By Chinelo Obogo
Passengers onboard the Air Peace second flight to Guangzhou, China on July 20, 2022, have lauded the airline on its commencement of flight operations to the Asian country with some saying that the development has taken off the connectivity burden which passengers faced on the route.
In an interview shortly before their Guangzhou flight departed on Wednesday, from the new international terminal in Lagos, passengers expressed delight that a Nigerian airline now operates scheduled flights to China.
One of the Chinese nationals on the flight, Mr Clark Wang, said that the Chinese community is excited over the launch, adding that it signals a great stride in strengthening the commercial ties between Nigeria and China.
He noted that the flight connectivity between both nations would foster development and boost both economies. Wang also applauded the Air Peace Management for the strategic decision to make a foray into the route.
Another passenger, Mr. Emmanuel Okereke, expressed happiness over the launch and felicitated with Air Peace, urging the airline to sustain the feat and be consistent in providing best-in-class services. He called on the Chairman of Air Peace, Allen Onyema, to ensure sustenance of this new route and extend the wings of the airline to more cities.
Similarly, Timothy Ose, another passenger on board the service, said he flies Air Peace to Dubai and when he learnt of the new China route, he was delighted. He said the expansion into Asia is a huge respite to Nigerians, especially those regularly travel to China.
Air Peace made history recently as the first domestic carrier to commence scheduled operations from Lagos to Guangzhou, China. This is also as the airline disclosed plans to partner Asian carriers to distribute passengers other destinations outside Guangzhou, China.
The flight which departed Lagos with a Boeing 777 aircraft, recorded a 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 and also hinted that the consultant is now open for more people to travel to China from Nigeria, following the lift on travel restrictions put by Chinese government before now.