Nigeria is a country whose aviation sector faces a lot of challenges. Due to these challenges, several airlines -including the federal government-owned Nigerian Airways- have become ‘defunct’ airlines. The stories of these defunct airlines are somewhat unmatched in other sectors of the Nigerian economy, with most of them becoming non-operational after incurring huge debts. Despite the severity of these challenges, there are still indigenous airlines that have overcome them and do not look like they are stopping any time soon. A very good example of one of these airlines is Ibom Air.
Founded in 2019, Ibom Air is owned by the oil-rich Akwa Ibom state government in the south-south region of Nigeria. It also began operations in the same year it was founded. When Ibom Air was founded, there were criticisms from several quarters that doubted the success of the airline, due to the state of the Nigerian aviation industry. These critics insisted that the money invested in Ibom Air would have been better utilized in growing other sectors, like agriculture
Despite the doubts, the Akwa Ibom government’s belief in the Ibom Air project has so far paid off, as it is ranked highly among the few domestic airlines in Nigeria.
Since it is owned by the Akwa Ibom state government, it is no surprise that the main hub of Ibom Air is Victor Attah International Airport, located 24 kilometers (15 miles) southeast of Uyo, the state capital. Though not one of the busiest airports in Nigeria, Victor Attah International Airport, serves Akwa Ibom, and other neighboring states. Apart from being its main hub, it also houses Ibom Air’s head office and its fleet of airplanes.
Ibom Air’s First Flight and Destinations
During its inaugural flight on the 7th of June 2019, an Ibom Air Bombardier CRJ900 aircraft, took off from Victor Attah International Airport, Uyo, to Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, with its first passengers being top government officials and journalists, who covered the groundbreaking journey. Since that journey, the destinations of Ibom Air flights have been Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos (it’s the sub- focus city), Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja (it’s focus city), Victor Attah International Airport, Uyo (its airport hub), Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu, and Margaret Ekpo International Airport, Calabar. Currently, Ibom Air flies directly from Uyo to Abuja, Uyo to Lagos, Abuja to Lagos, Abuja to Uyo, Lagos to Abuja, and Lagos to Uyo, 14 times weekly (twice a day including weekends). It also makes journeys from Abuja to Calabar, Abuja to Enugu, Calabar to Abuja, Calabar to Lagos, Enugu to Abuja, Enugu to Lagos, Lagos to Calabar, and Lagos to Enugu, 7 times weekly (once a day including weekends).
Despite its flights basically between destinations in Nigeria, Ibom Air, aims to expand its operations beyond local flights. It hopes to gradually move from connecting Nigerian cities to connecting West African countries, and the world as a whole, in the nearest future. Akwa Ibom State Governor Udom Emmanuel confirmed that Ibom Air was expanding its operations to The Gambia and other West African countries after the state established relations with the country to boost commerce, industry, and aviation development. Speaking on 6th of April 2021, when he was paid a courtesy visit by the Gambian High Commissioner to Nigeria, Mr. Mohamadou Musa Njie, at Government House Uyo, Governor Emmanuel said “We are planning a regional flight with Ibom Air, so we hope by next month (May 2021), we should take delivery of two brand new A220 300 series Airbuses, which will be used for regional flights. I will get this to be discussed at the Board of Directors meeting of Ibom Air so that we can also consider a flight to Banjul.”
Ibom Air’s Fleet and Ticket Prices
Ibom Air currently has a fleet size of 5 aircraft, all of which are Bombardier CRJ-900 aircraft with a maximum capacity of 90 passengers per flight. The aircraft are well maintained, fully functional and their average age is 10.8 years old (the official maximum aircraft age in Nigeria is 15 years old). As Governor Emmanuel confirmed during the visit of the Gambian High Commissioner to Nigeria, Ibom Air would acquire two A220 300 Series Airbuses to expand its operations beyond the Nigerian borders.
The cost of flying with Ibom Air is cheaper when compared to other airlines in the Nigerian aviation sector. An Ibom Air flight starts from about NGN 23,000 for flights from Uyo, Lagos, Abuja, Calabar, and Enugu. The flying experience with Ibom Air is top-notch, and unmatched by most airlines in Nigeria, with above 90 percent performance since its first flight. Since the commencement of flight operations in June 2019, Ibom Air had lifted more than 500,000 passengers at the end of the second quarter of 2021. This feat was achieved despite a lengthy ban of flights in Nigeria, due to the outbreak of Covid-19. According to Mrs. Anniekan Essienette, the Group Manager of Marketing and Communications, Ibom Airlines Limited, this figure should have been reached in November 2020, if the pandemic did not come into play.
