There’ll be no cancellation, delayed flights on our London route – Air Peace boss Onyema

The Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of Air Peace, Dr. Allen Onyema, has promised that there will be nothing like cancellation or delayed flights on the airline’s new Lagos-London route network.

Dr. Onyema made the promise on Friday night at the celebration of Air Peace’s inaugural flight to London at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos.

According to Onyema, aviation is about collaboration and a business that one cannot do alone. For that, Air Peace had partnered with Norse Atlantic Airways, a UK carrier with prominence and strength.

Taking a cue from the collaboration between Virgin and Delta Airlines whereby Virgin uses Delta aircraft and vice versa, depending on the circumstances, the Air Peace boss stated that his airline will operate in a similar pattern where two airlines collaborate to achieve results.

He, therefore, emphasised that the airline’s flight operations are not just about Air Peace alone, adding that if the airline’s equipment falls short, its partner will take over.

Onyema said: “There is nothing like cancellation, nothing like delayed flight. You can see that we started checking in 12:30am flight by 6:00pm because we wanted to get it right and we wanted to surprise Nigerians. It is not like local flights where you fly into an airport without a staircase and you stay inside the aircraft before they bring the staircase or they would say it is sunset that you can’t land, go back. Now, this is one way to London. No stopping anywhere; direct flight. Remember Nigerians were flying to South Africa for 6 hours, then do 9 hours to London because of fares. Nigerians were flying 8 hours to Qatar and another 8 hours to the UK after another 4 hours, a total of 20 hours flight just to do this.

“Today, a Nigerian airline is here and it is my prayer that other Nigerian airlines should join the fray. The sky is too big for us. If Virgin and British Airways are doing it, there is nothing that can stop us from doing the same in London. Whoever is ready should come and we will do it for the nation. It is all about our country and not about Allen Onyema.”

Assuring that Air Peace has the capacity and equipment for smooth operations, the airline operator added: “This is just a six-hour flight. A piece of cake. Air Peace flies to China on Wednesdays, 14 hours going and 14 hours coming back, no issues. We have 28 hours of flying in one day and a half. Air Peace flies to India every week. 12 hours going, 13 hours coming back, no issues. Air Peace has undertaken 160 hours of flying within this country every day for the past 7 years without blemish. What is a 6-hour flight?”

Air Peace commenced the Lagos-London flight on March 30, 2024. The inaugural flight ceremony was well celebrated at the new Murtala Muhammed International Airport terminal in Lagos before the departure of the Boeing 777 at about 12:30 on Saturday.

Aboard the flight were the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo; Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Doris Uzoka-Anite; Acting Director General of the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Captain Chris Najomo; Chairman/CEO of United Nigeria Airlines, Professor Obiora Okonkwo, and the Managing Director of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Mrs Olubunmi Kuku.

Others were Vice Chairman, Air Peace Airline, Mrs Alice Onyema; Mr Mike Ozekhome, former Director General of NCAA; Board Member of Air Peace, Engr Benedict Adeyileka; Chairman of Cubana Group, Mr Obinna Iyiegbu; President of NANTA, Mrs Susan Akporiaye, and many others.