Ibom Air Launches A220-300 Aircraft With Flight From Uyo to Lagos

Ibom Air on Monday launched its brand-new Airbus 220-300 aircraft with a flight from Ibom Airport in Uyo to the Murtala Muhammed Airport (MMA), Lagos.

Ibom Air had onboard during the flight from Uyo to Lagos Mr. Umo Eno, the State Governor and some other dignitaries.

The 220-300 aircraft with the registration number: 5N-CDA, which arrived at the airline’s base in Uyo on December 8, 2023, from Mirabel, Canada is the first of 10 ordered equipment in November, 2021.

The aircraft flew by Captains Arif Jana and Adebayo Odunsi landed at 3.45pm with the governor and his entourage among the 133 passengers on its flight from Uyo to Lagos.

George Uriesi, Executive Director, Ibom Air, hinted that the aircraft operations took time because of the rigorous certification process from the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA).

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

“It takes time to do and even after that the time, to check out pilots took a bit of time. But they are done with their demo flights. Eventually, we are ready, thank God we have started today (Monday). We are looking at the aeroplane operating, it will operate between Lagos and Abuja from tomorrow (Tuesday) and then the second one is on its way.”

Uriesi disclosed that two additional aircraft would join the fleet of the airline in the next two months.