The International Air Transport Association (IATA), on Wednesday, formally presented Ibom Air with its Operational Safety Audit Certificate.

The certificate was received by the Ibom Airlines Limited management team, led by Mfon Udom, the CEO, at the Ibom Air headquarters in Uyo, Akwa-Ibom state from IATA representatives Samson Fatokun, Area Manager, West & Central Africa, and Jennifer Aisha Yeates, Assistant Director Operations, Safety and Security, West & Central Africa.

Established by IATA in 2003, IOSA uses internationally recognized quality auditing principles to assess the operational management and safety controls of airlines to certify them consistently.

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As a result, IOSA has become accepted as the international standard for airline safety and operational evaluation.

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The IOSA audit of Ibom Air was conducted in the second half of 2022, just over three years after the airline commenced commercial operations. Ibom Air’s effort was championed by the airline’s Quality and Safety Team, led by Engineer Edem Essien, Group Manager, Quality and Safety.

Responding to the presentation on behalf of Ibom Air, George Uriesi, the Chief Operating Officer of Ibom Air, first commended the Ibom Air team for the landmark achievement.

He expressed the leadership’s appreciation for the continuous efforts by staff to make the airline the World Class African Regional Airline as contained in the company’s Vision Statement. In his words, “Ibom Air’s achievement of the IOSA Certification at this time is very much in line with our continental aspirations, as we move to position our airline strongly on the African continent. Our strategy to spread our wings across Africa includes establishing multiple interline agreements and excellent cooperation with partner airlines. Being IOSA certified is a pre-requisite for this.”

The certification validates the airline’s high operational and safety standards and is an essential milestone as the airline positions for regional operations and collaboration.

It stands to also move the airline further on course to deliver on its Mission; to build a safe, service-focused, and profitable airline.

Ifeoma Okeke-Korieocha is the Aviation Correspondent at BusinessDay Media Limited, publishers of BusinessDay Newspapers. She is also the Deputy Editor, BusinessDay Weekender Magazine, the Saturday Weekend edition of BusinessDay. She holds a BSC in Mass Communication from the prestigious University of Nigeria, Nsukka and a Masters degree in Marketing at the University of Lagos. As the lead writer on the aviation desk, Ifeoma is responsible and in charge of the three weekly aviation and travel pages in BusinessDay and BDSunday. She also overseas and edits all pages of BusinessDay Saturday Weekender. She has written various investigative, features and news stories in aviation and business related issues and has been severally nominated for award in the category of Aviation Writer of the Year by the Nigeria Media Nite-Out awards; one of the Nigeria’s most prestigious media awards ceremonies. Ifeoma is a one-time winner of the prestigious Nigeria Media Merit Award under the 'Aviation Writer of the Year' Category. She is the 2025 Eloy Award winner under the Print Media Journalist category. She has undergone several journalism trainings by various prestigious organisations. Ifeoma is also a fellow of the Female Reporters Leadership Fellowship of the Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism.

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