Ibom Air Soars to New Heights

By Anietie Usen

The purchase of two new aircraft on the same day was described as a rare feat by aviation experts in Nigeria. Ibom Air, one of Nigeria’s most decorated and favourite airlines, November 1, 2024, celebrated the arrival of two new aircraft, among the four new aircraft it has purchased in the last one year.

As usual, Akwa Ibom government and people, the sole owners of the airline, gathered at the Victor Attah International Airport to hail the only successful government-owned airline in Nigeria. The two new aircraft that touched down at 2pm, Friday, November 1, 2024, were the Canadian made CRJ 900 series of Bombardier, renowned globally for its efficient performance on short and medium-haul.

Apart from its reputation for high performance, even in bad weather, CRJ900 is also celebrated in the industry for fuel efficiency, comfort, modern cabin design that includes larger windows, improved lighting, and higher cabin pressure. In addition, the CRJ900 has a strong takeoff and landing performance, advanced avionics and flight system, which allows for operational reliability and flexibility as it can operate from shorter runways.

For Ibom Air, the two new aircraft instantly swelled it fleet to nine aircraft, made up of seven CRJ 900 and two Airbus 200-300 series. But for the delighted and jubilant people of Akwa Ibom, the two new aircraft called for nothing short of celebration. They rolled out their red carpet, drums and dancing shoes as the State Governor, Pastor Umo Eno, his deputy Senator Akon Eyakenyi and the Speaker of the House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Udeme Otong, led the rest of the people to pray and thànk ‘the Almighty God of Akwa Ibom State’ for his benevolence.

“Sometime ago, someone said to me why do you celebrate every time Ibom Air buys a new aircraft and I told him that as long as I remain Governor, we will celebrate any time we acquire a new aircraft. We celebrate because it is not easy for a State government in Nigeria to operate a commercial airline. We celebrate because Akwa Ibom remains the only State in Nigeria that runs a successful and profitable airline. We celebrate because God is steadily increasing us. We will continue to celebrate because we are investing in the right things for our people.

“All of these calls for celebration because…we recognize that without God, we would not achieve anything. But this is not just about celebration. It is about thanksgiving to the Almighty God that we, who were once nobodies can now run airlines, build towers and stand out in the commity of sub-nationals in Nigeria. That is a good reason for celebration” Governor Eno said.

The governor went ahead to announce other mega projects that are afoot under his watch and pledged also to complete all projects started by his predecessors. “Two days ago, we gathered in Lagos across party lines to celebrate Akwa Ibom’s continuous ascendency, with the groundbreaking ceremony of the 18-storey Ibom Towers, an iconic tower that speaks to the power of vision and creative application of funds for the most benefit of our people.

“Between now and the first quarter of next year, we will be doing the groundbreaking for our 4-star hotel in Abuja because we are determined to convert all our moribund properties to commercial ventures.

“By next year, the MRO [maintenance, repair, and overhaul] workshop behind me here will be completed. We are putting so much money already into this important project and we are at 95% completion. Then we will begin to earn money in foreign currency.

“Later on in December this year, we are going to partially open the brand new tear rubber international terminal of this airport and then it will be fully opened by the first quarter of next year. Funding is nearly completed”, the Governor said.

But the Governor was not done yet. “This month in November, we are commissioning 72 projects. We are building more roads across the State. We are building compassionate homes for the aged, while new hospitals and new schools, are being commissioned on a regular basis. Through the Akwa Ibom Bulk Purchase Agency, we are distributing free food to all our 31 Local Government Areas. I’ve just approved the payment of N1.2 billion for gratuity to our retirees.

“Before the end of December, we are flagging off the international market in Ikot Ekpene, the judiciary quarters in Uyo, our special ambulance services that will cover the entire State. A week from now, we shall be harvesting from the employment portal a total of 5,000 young undergraduates and we’ll pay them N50,000 each. I’d like to say to the Akwa Ibom people that I am following up closely on the Ibom Deep seaport project. You can check, we are meeting all our commitments to our consultants and very soon we will open the road to the Deep Seaport itself…On top of that, we are laying the foundation in the next two weeks for our aviation village near this airport” the governor said to the roaring applause of the crowd.

