Aviation
Air Peace to begin Abuja-London flights
Nigerian airline operator Air Peace will commence its Abuja-London route very soon.
This was disclosed by the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, on Thursday.
Featuring on Channels Television’s Politics Today programme, the minister said he has given the approval for Nigerian airline operator to add Abuja to its London route.
Air Peace recently commenced its Lagos-Gatwick flights, gathering commendation from many Nigerians.
Following the commencement of the Lagos-London route, other airlines crashed their prices, a situation that led to Allen Onyema, alleging an international conspiracy.
The minister said he has been reviewing the Bilateral Air Service Agreement (BASA) between the UK and Nigeria, and some decisions would be made at the conclusion of the review.
On March 30, 2024, Air Peace reciprocated the lopsided BASA between Nigeria and the United Kingdom when the local airline began direct flight operations from Lagos to Gatwick Airport in London.
The development has been applauded by many industry observers, with more local airlines being encouraged to commence international flights to profitable routes.
The price of an international flight ticket on the Lagos-London route was as high as N3.5 million, but with Air Peace pegging a return economy class ticket for N1.2 million, foreign airlines such as British Airways, Virgin Atlantic, and Qatar Airways have been forced to slash their prices to stay competitive.
The entrance of Air Peace on the London route has sparked a price war, with foreign carriers now underpricing to stay in business. On this, Keyamo said the government has been observing the unfolding events and would support the Nigerian airline operator with all federal might.
