Ibom Air’s New Airbus A220-300 Launches On Uyo-Lagos Route
Nigeria’s only state government-owned carrier, Ibom Air, will inaugurate its brand-new Airbus A220-300 into commercial service on April 29 with a domestic flight from Uyo, the capital of Akwa Ibom state, to Lagos, the largest city in Nigeria. The aircraft will operate a total of three passenger services today.
Brand-new A220 enters commercial service
Ibom Air received a brand-new A220-300 from Airbus late last year. This was the first of ten A220s ordered in November 2021. The new aircraft, registration 5N-CDA, arrived at the airline’s base in Uyo on December 8, 2023, after a long ferry flight from the manufacturer’s facility in Mirabel, Canada.
Nigeria’s only state government-owned carrier, Ibom Air, will inaugurate its brand-new Airbus A220-300 into commercial service on April 29 with a domestic flight from Uyo, the capital of Akwa Ibom state, to Lagos, the largest city in Nigeria. The aircraft will operate a total of three passenger services today.
Brand-new A220 enters commercial service
Ibom Air received a brand-new A220-300 from Airbus late last year. This was the first of ten A220s ordered in November 2021. The new aircraft, registration 5N-CDA, arrived at the airline’s base in Uyo on December 8, 2023, after a long ferry flight from the manufacturer’s facility in Mirabel, Canada.
Preparing for A220 operations
Ibom Air will be the only Nigerian carrier operating an A220-300 with local registration 5N. However, the airline previously operated two A220s wet-leased from Egyptair. It flew the type for up to a year to test its suitability, and within six months, the company realized that it was the right aircraft for its domestic and regional growth plans. It went and signed a firm order for ten A220s at the 2021 Dubai Airshow.
The first delivery was initially scheduled for Q12023, but this was delayed for a few months. While awaiting delivery of the new aircraft, Ibom Air had wet-leased two Airbus A320-200s from GetJet Airlines in December 2022. This allowed the state-owned carrier to increase frequencies on various routes and offer passengers more travel options.
However, in February 2024, the airline announced that it would end all wet-leased aircraft operations as it prepared to debut the new A220. As such, the two A320s, YL-EMU and 9H-GTS, operated their last flights for Ibom on February 5 before returning to Vilnius, Lithuania.
The transition did, however, lead to a reduced flight schedule. Speaking about the development, Ibom Air Executive Director and Chief Operating Officer George Uriesi said,
“We resorted to wet leasing aircraft to meet the growing demand for our product while we worked on our fleet growth program. Now with these aircraft being delivered, it is time for us to benefit from the significant operating efficiencies and enhanced service the A220-300 brings to the business.”
Source: Simple Flying
