Ibom Air is set to take delivery of another Airbus A220-300, bringing its fleet of the modern narrow-body aircraft to three as the Akwa Ibom State-owned airline advances plans to expand capacity and strengthen its presence across Nigeria and West and Central Africa.
The incoming aircraft will be the second A220-300 delivered from the airline’s firm order for 10 aircraft placed directly with Airbus at the Dubai Airshow in November 2021.
Ibom Air received the first aircraft from the order at Airbus’ facility in Mirabel, Canada, in November 2023. It later acquired another A220-300 from global aircraft lessor Carlyle Aviation in July 2024 after passenger demand grew faster than the delivery schedule for its new Airbus aircraft.
The interim acquisition provided additional capacity while the airline awaited deliveries under its Airbus order. However, Ibom Air’s relationship with the A220 dates back to 2021, when it wet-leased two A220 aircraft from EgyptAir to assess their suitability for the Nigerian market.
After six months of commercial operations with the aircraft, the airline concluded that the A220 was suitable for its expansion strategy and placed the 10-aircraft order with Airbus.
Ibom Air commenced commercial operations in June 2019 and is wholly owned by the Akwa Ibom State Government, making it one of the few examples of a Nigerian subnational government establishing and operating a scheduled commercial airline.
The airline initially built its fleet around the Bombardier CRJ900, which was suited to developing domestic routes without exposing the relatively young carrier to the capacity risks associated with larger narrow-body aircraft.
As passenger traffic increased, Ibom Air introduced Airbus A320s and A220s through leasing arrangements while preparing for the permanent transition to the larger aircraft ordered from Airbus.
The A220-300 can typically accommodate between 120 and 150 passengers, depending on configuration, and has a range of up to approximately 6,700 kilometres. The aircraft also offers improved fuel efficiency compared with previous-generation aircraft in its category, providing potential operating-cost advantages for airlines facing high fuel prices and other expenses.
The larger A220 fleet is expected to allow Ibom Air to deploy additional capacity on high-demand domestic routes while also using the aircraft for regional operations.
Regional expansion has remained a key part of the airline’s growth strategy since the Airbus order was announced.
Ibom Air launched its first international route between Lagos and Accra, Ghana, in October 2023, marking its expansion beyond Nigeria. When the 10-aircraft order was announced, the airline identified West and Central Africa as key markets for future expansion.
The airline has also continued to strengthen its fleet while awaiting deliveries of the factory-ordered A220s.
In 2024, Ibom Air acquired two additional CRJ900 NextGen aircraft, bringing its fleet at the time to nine aircraft comprising seven CRJ900s and two A220-300s. The additional aircraft were acquired to improve capacity and operational reliability while the airline awaited the remaining A220 deliveries.
The arrival of another factory-ordered A220-300 therefore represents another step towards the fleet structure envisioned by Ibom Air when it committed to the Airbus programme.
For the airline, the expansion comes at a time when Nigeria’s aviation industry continues to contend with high operating costs, expensive aviation fuel, foreign exchange pressures and aircraft maintenance challenges.
The use of newer-generation aircraft could provide Ibom Air with greater fuel efficiency, reliability and route flexibility as it expands its operations.
The latest delivery will also gradually reduce the airline’s reliance on temporary capacity solutions and bring it closer to the fleet configuration it selected after testing the A220 under Nigerian operating conditions.
What began in 2021 as a trial involving leased aircraft has consequently developed into a central component of Ibom Air’s long-term growth strategy.
The remaining deliveries under the Airbus order will determine how quickly the airline can increase flight frequencies on domestic routes and expand its network across West and Central Africa.
