In Two Years, Ibom Air MRO Would Be Up And Running – MD/COO

Managing Director/Chief Operating Officer (COO) of Ibom Air, Mr. George Uriesi


The proposed Ibom Maintenance Repair Organization (MRO) facility at the Victor Attah International Airport Akwa Ibom will come online in the next two years according to the Managing Director/Chief Operating Officer (COO) of Ibom Air, Mr. George Uriesi. The development increases the chances of creating a hub of some sort with the Airport.

When the airport was established, the Akwa Ibom state government, had hinted that the long-term plan was to ensure that Akwa Ibom is made a hub for travel, tourism and business in the region.

Uriesi, the MD/COO during the airline’s inaugural flight into the Akanu Ibiam International Airport (AIIA) Enugu stated that the state government’s move while unveiling plans to improve on what is. The US$100m Ibom Airport Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) facility located in Uyo, the Akwa Ibom State capital was commissioned in December 2012 to cater to maintenance on Boeing 737 aircraft, which is about 70 per cent of commercial airplanes by indigenous airline operators, Airbus and Bombardier aircraft.

The facility is large enough to accommodate two wide body aircraft like two Boeing 747s or four Boeing 737s, parked side-by-side, nose-in, fully contained within the building with all the dormitories, the spacing, the equipment and all the configurations that will make for effective aircraft maintenance. This project, when operational, is one aviation industry is looking up to, to further drive down the huge capital flight the country experiences when it comes to carrying out checks for aircraft. Mr. Uriesi explained that Ibom Air would expand albeit gradually spreading its wings internationally but will not jump into routes just to fly them as it is a profit-driven venture.

He said, “We will expand organically, gradually into the West and Central Africa. We will not rush anything, we go into a route, stabilize the route ensure that it is becoming profitable; we go into the next route not just go from route to route. We will watch the numbers carefully. So, we are very hopeful and confident that Enugu will be a good destination and after Enugu is settled and comfortable, we will move to the next route.”

Ureisi however decried the economic impact of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, which has caused a loss of revenue and has forced even mega carriers to re-evaluate their businesses with some of them sacking staff while others are folding up. He however said Ibom Air too was negatively affected but the focus is to survive; retain staff, stabilize the business and reach the trajectory for 2021.

Again he said,” Yes COVID -19 has impacted significantly and we lost a lot of revenue not flying for a long time while our costs continue to run but we are back now and we have redesigned our trajectory and I am glad to say since we came back we have been following our trajectory redesign, we are hopeful to survive, it is still touch and go, the industry is suffering.

“The big as well as totally established airlines are sacking left, right and centre. Major airlines are collapsing, so we are trying very hard first of all not to sack staff, secondly to build the business back to the former trajectory and to expand out footprint in Nigeria. In the last two months we did Calabar and Enugu, we believe we will do one more before the year runs out and then next year, we pick up our trajectory.

“We are supposed to end this year with seven aero planes, but we know we are going to end it with only five because this is not the market to go and get more aero planes. So, when it stabilizes and we are satisfied with what we are seeing, I believe in 2021, we can start our growth trajectory again.”

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