Ibom Air's new Airbus A220-300 launches on Uyo-Lagos route

Ibom Air on Monday launched its Airbus A220-300 into commercial service with flights from Uyo to Lagos.

The A220 with registration 5N-CDA which arrived at the airline’s base in Uyo on December 8, 2023, from Mirabel, Canada is the first of ten ordered in November 2021.

Ibom Air’s aircraft debuted on Flight QI515 from Uyo Victor Attah International Airport (QUO) to Lagos Murtala Muhammed Airport (LOS).

The aircraft landed at 3.45pm with Umo Eno, Governor of Akwa Ibom and his entourage among the 133 passengers it ferried from Uyo.

Captains Arif Jana and Adebayo Odunsi flew the aircraft in from Uyo, the Akwa Ibom state Capital.

George Uriesi, Executive director and Chief Operating Officer, Ibom Air explained that the aircraft operation took time because of the rigorous certification process.

Uriesi said, ”You know it’s a new aeroplane in Nigeria. It’s new for us, new for the NCAA and International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) was also auditing this period. The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) followed everything to the letter and we are happy for it also.

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“Eventually, we are ready, thank God we have started today. It will operate between Lagos and Abuja from and then the second one is on its way. We expect it to come in between May and June. We are looking forward to a positive future.”

Governor Umo Eno of Akwa Ibom expresses continued support for the state’s tripod aviation ecosystem calling on the Federal government to partner.

The governor stressed that the projects( Ibom Air, Smart Terminal and MRO) are changing the face of aviation in Nigeria.

“My role is to support what they are doing and that is one of the reasons why I am here to support the vision that has been carved out which is fantastic.

“It is a deliberately planned ecosystem around the vision to be able to have the Maintenance Repair Overhaul (MRO), take care of flights not just Ibom Air but all around. Nigeria right now is trying to build one. it would take some years. We have one on the ground already so we are saying Nigeria, come and let’s partner and get it done. “

He said there is a plan which the state is following up on and that plan is yielding fruit with the aircraft starting commercial service.

Ifeoma Okeke-Korieocha

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.