By Eric Elezuo

The management of Ibom Airlines Limited, owners of Ibom Air, has dissociated itself from the planned boycott of airline operations by the Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON) scheduled to kickstart on Monday, May 9, 2022.

In a statement released by the management of the airline on Saturday, the airline frowned at the decision, saying that it owe a duty to its customers, who may have already booked their flights before, noting that joining the planned boycott will have an adverse effect on both the customers and the airline, as the only airline that plys the Akwa Ibom axis.

While acknowledging that the price of aviation fuel has made it difficult for operations to be seamless, the management agreed that airlines volunteering to stop operations would rather exacerbate an already bad situation.

As a result, the airline has “respectfully disagreed with the decision of AON to suspend flight operations on Monday 09 May 2022.”

It further stated that “Ibom Air cannot in the circumstance volunteer to stop operating and will continue normal operations on Monday 09 May 2022 and beyond.”

On why the company was included as a signatory to the planned boycott, the airline said “Ibom Air’s inclusion as “signatory” to the statement released by AON must have derived from its active and committed membership of the AON.”

It however, pledged to its continued commitment to the AON, resolving to “participate in every effort to resolve this frightening situation as soon as possible in the interest of our business, our customers, our stakeholders and our country.”

The statement:

Public statement on flights Cessation on Monday 09 May 2022

Ibom Airlines Limited (Ibom Air) has been inundated with inquiries about what will happen on Monday 09 May, 2022, following the public statement issued by the Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON) Executive, on Friday 06 May, 2022 and it has become necessary for us to make the following clarifications:

1. Ibom Air acknowledges the existential threat that these runaway fuel price increases pose for the air transport industry in Nigeria. We agree that this out-of-control situation is simply unsustainable. However, every airline has its unique business model and pressures. We believe that in spite of the escalating fuel prices, airlines volunteering to stop operations would rather exacerbate an already bad situation.

2. Ibom Air has financial obligations to suppliers, financiers and staff, which depend on uninterrupted flow of revenue to service. More importantly is the fact that having been paid by customers in advance for flight bookings we are bound by contract to deliver the services already paid for, to avoid exposing the airline to the risk of avoidable litigation.

3. Apart from the above factors, Ibom Air is currently the only airline serving Akwa Ibom State directly and as such, any voluntary stoppage of operations would completely cut off access by air into and out of the State. Such action would be directly in conflict with and detrimental to the interest of our shareholder.

4. In view of the foregoing facts, Ibom Air had respectfully disagreed with the decision of AON to suspend flight operations on Monday 09 May 2022. Ibom Air cannot in the circumstance volunteer to stop operating and will continue normal operations on Monday 09 May 2022 and beyond. Ibom Air’s inclusion as “signatory” to the statement released by AON must have derived from its active and committed membership of the AON.

5. The above notwithstanding, we identify very strongly with our AON colleagues and will participate in every effort to resolve this frightening situation as soon as possible in the interest of our business, our customers, our stakeholders and our country.

6. We thank our customers for their continued patronage and we thank the AON for our collective efforts to secure a sustainable fuel pricing regime for the airlines.

Signed: Management