Air Peace Shares Important Update as It Prepares to Start Direct London Flight
- The CEO of Air Peace has given an update on its Lagos-London flight scheduled to commence operations soon
- The airline asserted that while Nigeria allows other airlines to fly to its major cities, Nigeria has not reaped the same advantage
- Air Peace, however, said it later declined Heathrow for Gatwick after it realised the advantages in the region
Legit.ng journalist Zainab Iwayemi has over three years of experience covering the Economy, Technology, and Capital Market.
Good news for passengers as Nigerian airline Air Peace secures permit to fly directly to London
Source: UGC
Allen Onyema, the Chairman and CEO of Air Peace Limited, has explained that the airline finally chose Gatwick Airport to operate its Lagos-London flight against the previously chosen Heathrow, beginning March 30, 2024.
Onyema, who spoke on Arise TV, said the decision was borne out of the fact that the UK authorities initially refused to allow the airline to operate in Heathrow.
He said this is despite both countries signing the Bilateral Air Service Agreement (BASA). The agreement allows countries involved to operate in each other's primary airports.
However, the airline claimed that although Nigeria permits other airlines to use this perk, the country has not received the same benefit.
He said:
“British Airways, Virgin Atlantic Airways come to our country using our primary airports, Lagos and Abuja. When we applied, they told us Heathrow was unavailable to us and even suggested London Stansted Airport or Luton. They also suggested Gatwick, but I refused. I wanted to go to Heathrow, which is their primary airport.
“But after some time, we said okay, as Nigerians are groaning under the weight of high fares; we decided even if it is Scotland, we would go. So, we decided to take Gatwick. Gatwick was not our choice, but in the long run, we decided to see some good in choosing Gatwick.
According to the CEO in a BusinessDay report, many Nigerians reside in London's South East, and Heathrow generates a lot of traffic into Central London.
He said:
“But at Gatwick, they allotted Southern terminal to Air Peace, and when you get to the South terminal, you get out of immigration, take your luggage, you walk into the Gatwick express train within three minutes, and that will take you to Victoria, right into Central London.
“From the south terminal, you have access to tube, you have access to national rail, and you have access to road transport to other parts of the UK. So, Gatwick has turned out to be even better for us. That’s why we took Gatwick.”
He clarified that after settling on Gatwick, the airline discovered advantages to the decision.
These advantages included the fact that many Nigerians reside in that area of London and that Gatwick has less traffic than Heathrow when it comes to Central London.
As a result, Air Peace declined to do so and instead selected Gatwick after realising it could improve airline operations.
The airline's Nigerian passengers would find it more straightforward to reach their destinations from the airport and connect to other regions of the United Kingdom.
Air Peace commences flight to 2 African countries
Legit.ng reported that Air Peace will soon launch flight connectivity from Nigeria to two African countries.
The move will see the airline commence flights from its Lagos hub to Cotonou, in the Benin Republic, and Abidjan, in Ivory Coast, starting on January 22, 2024.
According to a report, the airline said this in a press statement by its Spokesperson, Stanley Olisa.
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Source: Legit.ng
