Air Peace, in collaboration with Embraer, one of the world’s major aircraft manufacturers, has completed plans to build a modern Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) facility in Lagos for the maintenance of single and double aisle commercial aircraft in Nigeria, West and Central Africa.
That was disclosed yesterday by Chairman and CEO of Air Peace Limited, Dr. Allen Onyema, on arrival at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, with the presidential contingent that accompanied President Bola Tinubu on his state visit to Brazil.
Onyema disclosed that the foundation for the establishment of MRO would be inaugurated on September 17. He said the facility, when completed, would end the ferrying of aircraft overseas for maintenance by Nigerian carriers with the huge cost and attendant delay.
He said at completion, Embraer will provide technical support while Nigerians will be trained to manage the facility.
Onyema stated, “By September 17, we are going to inaugurate the foundation of our maintenance hangar, an MRO that is befitting, and Embraer will provide the technical support. We are going to lay the foundation on September 17 and within 12 or 15 months, that maintenance hangar will be ready.
“Embraer will provide technical support to the maintenance centre. And it will attract huge opportunities to this country. We are no longer going to travel outside our country to conduct maintenance checks of our aircraft.
“We will do it here (in Lagos) and other countries will come to Nigeria to do it.
“I have to thank the Nigerian government really. They have made it easy for us to get some of these things going by removing those obstacles that inhibit business. So, business is in progress now.”
In the Bilateral Air Service Agreement (BASA) Nigeria signed with Brazil, Air Peace was designated to operate direct flight from Lagos to Sao Paulo, Brazil, the biggest commercial city in South America.
Onyema said Air Peace was fully equipped to start the operation later in the year, disclosing that it would interline with a domestic carrier in Brazil to connect to other destinations in Brazil and beyond.
He said there was potential market in Brazil because the country had a huge population and Air Peace aimed to service the entire South America through interlining and connecting to other countries in the region.
The Air Peace CEO stated, “There is potential in Brazil because, you know, Brazil has a huge population of Africans in Diaspora. But our brothers, our Yoruba brothers, when you go there, we saw some people speaking Yoruba and they have not been to Nigeria before.
“They are Brazilians. That was very heart-warming for me. And they dress like our people, too. So, we have a huge population; over 100 million people. Wole Soyinka was around to even address them.
“You see, the Brazilian story is like the Nigerian story, too. We have a lot in common. So, the potential is there and we are not just going to service Brazil alone. We are going to service the entire South American continent. On September 1st, I am going to have a meeting with the vice president of Colombia.
“They sent for me, also. So, they all want the connection to Nigeria and West Africa. They all want it. They believe that Air Peace can do it because of what we are doing in the Caribbean, too.”
Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, expressed excitement about the successful outcome of the diplomatic trip to Brazil. Keyamo thanked Tinubu for facilitating the business deals between Nigeria and Brazil, especially the signing of BASA and designation of Air Peace to operate direct flight to Sao Paulo.
The minister explained that Air Peace operated the first flight to Brazil with its Boeing B777 and brought the presidential contingent back to the country.
He stated, “So, what you are seeing today is the first fruit of what we have gone to do. We are bringing back an actual fulfilment, an actual gain of that business, which is the first major flight between Brazil and Nigeria. So, it is not an audio agreement.
“You are seeing it live. Guess what? Many of us would have landed here tomorrow or the day after (using foreign airlines). That is the truth. Some people would have gone to the Middle East, to either Doha or Dubai.
“Many would have gone to Europe to try to connect. Whereas all we did was to cross the Atlantic with our own flight. That is all we did. In fact, in one of his light moments in Brazil, the President said, if you are ever strong enough, you can swim across and connect both countries. But gentlemen, this is the handiwork of the President. All credit goes to him. He sat down. He worked this out.”
