The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Chris Iwarah

  • Fed Govt bans operations of Boeing 737 Max-8 aircraft

    THE Federal Government has joined the global coalition banning the use of Boeing 737 Max-8 by any operator in Nigeria.

    It announced the ban through Minister of State, Aviation, Hadi Sirika, following global outrage that trailed the crash of a Boeing 737 Max-8 plane belonging to Ethiopian Airlines, few minutes after taking off in Addis Ababa in Ethiopia on a flight to Nairobi, in Kenya.

    Over 338 lives were lost in the two crashed in similar circumstances, fueling doubts over the safety record of the aircraft type.

    The Boeing 737 MAX- 8 flight plunged into a field on Sunday, killing all 157 passengers on board. The victims included Ambassador Abiodun Bashiru and Prof Pius Adesanmi.

    On October 29, 2018, Lion Air flight 610 crashed into the Java Sea, off the coast of Indonesia, killing all 189 on board.

    Briefing State House correspondents after yesterday’s Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting in Abuja, Sirika said that such plane would not be allowed into Nigeria until the determination of the cause.

    The latest crash of the Boeing 737 Max-8 aircraft model triggered anxiety among Nigerian passengers following reports that three indigenous carriers – Arik Air, Air Peace and Green Africa Airways – have placed orders for over 118 Boeing 737 Max-8 planes.

    Though the carriers placed individual orders, none is yet to take delivery of the aircraft type.

    On September 18, 2018, Air Peace placed order for ten Boeing 737 Max 8 aircraft.

    The deal was valued at $1.17 billion. The carrier said it was monitoring ongoing investigations over the aircraft type, promising to take a final position soon.

    The airline’s reaction, its official said, was propelled by calls from passengers and stakeholders who sought clarification on its stand concerning the crash of the aircraft type.

    Its Corporate Communications Manager, Chris Iwarah, said: “The management of Air Peace Airline has thought it imperative to clarify that Air Peace recently placed a firm order for 10 brand new Boeing 737 MAX-8 aircraft.

    “We are, however, yet to take delivery of the aircraft as we are still at the design and configuration stage of the order. This clarification has become necessary in view of numerous calls and enquiries on our response to the incidents involving the B737 Max-8 aircraft.

    “Although, it is premature to comment on the incidents, we wish to assure members of the flying public that we are closely following and monitoring developments on the issue as an airline that prioritises the safety and well-being of our customers.

    “While we keep engaging with our partners in this regard, we repose implicit confidence in Boeing and aviation authorities to capably and satisfactorily address all the issues if at the conclusion of ongoing investigations it is discovered that the challenge is with the B737 Max-8.

    “We urge members of the flying public to continue to choose Air Peace as their preferred airline and trust us to always act in their best interest.”

    Besides Air Peace, another operator, Arik Air, had on May 9, 2016, ordered for eight Boeing 737 Max-8 aircraft. The date for the delivery of the aircraft has not been fixed.

    On December 21, 2018, a new entrant in the sector – Green Africa Airways, placed order for 100 Boeing 737 Max-8 planes.

    The 100 aircraft by Green Africa Airways was split into 50 firm orders and 50 options.

    The deal was estimated at $11.7 billion at the current price tag, making it the largest Boeing aircraft ordered by an African carrier.

  • No plan to operate UAE flights from P/Harcourt Airport – Air Peace

    Air Peace on Tuesday dismissed reports that it plans to originate its flights to Sharjah and Dubai in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) from Port Harcourt, Rivers State.

    A statement signed by the carrier’s Corporate Communications Manager, Mr. Chris Iwarah said it had not altered its plan to commence its Sharjah and Dubai services from the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos.

    The Lagos airport, the airline insisted, was strategic to the launch of its international flight operations.

    Air Peace assured that arrangements for its long-haul flight services to Dubai, Sharjah, London, Houston, Guangzhou-China, Mumbai and Johannesburg were nearing conclusion and the development would eventually give all parts of the country and West Africa a reliable alternative.

