Ibom Air: Nigeria's first state-owned airline

Ibom Air is a Nigerian airline owned by the Akwa Ibom state government. The first of its kind in Nigeria. It operates across major cities in Nigeria, including Abuja, Lagos, Port Harcourt, etc. 

On June 7, 2019, a Bombardier CRJ900 with the Ibom Air logo and carrying government officials took off from Uyo's Victor Attah International Airport (IATA: QUO) towards Lagos' Muritala Muhammed International Airport. This marked the airline's official launch date. 

The airline and Dana Air also agreed to the country's first domestic codeshare arrangement in May 2021. The Dana Ibom Air Alliance codeshare agreement is the first of its sort in Nigeria. As a result of the agreement, which represents a critical turning point for Nigeria's aviation sector, both airlines will operate flights to locations beyond their usual routes while also offering flights to locations that are shared by both.

Ibom Air ticket prices

The starting price of all Ibom Air's flights is N24,000. This covers flights from Uyo to Abuja, Uyo to Yenagoa, Uyo to Port Harcourt, and so on.

The prices change from time to time due to the hike in prices and scarcity of aviation fuel and petroleum products all across Nigeria. Due mostly to the growing cost of crude oil on the global market, the price of aviation fuel jumped by 121.4% to N620 per litre in June 2022 from N280 per litre in the similar month of 2021.

The cost of processing petroleum into aviation fuel, a scarce commodity imported from the global market at a price of $128 per barrel today, was lower when it was about $70 per barrel.

Ibom Air three years of operation 

After three years, more than 1.5 million passengers have traveled on over 22,000 flights, and Ibom Air claims that its brand promise of on-time arrivals, schedule dependability, and superior service has earned them a solid reputation.

It claimed that the history of Ibom Air began as an audacious, daring new concept that quickly developed to earn  a spot in the country's aviation sector, winning prestigious awards along the way, including Airline of the Year for two consecutive years, in 2020 and 2021, alongside other awards from prestigious institutions.

Ibom Air's Chief Operating Officer, George Uriesi, stated that over the last 3 years the airline has grown significantly and it is more determined to put in more efforts in the coming years. 

He continued by saying that the airline was "humbled by the overwhelming support" and goodwill it had received from Nigerian travelers, which had inspired it to stay resolute and determined to keep breaking new ground as the airline contributed its share to the expansion and continuity of the aviation sector in Nigeria and Africa.

Ibom Air intends to launch regional flights this year, three years after its aviation operations began. Seven destinations are now served by the airline's fleet of seven aircraft, which consists of two Airbus A220-300 and five Bombardier CRJ 900 aircraft.