By Fred Chukwuelobe
You would need an oxymoron to describe the trajectory of Air Peace Airlines in the nation’s aviation industry, especially on the European route, which is dominated by foreign operators in the absence of a national carrier. If you do that, then Air Peace is our local international airline of choice.
From seven aircraft in 2013 when it debuted into the nation’s aviation industry, flying a few routes, Air Peace has expanded to a regional, a continental, and now an international airline. Air Peace is taking the aviation industry by storm – smooth storm.
On the local scene, the airline is weathering the storm stoically, and flying passengers to almost every part of the country. On the regional and parts of Africa, it is firming its dominance too. It flies to China, India, South Africa, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE before the disagreements between Nigeria and the gulf state led to the suspension of that route.
But of all these routes, none has excited Nigerians more like the Lagos – London Gatwick route, which the airline launched on March 30, 2024.
As the launch date approached, the traveling public waited with bated breath, excitement and trepidation. There was apprehension because past efforts to break into the lucrative Lagos – London route by Nigerian flag carriers and AirPeace in particular had been frustrated by what the Chairman and CEO of the airline, Chief Allen Onyema, CON, termed “dirty international aero politics.”
The day finally came and Chief Onyema and his AirPeace family pulled it off in the most spectacular fashion possible.
For far too long, Nigerians have had to pay exorbitant fares to fly to foreign lands and all efforts made by Nigerian flag carriers to checkmate this failed. Such airlines as Arik, Bellview, Medview, Air Nigeria, attempted to break the monopoly of the lucrative Lagos – London route, but were frustrated by both unwilling international and corrupt aviation officials. On the Nigerian side, corrupt aviation officials who make a kill by helping these foreign operators fleece the people of their hard earned money stood firmly against efforts to turn things around.
Not anymore!
Thanks to Air Peace Airlines dogged fight and eventual forays into the lucrative route, foreign airline have suddenly woken up to the urgency of now and the realities that the days of their monopolistic dominance are over. Unfortunately, they have started a dirty price war to frustrate Air Peace. They have lowered their fares and Nigerians must resist this dirty war.
To understand what Air Peace has just done, let’s look at the events that preceded the maiden flight of the nation’s bourgeoning airline.
According to Onyema, it took Air Peace seven years to get the necessary certifications and clearances before they could get into London. He said the airline was faced with both internal external conspiracies and that dirty the international aero politics stalled all efforts to fly into London.
Chief Onyema recalled that despite applying for the Technical Country Operators (TCO) permit, the road still remained rough because the Nigerian authorities denied knowing Air Peace
Undaunted by this international aero politics, Air Peace kept pushing and finally got the necessary approvals and clearance to fly into London Gatwick. The airline, he said, “had insisted on flying into London Heathrow which is not just popular among Nigerian travelers, but a little closer to central London. The UK authorities denied the airline permission to fly into Heathrow, citing unavailability of space.
“The choice of Southern Terminal, Gatwick Airport for the airline’s flight operations to London is because the United Kingdom refused to totally honour its bilateral aviation safety agreement, BASA, with Nigeria,” Chief Onyema told newsmen.
Speaking on The Morning Show, an Arise TV programme, Onyema said that when Air Peace applied for a terminal at Heathrow, UK’s primary airport, the airline was denied the necessary permission.
He said that although Gatwick was not his preferred choice, “it has turned out to be even better than Heathrow due to the numerous options it provides for passengers.”
His words: “The BASA we signed with the UK is this: You give me your primary airport, we give you ours. British Airways, Virgin Atlantic, both of them come into my country (Nigeria) using our primary airports – Lagos and Abuja. When we applied, they told us Heathrow was not available to us. They even suggested Stansted or Luton airports, which I found very insulting. They also suggested Gatwick, but I refused because I wanted to go to Heathrow, their primary airport.
