Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Air Peace Limited, Dr Allen Onyema, has said the airline’s commencement of direct flight from Abuja to Heathrow in London has led to a crash in prices of tickets on the route from $13,000 to $3,000. This reflects a significant 76.92 per cent reduction in price.
The Nigeria’s leading carrier launched its maiden direct flight from Abuja to Heathrow Airport in London on Sunday, October 26. This comes one year after commencing flight service from Lagos to Gatwick Airport in London.
This latest move is seen as a major advance for both the airline and the Nigerian aviation industry. The commencement of the flight followed intense diplomatic efforts by the Nigerian government and the chairman of Air Peace to secure the Heathrow slot.
Onyema, who appeared on Arise News television’s Prime Time show on Wednesday, thanked President Bola Tinubu for his intervention that led to securing the slot. He said it is a clear example of how the government can support the private sector to thrive and contribute to the economy.
“The government stepped out this time to fight for an indigenous operator. The president did the right thing for the country and today, prices have come down. From $13,000 from Abuja to Heathrow, we brought it down to $3,000. We are saving money for our country and making it affordable for the citizens and the entire flying public,” Onyema stated.
He said even foreign nationals were on the inaugural flight to Heathrow, adding that his airline’s entry has engendered a healthy competition in the market.
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Onyema stated that the airline now has about 14 flights to London every week, adding that the move has opened the corridor not just to Europe, but the entire world. “Some of the passengers we had on the maiden flight and even subsequent ones were not just going to London alone. Some were going to Canada, some were going to America, and some were even going to China. So, they used Air Peace because Air Peace is affordable,” further stated.
He claimed that Air Peace’s lower ticket price has forced other international airlines that used to charge exorbitant prices to bring them down.
He also extended his appreciation to the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, for leading the charge to secure the slot.
He emphasised the need for the government always to recognise the role of the private sector in the country’s development, warning that making the environment unconducive to the private sector could destroy the economy.
He said those who are bent on bringing him and the company down are making a huge mistake because it is the economy and the people that his investments are providing jobs for that they are destroying.
He urged government appointees and legislators fighting him and the company to look at the body language of the president and follow it.
Highlighting the activities of the minister towards boosting airlines’ operations, Onyema said this is the first time Nigerian airlines have had access to dry lease in the last 15 years. According to him, Nigeria had been “unofficially blacklisted,” but the federal government did everything possible to reverse that.
A dry lease is a type of leasing arrangement in the aviation industry where an aircraft is leased without crew, maintenance, or operational support. The lessee (the party leasing the aircraft) is responsible for providing these services and operating the aircraft. It is unlike a wet lease, where the lessor (the party that owns the aircraft) provides the crew, maintenance, and insurance, while the lessee uses the aircraft for a specified period of time.
“President Tinubu’s administration has helped the aviation industry more than any other in the world. So, we in the airline body are grateful to the Mr president for what he has done,” he stated.
Highlighting the significance of the Heathrow and Gatwick operations, Onyema said it offers a connectivity advantage to passengers coming from London to Nigeria as they can easily connect to other cities of their destination within Nigeria upon arrival, either in Abuja or Lagos, without the hassles of going to make fresh arrangements for domestic flights.
On the issue of going public, he said that it will only happen when the airline has built a solid foundation that guarantees long-term sustainability and national benefit.
Victor Ezeja is a passionate journalist, scholar and analyst of socioeconomic issues in Nigeria and Africa. He is skilled in energy reporting, business and economy, and holds a master's degree in mass communication.
