplomacy. He is also a petrol head with in-depth knowledge of automobiles and the auto industry