By; PATRICK TITUS, Uyo
One of Nigeria’s indigenous airlines, Ibom Air has disclosed plans to expand its travel route to seven African countries outside Nigeria, and two new routes within the country.
The Group Manager, Marketing and Communications, Ibom Air, Mrs. Aniekan Essienette who stated this on Thursday in Uyo, said the routes include Ghana, Cameroon, Sierra Leone, Senegal, Liberia, Garbon, and Gambia.
Essienette explained that the regional flights would begin in two months time adding that the Vice President of Gambia visited the airline and requested that it starts a regional flight.
She said the airline has already mapped out plans for the regional routes but however noted that before the regional flights begin, the airline must have the capacity to meet its local demands.
Essienette said Ibom Air clean record’s of business and trust have opened the airline to international airline operators willing to partner the company and expand their business frontier.
“We are focused on one thing, to grow this airline and put Akwa Ibom on the pedestal. We are going to expand regionally. We tell everyone that cares to listen that Ibom Air is a world class of African regional airline, meaning that, as much as we want to go international, we want to first of all conquer the Africa territory.
“However, when we are stable, nothing stops us from interlining with international airline. Every airline that is worth its salt out there is asking to interline with Ibom Airline, meaning that they would bring traffic to us. So, theoretically, you can buy an Ibom Air ticket with Delta Airline and it would take you all the way to the US and back. It is just like Ibom Air operated by Delta.
“But for us, we want to conquer the African territory and this year alone, we want to go to seven African countries: Ghana, Cameroon, Sierra Leone, Senegal, Liberia, Garbon, and Gambia.
“Right now, we are in the process of tidying up all the international agreements, and once that is done, we would start going to our region,” she stated.
Essienette mentioned that Ibom Air has seven planes in its fleet, five CJ900 and two airbuses but hope to increase the fleet to 10 before end of this year.
