Without a maintenance base, airlines cannot thrive; George Uriesi, Ibom Air COO, emphasized during an African Airlines Association webinar.
He outlined Akwa Ibom’s progress on its Maintenance Repair Organisation (MRO) in Uyo.
Currently, Ibom Air operates five Bombardier CRJ900s and has transitioned from wet lease for two A320s to receiving the first Airbus A220-300 of ten ordered.
Uriesi assured Ibom Air’s capability to enhance maintenance self-sufficiency, aiming to join top airlines in self and third-party maintenance.”We’re already almost totally able to maintain our CRJ900 fleet.We’re almost there.”
“ Everything we need to do on it, we can do here, except for just a couple of things that we have to take the aeroplane out for. We’re going to do the same thing with the Airbus A220.”
The hangar will accommodate CRJ900, A220, and other aircraft types, necessitating upskilling and collaboration with certified MROs.
Uriesi said,“It is going to require a lot of upskilling, and is going to require us to collaborate with an established MRO that is EASA and FAA certified, so that we can maintain anybody’s aeroplanes.”
Ibom Air aims to become a major MRO facility in Africa, acknowledging the cost-saving advantage of self-maintenance.
To realise this, Ibom Air partnered with Airbus Consulting for a maintenance strategy covering the next six to eight years.This includes plans for full scope A220 work.
“We are working in collaboration with Airbus Consulting. They have helped us to put together the business plan for the MRO. It requires another level of investing, so we are busy with the financing for that,” Uriesi said.
