Air Peace CEO Onyema: Ready for Abuja-London Route; Plans Underway for Houston and New York

The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Air Peace Airlines, Allen Onyema, has announced the airline’s plans to launch flights from Abuja to London, and aims to start flights to New York and Houston by the end of 2024. Onyema shared this exciting news during an interview with Arise Television on Monday.

According to the airline CEO, Air Peace is gearing up for these new routes by acquiring more aircraft. Onyema mentioned that the company is ready to expand its flight offerings and highlighted the current daily flights into Gatwick Airport from Nigeria, totaling seven.

“We are doing seven daily flights into Gatwick. Nigeria has a balance of about fourteen to do. We are ready, if the government gives us Abuja-London, I will do it, because we are expecting more aircraft into the country purchased by Air Peace. If we get it, we will do it,” said Onyema.

Air Peace is also planning to introduce flights to New York or Houston by the end of the year. This plan includes bringing in more Boeing 777s. Onyema shared that the airline’s technical services team is currently in California inspecting three Boeing 777s that Air Peace intends to acquire.

Despite these exciting developments, Onyema revealed challenges Air Peace has faced, particularly regarding the much-anticipated Lagos-London flights. He described encountering internal and external obstacles, including what he called “international aero politics.”

“It took us seven years. We got the designation I think about six and a half years ago to go into London. Since then, it has been a Cat-and-Mouse game,” Onyema explained.

He elaborated on the difficulties faced in obtaining the necessary permits, particularly the Technical Country Operators permit (TCO) required to operate in European countries like the UK. Onyema expressed frustration at the hurdles Air Peace encountered, even from Nigerian authorities.

“We went back to the NCAA, they said, oh, we didn’t tell them. Who designated us, the Federal Ministry of Aviation, whose duty it was and still is to do that. We said okay, we’re ready. They refused, they said until they allow us to apply,” Onyema recounted.

In conclusion, Onyema emphasized the need for support from the Federal Government for Nigerian airlines. He urged for improved ease of doing business for indigenous airlines and called for a more supportive environment to allow these airlines to thrive.