In a significant achievement amidst challenges posed by inconsistent government policies and bureaucratic hurdles, Air Peace, West Africa’s largest carrier, has made a breakthrough by securing the Foreign Carrier Operator Permit (FCOP) to operate flights to London and the Third Country Operator Permit (TCO-UK) allowing flights to the UK. This development marks the airline’s entry into European airspace, enabling direct flights with its luxury wide-body Boeing 777 aircraft to these destinations.
Commenting on this milestone, Air Peace Chairman, Allen Onyema, emphasized the rigorous audit process the airline underwent to obtain these permits. He stated, ‘We obtained these permits that qualify us to fly to the UK. Before you obtain these approvals, they will audit you very well. You have to go through stringent audits, which we passed. We obtained the permit last week.’
Additionally, the airline expanded its presence in Asia by commencing direct scheduled commercial flights into Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. The inaugural flight, operated with one of Air Peace’s B777s, took off from Kano with 231 passengers on board. This marked the airline’s sixth international destination within just nine years of launching commercial flight operations.
Despite previous challenges, including infrastructural gaps and landing permit issues, Air Peace’s successful entry into London and Jeddah reflects a remarkable achievement in Nigeria’s aviation history. The airline’s efforts to secure landing permits, especially during evacuation flights at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, were resolved with government intervention.
Tickets for the inaugural flight to London were sold out within two hours, indicating the high demand for Air Peace’s services in the region.
“In response to the immediate sellout of tickets for Air Peace’s inaugural flight to London, Onyema emphasized that the airline’s competitive pricing was a crucial factor.
He highlighted Air Peace’s understanding of the financial challenges faced by Nigerians and revealed that the airline priced its fares at less than N400,000, significantly lower than the approximately two thousand pounds charged by another airline operating the same route.
“We charged Nigerians less than six hundred dollars for a round trip. Despite facing discouragement and obstacles, we remained committed to offering affordable travel options for our people,” Onyema stated.
He further described the challenges faced during their London operations, including attempts to discourage the airline’s crew. Onyema detailed an incident where Air Peace was hindered from conducting a necessary safety check, known as a walk-around, on its aircraft upon arrival in London. According to aviation regulations, after a plane leaves the ground for even two minutes, it must undergo a walk-around inspection before taking off again to ensure safety.
“We flew six hours into London but were not allowed to inspect our aircraft to assess if it had been compromised. This incident violated international aviation standards. Fortunately, the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) took swift action and lodged a complaint with the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) regarding this issue,” Onyema explained.
Despite these challenges, Air Peace’s determination to provide affordable and safe travel options for Nigerians remains unwavering, reflecting the airline’s commitment to passenger safety and satisfaction.
