- Photo caption : From Left: Marketing Officer, Ibom Air, Mr. Odotitoro; Group Manager, Marketing and Communication, Ibom Air. Mrs. Aniekan Essienette; Chairman, League of Airport Aviation Correspondents,(LAAC),Mr. Segun Koiki; and Group Manager, Corporate Services, Ibom Air. Mrs. Imelda Aba, during Ibom Air Media Chat with Aviation Correspondent in Lagos
The Group Manager, Marketing and Communications, Ibom Air, Aniekan Essienette, has disclosed that the plan of the Akwa Ibom State Government in setting up Maintain Repair and Overhaul(MRO)facility was to fill in the existing gap in the system, curb capital flight and reduce cost of maintenance for airlines.
This is just as she also hinted that the intention behind the Ibom Airportis to make it a hub in West Africa.
The Akwa Ibom State Government presently drives tripod aviation eco-system projects, which includes a state- of the art terminal, the Ibom MRO facility and Ibom Airlines.
She revealed these when she and her team from Ibom Air paid a courtesy visit to the League of Airport and Aviation Correspondents (LAAC) Press Centre at the Murtala Muhammed Airport(MMA),Lagos.
She explained that the MRO was to fill the gap created by lack of MRO in the country , stop capital flight and reduce cost of maintenance for airlines especially the domestic airlines
According to her, “Our MRO is to fill a gap in the aviation space as we have only a few MROs in the entire African countries. The plan as at the time of set up, was to go into MRO in order to capture the market, reduce high cost of maintenance across the country, and reduce capital flights associated with maintenance.”
She continued, “The next phase was then the airport and the third phase was the airline. With the new terminal, we hope to become a hub and ensure it’s in tune with our business plan of becoming a regional airline. We will be able to service not just the region in Nigeria, but the entire West African region. We intend to build a truly hub airport for the first time in Nigeria. That’s the idea.”
On the Ibom Airport project , Essienette explained that the intention of the state government was to use the terminal to attract passengers to the state, while its airline, Ibom Air distributes them to markets within the sub-regional .
The goal of Ibom Air to emerge as the leading carrier in West Africa is still very much on course, adding that the airline is systematically and strategically fulfilling the dream despite the several challenges ranging from Forex, skyrocketing aviation fuel, inability to access forex and unfriendly operating climate .
Speaking on infrastructure at airports across the country, she said that there was still much to be done but that the government was addressing some of the issues gradually.
The Group Manager, Marketing and Communications, lamented the free-fall of naira to the Dollars , adding that this also contributes to operating costs for operators and that airlines could not increase their fares in commensurate with the current reality.
“This is the dilemma that we have found ourselves in. At times, you are not able to replenish quickly as you will want to and of course, if it is on the high cost, you will find a way of mitigating it in such a way that there is a balance, but what do we get from the public, criticism.
Speaking further, she said, “About two weeks ago, we bought fuel at about N800, but today, it is N1,500 and the expectation is that you should not increase fares. If a bolt is loose, we don’t manufacture it here, you have to have naira, which has to wait for available dollars and until you get dollars, you will not be able to transmit it, which is a huge challenge.”
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