Ibom Air to open MRO, receive 10 new aircraft in 2023
• Welcomes two Airbus 320- 200 airplanes
AKWA Ibom State- owned airline, Ibom Air, is set to unveil a new Maintenance Repair and Overhaul ( MRO) facility early 2023, and welcome brand new aircraft into its fleets.
The airline, while unveiling two Airbus 320- 200 aircraft on lease this week, said the new additions were prelude to giant strides happening in 2023.
Ibom Air, at the Dubai Airshow in November 2021, tabled an ambitious bid for 10 brand new Airbus 200- 300 aircraft. At a market price of $ 90.5 million per aircraft, the bid is worth about $ 905 million in total. The bid was to fetch Ibom Air some of the latest efficient airplanes made by the French commercial jet manufacturer, between 2023 and 2024.
Chief Operating Officer of the airline, George Uriesi, said that the wet- lease aircraft was a stopgap measure undertaken to meet current demands and accommodate growth, while awaiting delivery of 10 brand new Airbus A220- 300 aircraft. “With this new capacity coming on board, we are delighted to inform our passengers that we have increased our offerings, providing more frequencies for their convenience. The Uyo- Lagos and Uyo- Abuja route now have three frequencies every weekday, while our passengers between Lagos and Abuja will have seven frequencies to choose from both ways, every weekday,” Uriesi said.
The delivery of Ibom Air’s 10 brand new A220- 300s is scheduled to begin in the second half of 2023.
Governor of the State, Emmanuel Udom, said the state also has the new repair facility to be proud of.
Emmanuel said: “Our terminal building and MRO are world- class in Africa. If you find one today in the entire
Gulf of Guinea, tell me, I will break down this one and construct another.
“Look at our MRO, what you are seeing here can take two 747 aircraft and can also take eight CRJ aircraft, the type we are flying, for servicing at the same time.
“This is the only MRO today in this part of the world and these facilities are not built with local currency but we are building this MRO with naira that does not have value.
“I invest in areas where we can have returns on our investments. Right now without blinking an eye, I can make over $ 30 million with this MRO if we decide to sell, but we are not selling. We will make foreign exchange from this investment,” he said.
He added that Airbus wanted to lease the MRO for all its regional flights. “But we are not selling. We are going to open up this place from January next year for commercial activities and we are going to earn in dollars,” Emmanuel said.