- Air Peace celebrates a historic milestone as it hires the first female aircraft pilot in Africa, who also becomes the first female commander of an Embraer E195-E2 aircraft on the continent.
- The airline has faced challenges due to the pandemic but has showcased resilience by expanding its flight operations to various destinations, including China, Saudi Arabia, Bermuda, and India.
- Despite having its request for slots at London’s Heathrow Airport rejected, Air Peace plans to fly to secondary airports in London and has also received approval for flights to Dubai, although the start date is yet to be announced.
A milestone in aviation history was achieved recently as Nigerian-based airline Air Peace announced hiring what the company claims is the first female aircraft pilot in Africa.
Breaking new ground in Africa
According to a company statement on X, formerly known as Twitter, Ibironke Rotimi-Olajide officially became the first woman in Africa to be named an aircraft captain at a company ceremony on Friday, November 24.
She also became the first female commander of an Embraer E195-E2 aircraft in Africa, being promoted from a senior first officer role she started in 2021. She was honored with a Women in Aviation award for being the first woman in Africa to achieve that pilot position.
The E195-E2 jet is the largest in the E-Jet E2 family and is used primarily on high-density routes. The typical seat capacity of an aircraft is 120 to 146 seats, depending on the number of classes offered by the airline. The range is about 2,600 nautical miles or about 4,800 kilometers.
Expanding horizons for Air Peace
The announcement of the first female E195-E2 captain in Africa is one of the many achievements the airline has realized in its ten-year history.
The airline is still recovering from the pandemic’s impact and the near shutdown of operations due to staffing and the cost of jet fuel in 2022. Today, it has extensive flight operations serving more than 20 destinations across Nigeria from its hub at
Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos.
It has also expanded to fly to Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport in China, King Abdulaziz International Airport in Saudi Arabia, L.F. Wade International Airport in Bermuda, and Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport in India from its Lagos hub.
Recently, the airline announced plans to add flights to London’s Heathrow Airport. However, the airport authority rejected the request for slots. Instead, due to existing flights to Lagos at London Heathrow, the airline was recommended to apply for slots at secondary airports in London, such as Gatwick Airport or Stansted Airport.
t recently also received approval for flights to Dubai International Airport. However, the airline has not announced a date for the start of air service to the United Arab Emirates, and the city is not listed as a destination open for reservations on the company website.
Air Peace uses various domestic, regional, and international aircraft. Its aircraft mix includes Boeing 777s, Boeing 737s, Embraer 195-E2s, Embraer 145s, Airbus 320s and a Dornier 328.
culled from simpleflying.com
