Summary
- Air Peace, the largest airline in Nigeria and West Africa, has received approval to fly to John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York.
- Air Peace was founded in 2013 and has been expanding its operations to countries around the world.
- The approval from the Nigerian aviation ministry is a significant milestone for Air Peace and highlights its growth and success in the industry.
On February 9, the largest airline in Nigeria and West Africa, Air Peace, received approval to fly to John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York. In response to a letter dated January 12 to Mr Festus Keyamo, the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Air Peace received an approval letter allowing the Nigerian flag carrier to take to the skies of the US.
Air Peace and its operations
Air Peace was founded by Allen Onyema in 2013 with the aspiration of providing economic opportunities to the Nigerian youth. It was a major force to rescue Nigerians who were stuck in the Sudanese conflict last year.
Air Peace takes flights to countries such as India, South Africa, China, and Israel, among others. In the North American region, Air Peace was vying to fly to Antigua and Barbuda.
Photo: Embraer
To expand its operations to North America, Air Peace had written to the aviation ministry. According to Aviation Metric, less than a month later, the ministry wrote back to the Nigerian carrier in a letter with the title,
‘Conveyance of approval to Messrs Air Peace Limited to operate commercial international flight operations into and out of New York,”
The words of the Nigerian aviation ministry
The letter of approval sent to Air Peace by H.T. Ejibunu, the director of Air Transport Management, was in accord with the ‘Open Skies’ agreement between the government of the United States of America and the Federal Republic of Nigeria. It read:
“… your airline is being advised to liaise with the Federal Aviation Administration ( FAA) of the United States of America for documentation before commencement of scheduled flight operations. However, the airline is required to comply with the Nigeria Civil Aviation Regulations (CARs) 2023 part 18.5.11 by taking further necessary steps to liaise with the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) on the requirements. Kindly note that the approval has been communicated to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for its further necessary action,”
What the future holds for Air Peace
Air Peace is taking massive strides in the field of aviation, particularly in Nigeria. Air Peace celebrated Ibironke Rotimi-Olajide as its first female aircraft captain as well as the first female aircraft captain in Africa. This feat came six months after some tumultuous times in the aviation sector in Nigeria as there were threats of an indefinite aviation strike starting from April 17. Around that time, the Nigerian government was also asked to investigate the exorbitant price of around $2,000 that a Nigerian had to pay for an economy ticket.
Photo: Air Peace
The Nigerian government is dashing to resume its services to Dubai with Air Peace at the frontier after a year of absence in the UAE. Within a decade after its services began, Air Peace also gained the permits to fly to the UK. The addition of John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York as one of the other major cities where it will fly is a testament to how far Air Peace has come despite the palpable threats it had of shutting down due to the fuel crisis in Nigerian, only a couple of years ago.