“After some time, I saw that they wanted to frustrate us. So, I said let us go anywhere even if they wanted us to go to Scotland. We started to take Gatwick, which was not really our choice. In the long run, we saw some good in it. Most of our people are down the Southeastern part of London. At the same time, when you look at the traffic situation in Heathrow to the centre of London, it is very excruciating, but from Gatwick, they alloted the Southern Terminal to Air Peace.
“And when you get to the Southern Terminal, you get out of immigration, take your luggage and you get into the Gatwick express train within three minutes, which will take you to Victoria right into central London.”
While this international aero politics was playing out, Air Peace kept its cool and continued to work behind the scene with the new minister of aviation and aerospace management, Festus Keyamo, SAN. The March 30 maiden flight was the result of all that patience and hardwork.
As the flight prepared to take off, the crème of the society joined the chairman of AirPeace to cling the glasses and celebrate this milestone.
The flight took off on schedule, landed on schedule, and ever since then it has been testimonies galore. There has not been one single negative report from a cross section of Nigerians who were opportuned to be among the early birds of the big bird – the Beoing 777 otherwise known as triple seven. The airline has as a result of the surge of interest from passengers decided to allocate more seats to the route and add additional equipment in the likes of Boeing 787 Dreamliner.
The inflight menu had remained one of the hallmarks of the flight. For the first time in the nation’s recent aviation history, passengers were afforded the opportunity of choosing Nigerian dishes. According to some of the passengers, tasty local cuisine were served by the crew. Watching the accounts of the passengers will leave you salivating and looking forward to that day you’d fly AirPeace to London.
However, as the accolades were coming in, a sour point developed – the attempt by some unscrupulous Nigerian aviation officials to frustrate the airline. The returning aircraft was denied its proper parking position by these corrupt aviation officials who reserved the space for a foreign airline. There was also reports that at London Gatwick, AirPeace was allocated a non-functioning check-in counter.
This petty politics and corrupt practices aimed at frustrating the airline, hoping to force it out of business is where the airline needs the country’s aviation authorities and the Nigerian government to stamp their authority. Every effort must be made to ensure that AirPeace is not frustrated out of business like past Nigerian flag carriers.
The government needs to completely sanitise the industry and weed it of undesirable elements who stand as clogs in the wheel of progress.
The government must insist on the letters of BASA being implemented and in the spirit of reciprocity, compel all the foreign countries we have the agreement with to allow Air Peace fly into their primary airports.
Air Peace is willing and capable to expand to the US and other major European cities. What it requires is the backing of the Nigerian authorities.
It would be recalled that Nigeria applied the spirit of reciprocity in 2012 when 125 Nigerian travellers to South Africa were expelled due to “not having valid Yellow Fever certificates.” In retaliation, Nigeria expelled 56 South African business people, prompting the two countries to enter into discussions around easing travel and visa restrictions as a means of enhancing bilateral relations and trade.
Nigeria needs to stand up for Air Peace now and apply that same reciprocity by stopping foreign airlines whose countries refuse to allow Nigerian flag carrier the use of their primary airports. Doing so is in the overall interest of the country and her citizens.
With Air Peace entry into London Gatwick, not only will the country be saved scarce foreign exchange, her citizens will benefit from reduced airfares, avoid exploitation by foreign airlines, and benefit from direct flights into the UK and other parts of the world where that is possible. In the end, it will be a win-win situation for the country if Air Peace overcomes and succeeds. Air Peace is ready. Is the Nigerian government ready to enforce the letters of BASA?
QUOTES
“For far too long, Nigerians have had to pay exorbitant fares to fly to foreign lands and all efforts made by Nigerian flag carriers to checkmate this failed. Such airlines as Arik, Bellview, Medview, Air Nigeria, attempted to break the monopoly of the lucrative Lagos – London route, but were frustrated by both unwilling international and corrupt aviation officials. On the Nigerian side, corrupt aviation officials who make a kill by helping these foreign operators fleece the people of their hard earned money stood firmly against efforts to turn things around.”
