Ibom Air ‘disagrees’ with different airways, to proceed operations

Ibom Air, the business airline owned by the Akwa Ibom State Authorities, has rejected the plan by Nigerian airways to droop operations from Monday over excessive price of aviation gas and different operational prices.

In an announcement Saturday, Ibom Air mentioned whereas it acknowledged the considerably elevated price of enterprise, it couldn’t within the circumstance comply with halt operations.

Airline operators had on Friday in a letter addressed to the Minister of Aviation, Sadi Sirika, and the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority mentioned they are going to halt operations from Monday, amidst an astronomical improve in aviation gas.

The letter was signed by Serina Abdulmunaf, president, Airline Operators Affiliation, and collectively signed by the chief government officers of eight home airline operators, together with Mfon Udom, CEO, Ibom Air.

Nevertheless, Ibom Air in its assertion on Saturday mentioned its inclusion as a “signatory” to the assertion launched by the Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON) should have derived from its lively membership of the AON.

The administration of Ibom Air defined that it can not droop its operations as a result of its monetary obligations to suppliers, financiers and workers, which rely on an uninterrupted circulate of income to service.

The airline famous that extra importantly, is the truth that having been paid by prospects upfront for flight bookings, “we’re certain by contract to ship the providers already paid for, to keep away from exposing the airline to the danger of avoidable litigation.”

Learn the airline’s full assertion under:

Ibom Airways Restricted (Ibom Air) has been inundated with inquiries about what’s going to occur on Monday 09 Might 2022, following the general public assertion issued by the Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON) Government, on Friday 06 Might 2022 and it has turn out to be vital for us to make the next clarifications:

1. Ibom Air acknowledges the existential menace that these runaway gas worth will increase pose for the air transport trade in Nigeria. We agree that this out-of-control state of affairs is solely unsustainable. Nevertheless, each airline has its distinctive enterprise mannequin and pressures. We imagine that regardless of the escalating gas costs, airlinedp⁰ls volunteering to cease operations would exacerbate an already unhealthy state of affairs.

2. Ibom Air has monetary obligations to suppliers, financiers and workers, which rely on an uninterrupted circulate of income to service. Extra importantly is the truth that having been paid by prospects upfront for flight bookings we’re certain by contract to ship the providers already paid for, to keep away from exposing the airline to the danger of avoidable litigation.

3. Aside from the above elements, Ibom Air is at present the one airline serving Akwa Ibom State immediately and as such, any voluntary stoppage of operations would fully minimize off entry by air into and out of the State. Such motion can be immediately in battle with and detrimental to the curiosity of our shareholders.

4. In view of the foregoing info, Ibom Air had respectfully disagreed with the choice of AON to droop flight operations on Monday 09 Might 2022.

Ibom Air can not within the circumstance volunteer to cease working and can proceed regular operations on Monday 09 Might 2022 and past. Ibom Air’s inclusion as “signatory” to the assertion launched by AON should have derived from its lively and dedicated membership of the AON.

5. The above however, we establish very strongly with our AON colleagues and can take part in each effort to resolve this scary state of affairs as quickly as potential within the curiosity of our enterprise, our prospects, our stakeholders and our nation.

6. We thank our prospects for his or her continued patronage and we thank the AON for our collective efforts to safe a sustainable gas pricing regime for the airways.

Signed: Administration