The Air Peace Chief Operating Officer, Toyin Olajide, announced that all economy class seats on the airline’s Lagos to London flights are fully booked for the next 60 days, starting from July.
Nigerian travelers, including travel agencies, have praised Air Peace for launching flights to European countries three months ago. In a recent interview in Lagos, Olajide acknowledged the challenges faced on the route but expressed satisfaction that the airline had provided Nigerians with more travel options.
Air Peace’s COO noted that the airline’s June 30, 2024, Sunday flight was fully booked in economy class, with 41 business class seats also occupied. She mentioned that a system error prevented the advertising of first-class seats, a mistake that has since been corrected.
Olajide highlighted that Nigerians flying from the US to the UK book Air Peace flights to Lagos to take advantage of cheaper US-Europe fares, saving significant money compared to direct US-Nigeria flights. Additionally, Chinese citizens residing in Nigeria use Air Peace to travel to London and then connect to China Southern Airlines to reduce costs.
“Our system did not advertise our first-class seats, an error that has been corrected. We recorded a very high load factor with only 13 empty seats out of 274. We thank Nigerians for their support,” said Olajide. She added that two passengers flying from the US to London were upgraded to business class as a token of appreciation.
The entrance of Air Peace into the market has increased accessibility and diversified the passenger base, attracting elderly passengers and students. This influx has led to a 5% to 15% increase in passengers.
Air Peace’s operations have also positively impacted Nigerian brands, providing exposure for products like farm-fresh yogurt, Gratia chin chin flakes, Olu Olu chips, and local long-grain rice. This expansion has benefited small businesses and local farmers, contributing over N2 billion to the economy.
Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, recently stated that the Federal Government is working on empowering Nigerian airlines to access international routes to the US and South America directly.
Air Peace commenced its Lagos-London flight services on March 20.
