Akwa Ibom State’s government-owned airline in Nigeria, Ibom Air, has taken delivery of its first out of ten A220-300. Representatives from the airline, alongside executives from Airbus Canada, celebrated the aircraft handover at the Airbus site in Mirabel, Canada. The aircraft will be based in Uyo, Nigeria.
Ibom Air’s A220 will be deployed on short-haul routes and additionally increase regional connectivity with intra-continental air routes. With the largest population in Africa and the largest GDP, Nigeria offers substantial growth potential in domestic and regional travel, making the A220 the ideal choice for Ibom Air, thanks to the aircraft being the only clean-sheet small single aisle with state-of-the-art technologies.
The A220 is purpose-built for the 100-150 seat market and can be operated on flights of up to 3,450 nautical miles (6,390 km); it delivers unbeatable fuel efficiency and superior passenger comfort in a single-aisle aircraft with wide seats and generous personal space. Ibom Air’s first A220 configuration will comprise a total of 132 seats in dual-class, including 120 economy class and 12 business class seats.
The A220 brings together state-of-the-art aerodynamics, advanced materials and Pratt & Whitney’s latest-generation GTFTM engines to offer 25% lower fuel burn and CO2 emissions per seat compared to previous-generation aircraft. In addition, the aircraft noise footprint is reduced by around 50% compared to previous-generation aircraft.
As with all Airbus aircraft, the A220 is already able to operate with up to 50% Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF). Airbus aims for all its aircraft to be capable of flying with 100% SAF by 2030.
At the end of October 2023, the A220 had accumulated close to 820 orders. Over 295 A220s are currently in service with 17 operators worldwide.
