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Tag: Air Peace

  • Insufficient fuel causes flight delay, cancellation at MMA

    Insufficient fuel causes flight delay, cancellation at MMA

    Flight delay and cancellation affected many passengers at the Lagos airport on Monday, with domestic airline operators blaming it on insufficient aviation fuel.

    A News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) correspondent, who monitored the situation at the Murtala Muhammed Airport 2 and the General Aviation Terminal (GAT) observed that only few flights operated on schedule.

    A reliable airline source told NAN that the problem was caused by the inability of petroleum tanker drivers to lift aviation fuel from Apapa as a result of gridlock on that axis.

    The source noted that the problem, which was more pronounced on Sunday, was, however, gradually abating as some marketers had been able to start trucking products to the airport.

    Confirming the development, the media consultant to Med-View Airline, Mr Obuke Oyibhota, said it was a general problem faced by the airlines.

    “There is a general scarcity of aviation fuel. We have gotten a way around it to enable us continue our operations during the period, but we don’t know how long it will last,” Obuke said.

    Mr Chris Iwarah, General Manager, Corporate Communication, Air Peace, said the airline had put plans in place to continue operations in spite of the problem.

    He said:”The scarcity is affecting flights to some extent at the moment, but we are still relying on our stock and the arrangement we made with the suppliers.

    “However, nobody knows whether it may become more difficult, but for now we are trying to see how we can manage the plans we have on ground to ensure that the impact is only minimal.

    Two passengers, Mr John Olateru and Mr Donatus Eze, told NAN that the situation was unfortunate and appealed to the authorities to find a lasting solution to the problem. (NAN)

  • Robbers cart away millions in Air Peace office attack

    Robbers cart away millions in Air Peace office attack

    Four suspected robbers, on Sunday night, attacked the Office of Air Peace Airline, at the domestic airport, Akure, Ondo State capital.

    The robbers, sources said, acted on a tip-off, and went away with millions of naira.

    They were said to have stolen workers’ belongings.

    The hoodlums reportedly entered the airport on Owo-Akure Road through a bush path, and headed for Air Peace Office.

    The Nation learnt that the incident was reported at Oba-Ile Police Station in Akure North Local Government.

    An employee of the airline, who spoke in confidence, told reporters yesterday that workers resumed on Monday, and discovered the theft.

    He said the stolen money was proceeds of tickets sold between last Friday and Sunday.

    Read also: Robbers burgle Air Peace office in Ondo

    Police spokesman Femi Joseph confirmed the incident.

    He said suspects had been arrested, adding that they were assisting the police with information.

     

  • Nigeria@57: Air Peace boss hails Nigerians, urges unity

    Nigeria@57: Air Peace boss hails Nigerians, urges unity

    The Chairman of Air Peace, Mr Allen Onyema , has urged Nigerians to drop their differences and unite to make the country realise its economic and political potential as a leading nation in Africa.

    Onyema made the plea in a statement issued in Lagos on Sunday, to celebrate Nigeria’s 57th independence anniversary.

    He maintained that the nation was blessed with abundant human and material resources to lead Africa and be one of the outstanding nations in the world.

    Onyema, however, challenged Nigerians to believe in themselves, pledging to continue to make Nigeria proud through exceptional domestic, regional and international flight services.

    “As Nigeria celebrates her 57th independence anniversary, we urge Nigerians to unite to move the nation forward economically and politically.“After 57 years of independence, Nigeria no longer has a valid excuse not to be great. God has blessed us with the human and material resources we need to be truly great.

    “Time has come for us to let go of our ethnic differences, embrace peace and show a patriotic zeal to build our dear nation.

    “To make our country great, we need to be resourceful and believe in ourselves. The solution to our challenges lie right inside of us, not in others elsewhere,’’ Onyema said.

    According to him, despite the economic challenges in the country, many Nigerian companies have continued to acquit themselves creditably in their undertakings.

    He said that in the airline industry, Air Peace has continued to show strength and make Nigeria proud with its exceptional air services.

    “We recently embarked on a massive fleet expansion project in readiness for our inauguration of more routes in the West Coast of Africa and the commencement of our international flight operations.

    “We will never fail Nigeria. We will continue to popularise and lift the name of Nigeria wherever we go and deliver the best flight experience to our esteemed guests,” he added.

  • Our fares meant to attract investors, says Air Peace

    A Low air fare regime will attract investors to secondary airports and boost the economies of states where they are sited,  Air Peace, Chairman Allen Onyema has said.

    According to him, without air link, many states in some parts of the country would not be  accessed. He described the opening of the Lagos – Akure route as one of such initiatives.

