•Secures approval from UK authorities for direct Abuja-London Heathrow flight
Nigeria’s major carrier Air Peace has taken a radical step to significantly curb flight delays and cancellations in its operations and has placed three aircraft on standby to be deployed whenever any aircraft on duty is interrupted by bird strike, technical problem or other issues to ensure that passengers are taken to their destinations with least disruptions.
The airline said that it introduced this process on May 10, 2025 and from May 12 till now it has recorded 85 per cent improvement in on-time departure.
The Chairman and CEO of Air Peace, Dr. Allen Onyema, made this known yesterday in a press conference in Lagos and also disclosed that the airline has secured Abuja-London Heathrow flight approval from UK authorities and would commence the service from October 26, 2025.
Onyema said the decision to keep three aircraft on standby is an aberration in civil aviation, where all airworthy aircraft are fully deployed for service but the airline decided to take the decision to show its determination to put to an end the protracted problem of flight delays, 95 per cent of which are caused by extraneous factors beyond the airline like weather, bird strike, infrastructural limitations and others.
“Our decision to buffer (place on standby) three aircraft followed a detailed analysis of operational disruptions. Many of these were traced to factors outside the airline’s control.
“These include bird strikes, ground handling issues, poor airport infrastructure, and weather-related delays, all of which heavily impact scheduling.
“By reserving aircraft, the airline has posted over 85% on-time performance since adopting the strategy. We are losing capacity and turning away paying passengers every day. But it is a price we’re willing to pay to avoid delays and cancellations.”
Onyema said this measure is part of a broader push to improve passenger experience and shift the public perception of the airline’s reliability, recalling that last week, Air Peace faced two serious bird strike incidents in one day – one in Owerri and another in Port Harcourt.
He said the Port Harcourt incident happened during landing, when a large bird hit the aircraft’s landing gear, resulting in significant damage, but the flight landed safely without injuries.
According to Onyema, the Owerri bird strike posed a greater danger. A bird suspected to be an eagle struck the aircraft mid-flight, shattering the windshield and covering it in blood, thus compromising visibility and risked depressurization of the aircraft, which prompted the pilot to quickly descend to 10, 000 feet.
So, the aircraft on Owerri-Abuja service aborted the flight and returned to base at the Sam Mbakwe International Cargo Airport, Owerri.
“If they had climbed higher, there would have been decompression that could endanger passengers’ lives. We thank God and commend the pilot’s actions. Air Peace pilots undergo rigorous training to handle such emergencies.
“The airline has a special bird strike simulation programme where pilots must pass bird strike simulated drills. You don’t fly if you fail that module. Foreign airlines often don’t go that far. We do it for safety,” he said.
On the new Abuja-London Heathrow route, Dr. Onyema said the United Kingdom Government, through the Airports Coordination Limited, has allocated daily flight slot to Air Peace at Heathrow Airport in London.
Onyema attributed the feat to the resilience of the airline and its safety records, the commitment of the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development and commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for choosing the right person to head the aviation industry.
“I wish to announce to you that the British authorities have granted Air Peace flights to Heathrow Airport from Abuja. This is a testament of their belief in what we are doing.
“I would like to thank the British authorities for doing that. I would like to thank the President for all he is doing to showcase Nigeria. This is a testament to our resilience,” he said.
Onyema, who disclosed that the airline currently has 36 aircraft on outright purchase and four on wet lease, assuring that in the next few weeks it would receive more aircraft, including one Boeing 777 wide-body aircraft.
Speaking on maintenance and financial integrity of the airline, Onyema said the airline’s fleet maintenance is top notch, disclosing that it is partnering with globally reputable Israeli Aerospace Service company, which is in charge of the fleet maintenance and stated that it has partnerships with Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEM), including the Boeing Company and Pratt and Whitney.
He said that Air Peace has acquired invaluable goodwill which disposed it to aforementioned partnerships, adding that Air Peace financial integrity has attracted the trust of many financial institutions both in Nigeria and beyond, who are willing to do business with the airline.
“The banking industry confidence has been a boost to us due to our financial integrity. Fidelity Bank celebrated us recently; our financial integrity is the reason for our expansion.
“Every Nigerian bank now wants to partner with us because we see borrowed money as other people’s money, they are depositors’ money, so we are prudent with it. Banks don’t look over their shoulders when they are dealing with us”, he added.
