New entrant in the domestic airline industry : Air Peace disclosed Tuesday that it would commence scheduled flights on the Lagos – Abuja, Enugu, Port Harcourt , and Owerri route this week, just as it unveiled seven aircraft for the operations.
This is the first time a domestic carrier would be starting operations with a combined fleet of seven aircraft .
The Chief Executive Officer of the Air Peace, Barrister Allen Onyema, disclosed this while speaking at the unveiling ceremony of its seven airplanes at the Murtala Muhammed Airport Terminal 1(MMA), Lagos.
He stated that Air Peace has come to change the face of airline operations in the industry with the arrival of seven airplanes, adding this is the first time a new entrant into the business will commence operations with such large number of aircraft.
Onyema listed the aircraft in its fleet to include three Dornier 328 jets and four Boeing 737-500.
The Chief Executive Officer also disclosed that the airline intends to expand its network to Asaba, Kano, Yola, Sokoto, Maiduguri, Ibadan Bauchi, Gombe and Katsina.
Other areas which the expansion will cover are Makurdi, Minna, Zaria, Akwa Ibom, Ilorin, Akure, Benin, Calabar, Warri and Jos.
On why he decided to set up airline, Onyema said that the idea behind Air Peace is not only to create employment for Nigeria but to put food on their tables and also put smiles on their faces.
The Air Peace boss said that the arrival of the airline should not de-market other airlines in the country, appealing to passengers other airlines in the country as according to him “they are safe”
The other airlines, he said have learnt from their past mistakes and have made corrections in accordance with the standard recommended practice.
According to him, “Air Peace has come to lay the foundation for the entrenchment of peace and development in the aviation sector .S find absurd and bizarre the level of animosity among airline operators with the industry .The era of devilish competition and devilish envy in the aviation should remain in the past”
He continued, “It is our beliefs that our arrival in the aviation industry in Nigeria will spell a new dawn .We are ready to collaborate and cooperate with other airline operators to develop the industry.
Onyema said that with Air Peace, he has succeeded in given jobs to 250 Nigerians that are qualified to work in the airline.
Meanwhile, the Chief Executive Officer has directed that all military men both serving and retired with genuine document signed by their s superiors should not pay more than N10,000 on any of its flight.
He said the rebate is in recognition of the contributions of the military men to keep the country together.
He said in the next few years, the airline would expand its fleet to cater for air transport need in the country
