Air Peace is gearing up to launch its Abuja-London route soon, as announced by the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo.
Keyamo revealed this during an appearance on Channels Television’s Politics Today program, expressing his approval for Air Peace to extend its services to include Abuja on its London route.
“Just yesterday, I gave the green light for Air Peace to fly the Abuja-London route, not just sticking to Lagos-London. British Airways is already operating on this route, so Air Peace wants to step up and compete. It’s all in the best interest of Nigerians,” he remarked.
Keyamo emphasized that Air Peace or any other local airline interested should prioritize Heathrow Airport over Gatwick Airport, considering the former as the ideal destination.
“We initially started with Gatwick as it seemed like an easy win. However, our focus should be on Heathrow. While they fly into our top-tier airports in Lagos and Abuja,” he added.
In March 2024, Air Peace made a significant move by launching direct flights from Lagos to Gatwick Airport in London, marking a response to the uneven Bilateral Air Service Agreement (BASA) between Nigeria and the United Kingdom.
This move has been met with praise from industry experts, encouraging more local airlines to venture into lucrative international routes. With Air Peace offering return economy class tickets for as low as N1.2 million, a considerable drop from the previous market price of N3.5 million, competitors like British Airways, Virgin Atlantic, and Qatar Airways have been compelled to adjust their pricing strategies to remain competitive.
The entry of Air Peace into the London route has triggered a pricing battle, with foreign carriers slashing their prices to stay afloat. Keyamo assured that the government is closely monitoring the situation and is ready to lend support to Air Peace through all available means.
