In a move to expand its operations and reach Akwa Ibom state-owned airline, Ibom Air has increased its fleet to five with the acquisition of two new aircraft.
According to the Chairman of Ibom Air Idongesit Nkanga, the new aircraft would be unveiled later this month.
Nkanga, who said the airline has since inception in June 2019, made about 3,000 also noted that the airline plans to increase its fleet to 10 by 2023.
“Within these eight months, we will have five aircraft. Towards the end of last year, possibly by October, we are expecting to add about two more aircraft to the existing three. We did that because it was towards the Yuletide and we expected more people to travel. But there was a little delay.
“Additional two aircraft are arriving this January. Within these eight months, we will have five aircraft. We have operated about 3,000 flights.
“We have increased our routes because when we first started, it was Uyo to Lagos and Uyo to Abuja. We have since added Abuja to Lagos and Lagos to Abuja.
“We have done enough to make on time departure and we have made about 97 percent on time departure.
“Before the end of this administration, we should be able to acquire 10 aircraft. That is the target, before 2022 we should expand the domestic, regional and international routes,” he stated.
Nkanga said the investment in the airline business has boosted the Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) of the state.
He revealed that the coming of Ibom Air had brought substantial economic improvement to the state.
