Ibom Air gets fifth CRJ-900

Ibom Air of Nigeria, founded in 2019, has received its fifth 90-seat Bombardier CRJ900. CRJ900 c/n 15283 (C-GZQM) was built for Iraqi Airways (IA/IAW) as YI-AQI and never delivered. It was stored at Mirabel until picked up by Adria Airways (JP/ADR) as SS-AAU from March 2014. It was returned to Falko Aircraft Leasing at Munich (MUC) in October 2019 and subsequently stored at Calgary from February 2020 as G-CLJH. It became 5N-BXO for Ibom Air (BXO on nose wheel).

Ibom Air received its fourth Bombardier CRJ900 on May 6 2020. Plans for additional CRJ900s has stalled due to the impact of COViD-19. Plans had been to acquire ten CRJs within three years, and possibly acquire larger aircraft after that. Ibom paused operations with the onset of COViD-19 restrictions, and resumed flight operations in July. Ibom Air operates four routes in Nigeria: The capital city Abuja, Lagos, Uyo and most recently Calabar, launched in July.

Andrew H. Cline photographed G-CLJH on 23 July 2020 at Muskoka Little Norway Memorial Airport when it was freshly painted in the Ibom-livery. It was delivered from Calgary at the end of July and arrived in Nigeria on 1 August.