Ibom Air Receives IOSA Certification

Okon Bassey in Uyo

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has formally presented Ibom Air with its Operational Safety Audit Certificate, as the airline company said the exercise was in line with continental aspirations.

The IATA representatives, Dr. Samson Fatokun; Area Manager, West and Central Africa, and Jennifer Aisha Yeates, who is the assistant director, Operations, Safety and Security, West and Central Africa, did the presentation.

The certificate was received by the Ibom Airlines Limited management team led by the Chief  Executive Officer, Mfon Udom, at the Ibom Air headquarters in Uyo, the Akwa Ibom State capital.

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

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

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 Edem Essien, the group manager, Quality and Safety.

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

He expressed the leadership appreciation for the continuous efforts by staff to make the airline a world class African regional airline as contained in the company’s vision statement.

According to him, “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’.

Ibom Air is a limited liability company wholly owned by the Akwa Ibom State Government, which aims to set the standard as an airline of choice for passengers by focusing on schedule reliability, on-time departures, and excellent service.

It has a fleet of seven aircraft-five bombardier CRJ 900 and two airbus A320-300S-covering seven destinations and nine routes.