Delivery of Nigerian carrier Ibom Air's first Airbus A220 has been delayed. The airline has been operating a fleet of Bombardier CRJ-900 jets for its
Delivery of Nigerian carrier Ibom Air’s first Airbus A220 has been delayed. The airline has been operating a fleet of Bombardier CRJ-900 jets for its four years of service for most routes. The airline was looking to expand its fleet with the increasing demand for flight tickets.
The Nigerian airline plans to take 10 A220-300s under an agreement reached at last year’s Dubai air show. After flying the aircraft for a few months, Ibom Air decided to purchase its own aircraft from Airbus. They agreed on a deal to purchase ten new jetliners to complement the fleet of Bombardier jets. Airbus confirmed to Simple Flying that Ibom Air has ten firm orders of the A220-300.
Airbus A220
Last year, the Ibom Air company management announced the purchase of 10 brand-new aircraft from Europe’s aerospace giant. The planes were expected to be delivered by 2025, with the first one coming within the first quarter of 2023. However, the cause of delay until the year’s second half is due to production issues according to firm. While waiting for the aircraft to be delivered, the Nigerian airliner will operate its leased A320s.
“The wet-lease agreement is a stop-gap measure undertaken to meet current demands and accommodate growth, while awaiting the deliveries of our ten brand new Airbus A220-300 aircraft, an order that was firmed up in November 2021 at the Dubai Airshow,” said Chief Operating Officer, George Uriesi.