Air Tanzania to train Nigeria's Ibom Air pilots on new Airbus A220 aircraft
Air Tanzania senior captain Sajjad Moloo and Arif Jinnah (right and left, respectively) arrive at Ibom Air to train pilots and trainers on Nigeria. PHOTO| COURTESY
What you need to know:
- ATCL has provided two of its senior pilots who will be responsible for practical training of pilots and instructor pilots of Ibom Air for a period of six months.
Dar es Salaam. Air Tanzania Company Limited (ATCL) has signed a training agreement with Nigeria’s Ibom Air.
Under this agreement ATCL will provide two senior pilots to train and supervise Ibom Air's pilots in operating the new Airbus A220 aircraft for six months.
Speaking of the agreement, ATCL’s Chief Executive Officer, Mr Ladislaus Matindi, said: "ATCL pilots will be responsible for conducting and overseeing practical training until they are satisfied that the student pilots and their instructors have reached the required standards to operate these aircraft."
Additionally, Ibom Air will pay ATCL the training costs according to the contract for the entire duration of the agreement.
The agreement follows ATCL’s demonstration of extensive experience in operating Airbus A220-300 aircraft.
According to Mr Matindi, Ibom Air is also satisfied with the proficiency level of Air Tanzania pilots.
The training aims to build capacity for Ibom Air pilots who will operate Airbus A220 aircraft, for which ATCL has many years of experience compared to Ibom Air, which is just beginning to use this type of aircraft.
ATCL has more than 100 pilots and operates Boeing B787-8, B737 MAX 9, B767-300F, Airbus A220-300, as well as Dehaviland Q400 and Q300 aircraft.
Ibom Air made the maiden commercial flight of its A220-300 series aircraft with tail number 5N-CDA, on Monday last week (April 29) with flights from Uyo to Lagos, according to a report in Nigeria’s Business Day.
Owned by Akwa Ibom State, Ibom Air is based at Uyo Victor Attah International Airport.
Founded in 2019, Ibom Air has an ambitious plan of turning Akwa Ibom State into a regional aviation hub on the West African coast and the A220-300 is just one of the 10 new Airbus aircraft acquired by the Akwa Ibom State.
Akwa Ibom State is a state in the South-South geopolitical zone of Nigeria, bordered on the east by Cross River State, on the west by Rivers State and Abia State, and on the south by the Atlantic Ocean.
