Follow Us on Google
By Chinelo Obogo
Air Peace made history this week as the first Nigerian domestic carrier to commence scheduled operations from Lagos to Guangzhou, China. This was also as the airline disclosed plans to partner Asian carriers to interline with it to other destinations outside Guangzhou, China.
The flight which departed Lagos on Wednesday with a Boeing 777 aircraft, with full load factor of 240 passengers on its inaugural flight from the new terminal of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport.
Speaking during the flag-off of the carrier’s Lagos-Guangzhou flight, the Chief Operating Officer, Oluwatoyin Olajide, said the airline is officially adding the continent of Asia to its network of continents, with the commencement of initial one-weekly flight to Guangzhou-China.
She said the Chinese airspace is not new to the carrier, as it has successfully operated several evacuation/special flights to the country at different times in the past, especially in 2020, during the COVID-19 lockdown. She said the carrier would have an interline arrangement with Asian carriers to help Air Peace carry passengers from Guangzhou to Shanghai and Beijing , stressing that the consultant was now open for more people to travel to China from Nigeria, following the lifting of travel restrictions by Chinese government before now.
“We are not going into China, 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’re not stopping with Guangzhou- India is next and Israel is in the works.
“When Air Peace set out for the trajectory in 2014, it envisaged an airline that would create massive employment for Nigerians and reduce the burden of air travel for Nigerians, and by extension, Africans, through the provision of affordable and peaceful connectivity across cities and continents. 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, we must appreciate the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, 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,” Olajide said.
