The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Air Peace Airlines, Allen Onyema, has declared the airline’s readiness to embark on the Abuja-London flight route, with plans to commence flights to New York and Houston by the end of 2024.
Onyema revealed this during an exclusive interview with Arise Television on Monday.
Onyema said that Air Peace is in the process of acquiring additional aircraft to facilitate these expansions, and the company has the capability to handle increased flight operations, citing the current seven daily flights into Gatwick Airport from Nigeria.
“We are ready, if the government gives us Abuja-London, I will do it,” Onyema said.
He further disclosed ongoing efforts to procure more aircraft, particularly Boeing 777s, which would enable Air Peace to explore international routes effectively.
Speaking about the challenges faced by the airline, particularly in realizing the long-anticipated Lagos-London flights, Onyema outlined internal and external obstacles, including bureaucratic hurdles and aero-political complexities.
“We suffer both internal and external conspiracies. 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 lamented.
Despite the hurdles, Onyema reiterated the importance of support from the Federal Government for Nigerian airlines. He called for an enabling environment, emphasizing the need for the government to prioritize the ease of doing business for indigenous airlines.
“In our own country, what we are pleading – I like when you said support – the ease of doing business, let them even do that for the indigenous airlines and see us blossom, instead of badmouthing these airlines that pass through all manner of problems,” He said.
