Ibom Air Expansion Plans

Ibom Air, Nigeria’s local government-owned airline, is set to embark on an exciting journey of growth as the airline expands to new destinations and markets. The carrier has announced plans to expand its route network beyond its current international destination of Accra, Ghana.

“We’re breaking into regional flights,” revealed George Uriesi, Executive Director and COO of Ibom Air, in an interview with Aviation Week. “We started with Lagos-Accra about a year ago, and from next year, we’re going to expand to two or three other regional destinations.”

This strategic move marks a significant milestone for Ibom Air as it looks to strengthen its presence within Africa. But what sets this expansion apart? Let’s take a closer look at the airline’s ambitious plans and how they plan to make their mark on the regional skies.

A New Era of Multi-Stop Routes with A220s

Unlike many airlines that offer direct services to multiple destinations, Ibom Air is taking a unique approach. Their new routes will be multi-stop flights, meaning they will operate as stops rather than direct services. This innovative strategy could potentially open up new opportunities for travellers looking for more personalized journeys.

Currently, Ibom Air operates seven CRJ900s and two Airbus A220-300s, serving seven destination (six domestic and one intra-African.) However, the airline has big plans for the future, with nine more A220-300s scheduled to arrive by 2028 allowing the airline to transition to an all-A220 fleet. The A220s have sufficient range for Ibom Air to fly to destinations like Cairo (Egypt), Cape Town (South Africa), and Casablanca (Morocco), however, while other African carriers are expanding into long-haul flights, Ibom Air has made it clear it has no ambitions of branching out internationally. As Uriesi stated, “Let the Ethiopians and the Egyptians do all of that. We will stay in Africa.”