    The airline, he said,  decided to charge N10,000 on the route to attract tourists and investors to the Sunshine State.

    Besides,  the fare regime will also encourage other passengers to seek business and other opportunities in the state.

    Onyema said daily flights between Lagos and Akure would enable investors escape road hazards.

    He said the airline would sustain the N10,000 fare on the route as part of its contributions to national economic development.

    Onyema said: “It’s part of Air Peace’s drive to contribute to the peace and unity of this country. The amount we are charging is just N10,000 and this has never happened before. The least in this country, I believe, is N35, 000. The amount we are charging is the same amount of money they use to board road transport to Lagos from Akure.

    “We believe that there are human and mineral resources in this state. So, we want to help investors to come to the state and even Ekiti State. Aviation is a catalyst for development of any state. It’s our own contribution to develop any part of this country. We are going to Akure to help them actualise their own development.

    “The most important thing is to make it affordable to people. We are not making it high; we just want to contribute our own quota. I have done that for Kebbi State and I am now doing it for the South west.

    ” That is the only way we can ensure security of lives in this country. The fare is going to continue and I don’t know when I am going to stop it.”

  • Akeredolu woos investors as Air Peace makes maiden flight to Akure

    Akeredolu woos investors as Air Peace makes maiden flight to Akure

    Ondo State Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu (SAN) yesterday reiterated his administration’s determination to make the state attractive to local and foreign investors.

    He spoke at Akure Airport as a private commercial airline made its maiden flight to the state.

    The governor, who said the development marked the beginning of great happenings in the state.

    Akeredole urged the residents to avail themselves of the services provided by the airline.

    The flight into Akure, the state capital, marked the beginning of a Private Public Partnership (PPP) arrangement between the state government and Air Peace, a private airline.

    The governor praised God for making the development possible, describing the arrival of Air Peace in the state as the beginning of great economic revival.

    He hoped the initiative would stimulate the industrial growth of the All Progressives Congress (APC) change mantra, adding that before long, cargo services would begin at the airport to assist the export of farm produce to the United States of America (U.S.A.) and other foreign countries.

    Akeredolu said: “Today marks another giant step in our determination to develop Ondo State. The commencement of commercial flights into Akure will no doubt reduce the stress, risk and wear and tear that our people go through to go to Lagos.

    “More importantly, it will open up the state to local and foreign investors who can now access our state from Lagos in under one hour. It is another chapter in our determination to make sure that we leave Ondo State better than we met it.”

    The governor hailed the airline for showing interest in the state.

    The Chief Operating Officer (COO) of Air Peace, Allen Onyema, expressed delight with the arrangement.

  • Akerodolu commends Air Peace for extending flight operations to Akure

    Akerodolu commends Air Peace for extending flight operations to Akure

    Gov. Rotimi Akerodolu of Ondo State has commended Air Peace for extending its domestic flight operations to Akure, the state capital.

    Akerodolu made the commendation on Sunday at the Akure Airport after the airline’s inaugural flight to the state from Lagos.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Boeing 737 aircraft with registration number 5N-BQO, which landed at the airport at 1.45 pm, was received by aviation officials and other top dignitaries.

    Akerodolu said that the government decided to partner with Air Peace because of its belief that air connectivity would help to attract investors to the state in line with its objectives.

    He said : “Our drive today is for investment and a lot of our investors want to come in.

    “We have had problems with them since I came into office because they have always complained about the time they used in travelling from Lagos and the hazards on the road.

    “As we all know, the roads are not so good in terms of physical state and other hazards like armed robbery and kidnapping . So, we are so worried that a number of them after coming here do not want to return. ”

    According to him, some civil servants on official duties have also been kidnapped on the same route, but the move by the airline will help to avoid such incidents.

    To this end, Akerodolu said a circular had already been issued making it mandatory for government officials and employees on official engagement to Lagos to fly with the airline.

    The Chairman of Air Peace, Mr Allen Onyema, expressed optimism that the beginning of direct flight operations between Akure and Lagos would jump-start the effort of the government to open up the state to massive investment.

    Onyema said the airline decided to fix the air fare at just N10, 000 to encourage the flying public and also support the vision of the government in making the state a tourism and investment destination.

    “Ondo State is an oil producing state. It also has a lot of agricultural products attractive to investors. So it has a lot to give to Nigeria and humanity.

    “We are optimistic that if we are able to sustain this operation, a lot of jobs will be created and business opportunities will increase here in the next few months, ” he said.

