There is excitement among Nigerians as West and Central Africa’s foremost airline, Air Peace, has gone live with its flight schedules for its London service billed to commence on March 30 with highly reduced fares.
The airline disclosed this on Wednesday, February 28, 2024, in a news release issued to journalists.
Air Peace stated that the flight schedules for the London route are now available on the airline’s website with tickets selling at incredible fares.
According to the airline, a Return Economy Class Ticket goes for 1,200,000 naira while a Return Business Class Ticket sells for 4,000,000 naira, adding that Nigerians studying in the UK can now access their special 15% rebate on the already reduced economy fares.
It would be recalled that the airline had announced a special fare for Nigerian students in the UK when it hosted travel agents in Lagos last week preparatory to the launch of the London route.
London will be the airline’s 7th international destination since kicking off operations less than 10 years ago.
Chairman of Air Peace, Barr Allen Onyema, recently explained that the airline chose Gatwick Airport to operate its Lagos-London flight because UK authorities refused to give the airline Heathrow.
The airline’s entry into London, according to stakeholders and observers, would engender competition on the route and crash the cost of tickets.
Onyema stated that after the airline decided on Gatwick, it later realised inherent benefits in choosing the airport, noting that many Nigerians live in that part of London and there is less traffic in getting to Central London from Gatwick than from Heathrow.
He also said in accordance with the Bilateral Air Service Agreement (BASA) signed between the UK and Nigeria, Air Peace was supposed to be offered UK’s primary airport, which is Heathrow, just as Nigeria offered its primary airports in Lagos and Abuja to British airlines: British Airways and Virgin Atlantic Airways.
He said, “The BASA we signed with the UK is this: you give me your primary airport; we give you our primary airport. British Airways, Virgin Atlantic Airways come to our country using our primary airports, Lagos and Abuja. When we applied, they told us Heathrow was not available to us and they were even suggesting London Stansted Airport or Luton. They also suggested Gatwick, but I refused. I wanted to go to Heathrow, which is their primary airport.”
Meanwhile, the Norse Atlantic Airways has entered into an agreement with Air Peace for an ACMI (Aircraft, Crew, Maintenance, and Insurance) charter service.
Credit: Daily Trust
