Nigerian flag carrier Air Peace has expanded its operations into Asia as it commenced flight into the world’s most populous country, China.
Air Peace on Wednesday kick-started it operations in China with one-weekly flight to Guangzhou, China, becoming the first Nigerian airline to fly into the country.
The first flight Boeing 777 departed Lagos to China with a total of 240 passengers.
The airline said that plans are underway to connect Beijing, Shanghai, others from Nigeria adding that similar operations will commence en route Mumbai, India, and Israel.
Speaking during the inaugural flight ceremony in Lagos, Air Peace Chief Operating Officer, Oluwatoyin Olajide, stated that the company had envisaged an airline that would predominantly create massive employment for Nigerians and reduce the burden of air travel for Nigerians, and by extension, Africans.
Olajide said the airline will continue to grow its route as it modernizes its fleet.
She said: “Now, we can confidently assert that Air Peace has kept to this vision of providing seamless connections and expanding existing network to accommodate the evolving air travel needs of the flying public. Today, we’re officially adding the continent of Asia to our network of continents, with the commencement of initial one-weekly flight to Guangzhou-China.
“If you’ve been following the growth of Air Peace, you’ll be familiar with the fact that the Chinese airspace is not new to us, as we’ve successfully operated several evacuation/special flights to the country at different times in the past, especially in 2020, during the COVID-19 lockdown.
“So, we’re going into China, not as newcomers, but as an airline that is technically and operationally acclimatised with the Chinese terrain. The flying public, especially those that fly the Guangzhou route, should expect best-in-class flight experience, which is characteristic of the Air Peace brand.
“We are not stopping with Guangzhou- India is next and Israel is in the works. Also planned for subsequent launch are Malabo in Equatorial Guinea and Kinshasa in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
“We will continue to grow our route network as well as modernise our fleet strategically. Air Peace currently boasts of a network of twenty domestic routes, seven regional routes and two international destinations, including Dubai and Johannesburg.
“As we kick off the Guangzhou route today, we must appreciate the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, NCAA, Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, FAAN, the Ministry of Aviation, the Chinese government, our partners, and other stakeholders for making this possible. We promise to work harmoniously with all relevant aviation actors to ensure this new route is maximised.”
Ifunanya Ikueze is an Engineer, Safety Professional, Writer, Investor, Entrepreneur and Educator.