LONDON – IOSA-approved ACMI and charter carrier GetJet, has embarked on a long-term partnership with the Nigerian airline Ibom Air. Both airlines have signed a twelve-month long agreement for two Airbus A320-200 aircraft, both carrying Lithuanian registrations.
The agreement
GetJet’s latest agreement with the Nigerian operator of Ibom Air, secured Ibom Air the two Airbus A320-200s over a twelve-month period, per the wet-lease agreement details.
GetJet’s A320 airframes registered LY-GYM and LY-FAS, commenced operations with Ibom Air on November 21, 2022.
Both airframes started off in Middle Eastern carriers five years apart, with LY-FAS starting its service in Saudi Arabian Airlines, and LY-GYM starting its life with Kuwaiti carrier, Jazeera Airways. The average age of these two airframes is 14.9-years-old at the time of writing.
GetJet Airlines and its established affiliates will cooperate with further suport to the Nigerian operator, via crew training and line maintenance-services in Nigeria.
Along with this, the border strategy for this partnership between Ibom Air and GetJet, will strengthen the carrier’s competitive position in the West African market.
Airline statements
GetJet Airlines Chief Executive Officer, Rūta Kulvinskaitė, expresses great pleasure with the new agreement, saying: “We are delighted to be starting this long-term partnership with Ibom Air, an airline that has built a lasting reputation for their excellent service and punctuality, values that we at GetJet airlines share closely with our Nigerian partners.”
“Our A320-200s will provide much-needed capacity to compliment the exceptional levels of passenger demand that Ibom Air is experiencing, this collaboration will deliver the capabilities necessary for our partner’s sustained growth both domestically and regionally,”
Ibom Air official, Chief Operating Officer Mr. George Uriesi, also commented the agreement by stating: “We are hugely impressed with the high levels of professionalism demonstrated by our partners, GetJet Airlines, in the build-up to this important partnership.”
“We are pleased that we made the right choice of partner as we go into this year-long operation and have no doubt that it will be mutually beneficial to both parties.”
Ibom Air fleet
Along with the older generation Airbus A320ceo’s from GetJet, Ibom Air (QI) also took delivery of brand new Airbus A220-300 aircraft few months ago, after signing a firm order for ten Airbus A220 aircraft in mid-November of 2020. In addition to their two prior Airbus A220 aircraft, which they took over from Air Sinai.
However, date from Planespotters.net show that the Nigerian airline currently has no Airbus A220 aircraft in their fleet, with none scheduled for delivery in the near future.
The airline commenced their operations in January of 2019, and currently operate with a fleet of the two newly leased Airbus A320 aircraft, and five Bombardier CRJ-900 jets
Overall
With the two Airbus A220’s Ibom Air had in their fleet now gone, the Airbus A320 comes in as a great substitute until Ibom Air receives their ordered A220 fleet.
Furthermore, the agreement with GetJet benefits the Nigerian operator as well, as GetJet will support the carrier with cabin crew training, along with line maintenance checks when it should be necessary.
