History was made in the Nigerian travel industry as Dana Air and Ibom Air signed the first ever domestic codeshare/interline agreement as part of plans to offer more route options, schedule options and easy connectivity for the flying public.
The signing of the alliance by representatives of both airlines, Obi Mbanuzo, Accountable manager/Chief Operating Officer of Dana and George Uriesi, Chief Operating Officer of Ibom Air, took place at the corporate headquarters of Ibom Air at the Victor Attah International airport.
The 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.
By so doing, both airlines expand their market presence and competitive footprint in the interest of the flying public.
The Codeshare alliance will commence full service in June.
Speaking at the ceremony, Mbanuzo noted that the plan to sign the agreement started a year ago, adding that it is a partnership for sustainable growth.
“The discussion started about a year ago and we are happy to be here today, formalising 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 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 greater good of the industry”, he said.
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 businesses retention for both airlines.
According to him, ‘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 look out for better and more effective ways to serve our customers’.
The code-share agreement helps the passengers by providing them clearer route options and allows them to book travel from one to three through point two under one carrier’s code. This proves beneficial if the customer books from point one to two under one code and then from two to three under the other code.
Ibom Air operates multiple daily flights between Uyo, Lagos, Abuja, Calabar and Enugu and will be launching the Port-Harcourt destination from June 7, 2021.
Having commenced operations in June 2019 with CRJ900 aircraft, the airline said an additional two brand new Airbus A220 aircraft will be joining the fleet this month, bringing the number of aircraft to 7, making it one of Nigeria’s fastest growing airlines.
Ibom Air has delivered a consistent average of 91 percent schedule and on-time performance since its inception.
Dana Air is one of Nigeria’s leading airlines with a mixed of 9 aircraft and daily flights from Lagos to Abuja, Port-Harcourt, Enugu and Owerri. The airline is reputed for its world0-class inflight service, innovative online product and services and top- notch on-time performance.