    The airline boss also used the opportunity to advise Nigerians on the benefits and importance of having a united country, appealing to those fanning the embers of disunity to stop their agitation.

    Mrs Cecilia Oguema, the Akure Airport Manager, thanked Air Peace for bringing its services to the airport, noting that it would boost socio-economic activities in the state.

  • Air Peace launches Akure route August 11 with N10,000 fare

    Air Peace launches Akure route August 11 with N10,000 fare

    Air Peace has fixed the launch of its maiden flight into the Akure Airport for Friday, August 11. 2017.

    A statement issued by the Corporate Communications Manager of the airline, Mr. Chris Iwarah said the carrier was collaborating with the Governor Rotimi Akeredolu administration to guarantee easy access to Ondo State by investors, tourists and other categories of air travellers.

    The inaugural Lagos-Akure-Lagos flight, the statement added, would take off from the airline’s Murtala Muhammed Airport, Ikeja hub and touch down at the Akure Airport.

    The return flight, Air Peace said, would depart the Akure Airport same day and land at the Murtala Muhammed Airport in Lagos.

    “We are delighted to announce the commencement of our Lagos-Akure-Lagos service on Friday, August 11, 2017. Air Peace has been operating from our main hub in Lagos State since 2014 and so the launch of the second route in the South West of Nigeria is only a natural progression.

    “Air Peace is pleased to have this opportunity to add such an important destination as Akure to our local route network. Akure lies geographically on the tropical belt and is bordered in the north by Ekiti and Kogi; east by Edo; west by Oyo and Ogun. Ondo is one of Nigeria’s most exciting destinations for leisure and business travel.

    “The flights to Akure will open up a whole new opportunity for Air Peace guests to visit and explore the wealth of tourist attractions of the state as well as expand the access of investors and other categories of air travellers to connect with the state.

    “The new route allows for connections to additional markets from Akure, creating a more convenient trip for those wishing to visit the city.

    “We expect that our new service will contribute to the economy of Ondo State by bringing new travellers to the area from across our route network, while at the same time offering greater competitive choice for the air travel public and passenger connectivity for the area to all the destinations we serve. We anticipate that the launch will jump-start the effort of  Governor Rotimi Akeredolu to open up the the Sunshine State to massive investment engagements.

    “We are committed to offering all Air Peace guests first-class service and innovation, both on board and on the ground,” the statement said.

    Air Peace, which commenced commercial flight operations to a record five destinations in 2014, currently has presence in Lagos, Abuja, Benin, Uyo, Port Harcourt, Calabar, Enugu, Owerri, Sokoto and Accra-Ghana.

    Around the close of 2016, the airline embarked on a massive route and fleet expansion project. Besides securing approvals to operate flights into Lome, Monrovia, Abidjan, Dakar, Douala, Niamey and other West Coast countries of Africa, the carrier has also been designated by the Federal Government to do flights into international destinations, including Johannesburg, Atlanta, Dubai, Guangzhou-China, London and Mumbai.

    Air Peace, which lifted a third of all air travelers in the country in the first quarter of this year, recently embarked on acquisition of more aircraft, comprising a couple of Boeing 737, Boeing 777 and Embraer 145 jets, to bring its fleet size to about 24 aircraft.

     

     

     

  • Multiple charges kill 100 airlines, says Air Peace chief

    Multiple charges kill 100 airlines, says Air Peace chief

    Over 100 airlines have collapsed because of multiple charges, air peace chairman, Allen Onyema has said.

    He urged the National Assembly to intervene to save the sub–sector from collapse.

    Onyema said due to the harsh operating condition in the country, airlines were not making profit, adding that the little gains  made go to agencies in the form of taxes and charges.

    “You cannot talk about safe operations without good policy. Aviation does not yield the heavy profit one expects; the profit is always marginal but in developed countries, mega airlines make between three and five per cent profit but in Nigeria, we do not even talk about breaking even, we think about losses because the environment is harsh and the facilities are not there,” he said.

    According to him, the sector agencies have turned the airlines  into a kind of automated teller machine (ATM), lamenting that carriers pay over 37 charges, including en-route, landing and parking, and passenger service charge, warning that unless the National Assembly reviews aviation regulations, the few airlines in the country may go into extinction in the next one year.

    Onyema, who identified other problems plaguing the sector to include lack of facilities, especially for night operations, heavy insurance, among others, said:  ‘If over 100 airlines have collapsed in Nigeria, there are fundamental issues to be resolved.

    Airlines that have collapsed in Nigeria include : Albarka Airlines, Fresh Air, Okada Air, Virgin Nigeria Airways, EAS / NICON Airways, Spaceworld Airlines, Afrijet, IRS Airlines and Chanchangi Airlines.