But it was the Board Chairman of Ibom Air, Pastor Imo-Abasi Jacob and the CEO of Ibom Air, Captain Mfon Udom, who gave the excited audience some insight into the two new aircraft and the beautiful new International Wing of the Victor Attah International Airport, VAIA. Said Jacob: “We have drawn from the support of His Excellency the governor to be able to put together this uncommon feat…These aircrafts have been fully funded and financed by the State government in a manner that is not known in the management of public finance. His Excellency has graciously funded these aircrafts with what we call shareholders loan; deploying public funds to create wealth and assets in a way that the money will come back to the coffers of the government for use in other developmental areas”.

According to the Board Chairman of Ibom Air: “I regard the funding of these two new aircraft as the triumph of public finance over conventional finance…You and I know that if we were to go the route of financial services ecosystem, this kind of money would attract so much interest and create a burden on the shoulders of Ibom Air, but His Excellency stood between the banks and us, giving us a shoulder to lean on, giving us money which we will pay back without stress in a very short time”.

He didn’t say how much one CRJ900 cost the State government but a check online shows a new Bombardier CRJ900 typically ranges between $40 million and $50 million, depending on the specific configuration and options selected. It was left for Captain Udom to justify the purchase of the two new aircraft under the present economic environment in Nigeria.

“What this means to us and the teeming travelling public who depend heavily on Ibom Air is that our capacity to fly more frequently and efficiently has increased. From today, these aircrafts will be deployed particularly for the Uyo- Lagos and Abuja routes. We are also doing this ahead of the yuletide season that is coming soon so that no Akwa Ibom person or Akwa Ibom bound passenger will be left behind”, Captain Udom said.

However, the two new aircraft, according to Captain Udom will only be doing a warm up on the domestic airspace ahead of their international duties beginning from early 2025. They are actually meant for the airline’s regional network direct from Uyo to Cameroun, Gabon, Ghana, Gambia, etc.

“Our New International Terminal is going to open for business next month [December 2024] but for limited flight operations. Actually what will happen is that our two Airbuses 220s will be parked here in Uyo, while the CRJs bring our passengers from Abuja, Duala, etc to connect in Uyo to their final destinations. So it’s going to be a very busy terminal as we assume operations from the International Wing”, Captain Udom said.

Not a few were excited about the steady growth of the five-year old airline and the emerging aviation hub in the beautiful capital city of Akwa Ibom State. Traditional rulers, politicians, aviation experts, academia and clergymen who later prayed to dedicate the two aircrafts spoke in glowing terms about the rising profile of Ibom Air and Akwa Ibom State.

Said Professor Udeme Udofia, a lecturer in the University of Calabar and a Pastor in the Redeemed Christian Church of God, RCCG: “Governor Eno and Ibom Air are raising the bar in aviation sector, elevating standards, pushing for higher heights and setting new benchmarks…This is the Lord’s doing and it is marvellous in our eyes…”

Predictably, it was Governor Eno who had the last say at this auspicious event and he was uncompromisingly businesslike and task-oriented. “When we came into office, we promised to continue with what our past leaders have done, particularly the past Administration of Deacon Udom Gabriel Emmanuel…Let me say this clearly to Akwa Ibom people, we must think outside the box…The economy of our country today suggests that every leader must put on his thinking cap and look for ways to generate revenue in the years to come. That is why we’re making these investments…We bought the two aircraft you see here without borrowing a dime from anywhere. In fact, I am prepared to finance another two aircraft anytime from now. We are ready to break the cycle of debts and let the airline be free and begin to pay dividends to the government…Very soon Ibom Air will be going to the capital market and we are determined that Ibom Air must be properly managed as ever…”

*Usen writes from Uyo