After Launching Lagos-London Flight, FG Grants Air Peace Approval to Start Another Flight Route

• The federal government said Air Peace now has the approval to commence flights from Abuja to London
• The airline started offering direct flights from Lagos to London's Gatwick Airport on March 30, 2024
• The minister of aviation said that Gatwick Airport is merely a beginning point for the airline as Heathrow Airport is the target

Legit.ng journalist Zainab Iwayemi has over 3-year-experience covering the Economy, Technology, and Capital Market

The federal government said it has approved for Air Peace to start offering flights from Abuja to London.

Minister of aviation and aerospace development Festus Keyamo made the statement on Channels Television on Thursday, April 25.

According to Keyamo, he authorised Air Peace to include Abuja on its London route on April 24.

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He said:

“Just yesterday (Wednesday), I approved Air Peace for the Abuja-London route, not only the Lagos-London route,” the minister said.

“British Airways also comes to Abuja. So, let Air Peace block that path and start a war. It’s all for the good of Nigerians.”

Heathrow is target

Speaking on the British government's reluctance to allow Heathrow Airport operations, Keyamo stated in a TheCable report that the federal government has consented to run Gatwick Airport.

However, he stated that Heathrow Airport, not Gatwick, should be the destination for Air Peace or any other local airline with interest.

According to the minister, Gatwick Airport is merely a beginning point and a low-hanging fruit.

Following the exercise, Keyamo stated that choices would be made based on his review of the bilateral air service agreement (BASA) between Nigeria and the United Kingdom (UK).

Recall that Air Peace started offering direct flights from Lagos to London's Gatwick Airport on March 30, 2024.

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Legit.ng reported that the airline is offering economy class tickets for its London route at N1.2 million and business class tickets at N4 million.

The airline's spokesperson, Stanley Olisa, confirmed the prices and sales of tickets in a chat.

He said the ticket sales for London services have gone live, with flights commencing on March 30, 2024.

Foreign airlines quote new ticket prices

Legit.ng reported that experts and stakeholders have predicted that international airfares will continue to decline despite the recent ticket price reductions of more than 50%.

Recall that foreign airlines in Nigeria started to unblock their low-priced tickets on Nigerian routes following the completion of the payment of about $7 billion backlog by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).

The decrease in the fare was credited to several factors, including the depreciation of foreign exchange rates, the federal government's pressure on foreign airlines to offer cheaper tickets, and the start of flights to the United Kingdom on Saturday, March 30, by Air Peace.

Source: Legit.ng