Months after serious planning with the possibility of a domestic codeshare airline pact, history was made today when Ibom Air And Dana inked a codeshare agreement that has become the first-ever in the Nigerian aviation industry.
The Codeshare alliance will commence full-service on June 7th, 2021 according to a joint statement by the carriers. For the Nigerian aviation industry, this collaboration could ensure carrier stability. Experts in the aviation sector see code-share pacts among airlines as the panacea to the connectivity problem, low capacity, and serious flight delays currently experienced in the country’s aviation industry.
In a quest to offer more routes, schedule options, and easy connectivity for the flying public, Dana Air and Ibom Air announced the first-ever Nigerian domestic airline codeshare agreement. The partnership, which is referred to as the “Dana-Ibom Air Alliance”, was signed at the Corporate Headquarters of Ibom Air, at Victor Attah International Airport Uyo, on Friday, May 21, 2021.
This partnership, which is a significant milestone for Nigeria’s aviation industry, affords Dana Air and Ibom Air a business arrangement whereby both airlines jointly offer flights to common destinations while operating services to destinations that are not within each airline’s regular routes. Both airlines expand their market presence and competitive footprint in the interest of the flying public.
Speaking at the signing ceremony, the Accountable Manager/Chief Operating Officer of Dana Air, Obi Mbanuzuo said, ”This discussion started about a year ago and we are happy to be here today, formalizing it. This is the first of its kind for domestic airlines in Nigeria and a huge step in the right direction for both Dana Air and Ibom Air. ‘It is a partnership for sustainable growth, and connectivity for the flying public as Ibom Air passengers can now fly Dana Air to Owerri and all other Dana Air destinations while our guests can now fly to Calabar, Uyo, and other Ibom Air destinations. Dana Air. like Ibom Air, is committed to the growth of the aviation industry and both airlines have shown great commitment to customer satisfaction, schedule reliability, operational efficiency, passion, and innovation. We do hope that this partnership between Ibom Air and Dana Air will set a positive precedent for the greater good of the industry.”
Also speaking at the event, the COO of Ibom Air, George Uriesi, said “The alliance will offer increased frequencies into common destinations as well as codeshare flights into destinations each airline does not operate into, providing more options for passengers and business retention for both airlines. With the initiation of this business alliance, both airlines have embraced a key global best practice. At Ibom Air, our business model and unwavering commitment remains schedule reliability, on-time departures, and excellent service. Hence, we are constantly on the lookout for better and more effective ways to serve our customers”.
Ibom Air operates multiple daily flights between Uyo, Lagos, Abuja, Calabar, and Enugu and will be launching the Port Harcourt destination from June 7th, 2021.
Having commenced operations in June 2019 using CRJ900 aircraft, an additional two new Airbus A220 aircraft will be joining the fleet this month, bringing the number of aircraft in the fleet to seven and making it one of Nigeria’s fastest-growing airlines.