    Others include : Chrome Air Services, Sosoliso Airlines, ADC Airlines, Freedom Air Services, Slok Air, DASAB Airlines, Amako Airlines, Concord Airlines, Oriental Airlines, Trans Sahara Airlines, Air MidWest, Falcon Air and Bellview Airlines.

    He said: “There are no night flight facilities at many airports and that is a great loss to airlines. We pay heavily for maintenance because there is no maintenance facility in the country and the cost of ticket in Nigeria is very cheap. It is less than $32.”

    While commending the government over the Executive Orders, which, he said, has eased the way businesses are done in the country, he called on operators to show integrity whenever financial institutions give them loans.

    Also, Spring Fountain Limited Managing Director, Tunde Fagbemi, said it was time for domestic operators to cooperate as unhealthy competition would push them out of business, urging them to share time costs and optimise to  remain afloat.

    One of the ways of achieving this, he said is to embrace the fuel hedging proposal being worked out by African Aircraft Leasing Company to reduce the price of aviation fuel through volume transactions.

    He said: “I think it is time for Nigerian carriers to aggregate their costs and consumption. We are already approaching major oil marketing company to offer aviation fuel at good prices.

    “Apart from that, the leading company is concluding negotiations to enable indigenous carriers acquire brand new aircraft that will reduce their operating and maintenance costs. There’s the new lease of life and platform we are creating for them to do business.”

  • Air Peace, FAAN bicker over N7m debt claim

    Air Peace, FAAN bicker over N7m debt claim

    Air Peace and the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria ( FAAN) have disagreed over a N7 million debt accruing as landing, parking  and electricity charges  at Enugu Airport.

    While the airline said it has paid over N5 million through the Remita platform, the authority said the amount was yet to reflect in its system.

    Consequently, Air Peace has accused FAAN of peddling false information aimed at tarnishing its good corporate image.

    The authority stirred a major controversy at the weekend when the Manager of the Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu, Mr. Mgbemena Orjiako sealed off the airline’s counters over an alleged N7 million debt.

    In a briefing, the airline said the action of the manager of the airport disrupted its flight operations for more than two hours and resulted in the loss of millions of naira in revenue.

    Air Peace condemned the sealing of its Enugu airport offices, saying it had made payments to FAAN before the disruption of its operations.

    A new twist to the incident, however, emerged on Sunday when a group that claimed to be representing aviation workers quoted FAAN as confirming that it was yet to receive the payments made by Air Peace.

    Reacting to the fresh claim in a statement signed by its Corporate Communications Manager, Mr. Chris Iwarah, the carrier said it furnished FAAN with the evidence of the two separate payments it made.

    The airline said it got reliable information that FAAN had recruited several groups to make false allegations against it in the authority’s bid to lower its corporate reputation in the estimation of right-thinking members of the public.

    “On Friday, June 9, 2017, we alerted members of the public to the shutdown of our flight operations by the manager of the Enugu airport over a claim of N7 million debt. Upon realising its error, FAAN admitted that we were not owing it and apologised for the disruption of our flights and the inconveniences caused our esteemed guests whose flights were consequently delayed.

  • Air Peace, FAAN bicker over N7m debt claim 

    Air Peace, FAAN bicker over N7m debt claim 

    Air Peace and the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) have disagreed over a N7 million debts accruing as landing, parking and electricity charges at Enugu Airport.

    The airline said it has paid over N5 million through Remita platform. The authority said the amount was yet to reflect in its system.

    Consequently, Air Peace has accused the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) of peddling false information aimed at tarnishing its good corporate image.

    The authority stirred a major controversy at the weekend when the Manager of the Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu Mr. Mgbemena Orjiako sealed off the airline’s counters over an alleged N7 million debt.

    In a briefing, the airline said the action of the manager of the airport disrupted its flight operations for more than two hours and resulted in the loss of millions of naira in revenue.

    Air Peace said it had made payments to FAAN before the disruption of its operations in Enugu.

    A new turn to the incident, however, emerged on Sunday when a group that claimed to be representing aviation workers quoted FAAN as confirming that it was yet to receive the payments made by Air Peace.

    Reacting to the fresh claim in a statement signed by its Corporate Communications Manager, Mr. Chris Iwarah, the carrier said it furnished FAAN with the evidence of the two separate payments it made.

    The airline said it got reliable information that FAAN had recruited several groups to make false allegations against it in the authority’s bid to lower its corporate reputation in the estimation of right-thinking members of the public.