Nigeria’s private airline, Air Peace, plans to extend flight operations to cities Guangzhou, China, and Mumbai, India this month. This was revealed in a statement by Mr Stanley Olisa, the spokesperson of the company, in Lagos on Tuesday.
Planned extensions
Olisa has stated that the airline will be launching its initial one weekly flight to China on July 13th and two weekly flights to India later this month. Should plans go ahead successfully, Air Peace will increase the number of flights heading to these destinations.
The airline’s decision has business and socio-economic implications. These new destinations, according to Olisa, serve to showcase the airline’s grit to provide improved connections for Nigerians and to foster the deepening of socio-economic ties between Nigeria and both countries. As such, Air Peace’s entry into China and India seeks to strengthen bilateral ties between the nations. As part of the airline’s ‘no-city-left-behind mantra’, Air Peace wishes to provide peaceful and strategic network connections and to commit to alleviating the air travel burden of Africans.
In Olisa’s speech, there were indications of flight operations to Tel Aviv, Israel being in the works. As well as two other African destinations, namely Malabo in Equatorial Guinea and Kinshasa in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
These destinations are not new to Air Peace
Guangzhou, Mumbai, and even Tel Aviv are not entirely foreign destinations to Air Peace. The airline has launched several special/evacuation flight operations into these cities in the past and so is familiar with the airspace.
In a statement this week, Mr Stanley Olisa said:
“Guangzhou and Mumbai are not new terrains for Air Peace as we have operated a number of special/evacuation flights into both cities in the past. So, we are very familiar with the airspace and plans to launch Tel Aviv, Israel, are in top gear. This is also not a new space for us as you know, we have operated flights to and from the country.”
Air Peace – a growing regional success
Air Peace has been operating for seven years and has accumulated a network of 20 domestic routes, seven regional routes, and two international destinations – Dubai since 2019 and Johannesburg since 2020. The airline currently has the largest fleet in West and Central Africa. The private airline has grown to become a leading regional airline after Nigerian airways ceased operations back in 2003. Though competition may be emerging with the recent news of Nigeria Air planning to launch.
With Air Peace expanding operations in China and India and hinting at further expansions both internationally and regionally, Nigerians are becoming further connected with the world through travel. Only time will tell whether these plans span into success.