    “Our attention has been drawn to reports in the media claiming we planned to operate our flights to Sharjah and Dubai in the United Arab Emirates from Port Harcourt, Rivers State. We wish to state that there is no truth in the reports and we urge members of the flying public to discountenance the claims.

    Read Also: Air Peace boss advises workers on integrity

    “Our plan to operate our Sharjah and Dubai services from the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos remains unchanged. Our strategic plan is to commence our international flight operations from Lagos, with Sharjah and Dubai preceding other routes.

    “As we have variously promised, we will eventually expand our international operations to cover other cities and regions of Nigeria and even the West Coast of Africa. The goal ultimately is to leverage our broad domestic and regional route network in offering the flying public a reliable alternative. This will be clearer as our long-haul route network unfurls. But we envisage that the base of our international operations will remain the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos, while mini-hubs will be created in the North, East and South of Nigeria and West Africa. This, no doubt, will ensure we not only fully realise our vision to create seamless flight connectivity and positively impact the economies of our areas of operations, but also offer the flying public a whole new exceptional experience,” the carrier said.

  • Airlines resume normal operations, 72 hours after polls

    Seventy two hours after the Presidential and National Assembly elections, domestic carriers on Monday resumed normal operations on major routes.

    The pickup of flights operations follows the lull that characterized flights a few days before the February 23, rescheduled elections.

    Speaking in a telephone interview, Corporate Communications Manager Air Peace, Chris Iwarah said the carrier has had good run of flights on major routes except on the Lagos – Kano route.

    According to Iwarah, passengers’ load factor remains high on other routes including Lagos- Abuja, Lagos- Owerri, Lagos- Enugu, Lagos- Calabar, Lagos – Uyo and other routes.

    Read Also: Breaking: Akpabio loses senatorial seat

    He however said operations on the Lagos- Kano route have remained not too impressive.

    He did not give reasons for the lull for the flights.

    Also speaking, spokesman of Dana Air, Kingsley Ezenwa, said flights have been normal on all routes the carrier flies.

    Ezenwa said: “Our flights have remained normal, not drop in passenger traffic on all routes.”

    A source said both terminals of the Lagos Domestic Airport remained a beehive of activities.

    Sources hinted that Arik Air, Aero, Overland Airways recorded normal flights.

  • Air Peace apologies to passengers over flight disruptions

    Air Peace has apologized to its customers over the disruption of their flights on different routes on Friday.

    A statement issued by the airline’s Corporate Communications Manager, Mr Chris Iwarah said some of the carrier’s scheduled flights were disrupted due to a depressurization challenge on its Lagos-Enugu flight.

    Iwarah said this compelled the airline to declare the aircraft unserviceable in line with its uncompromising stance on matters of safety.

    According to him, the airline regrets the resultant delay of flights on several routes due to the development.

    He said “on Dec. 14, our Lagos-Enugu flight had a depressurization challenge, compelling us to declare it unserviceable upon safely landing at destination in line with our strict safety standards.

    “Although depressurization is a common occurrence in aviation, we sincerely regret that the incident led to the disruption of our Enugu-Lagos service and other flights the aircraft was scheduled to operate.

    Read Also: Air Peace scales safety test for B777 operations

    “We are indeed sorry for the resultant inconvenience caused our esteemed customers.

    “We have, however, made alternative arrangements to ensure the operation of the Enugu-Lagos and other services the aircraft was scheduled to do, while our team of engineers conduct proper checks on the aircraft, which has since been ferried to our base.’’

    Iwarah assured members of the flying public that Air Peace would continue to accord their safety a prime place in its operations and always act in their best interest.

    “We urge our valued customers to continue to trust us to deliver the best flight experience to them.

    “We quite understand the expectations of our esteemed customers, especially during the Yuletide and we wish to assure them that we will neither disappoint nor take their patronage and loyalty to our brand for granted.’’

    NAN

  • Air Peace to expand operations to MMA2

    Air Peace said on Thursday that it will move part of its flight operations to the Murtala Muhammed Airport Terminal  (MMA2), Lagos effective  January 2, 2019 to position itself for better service to its passengers..

    The airline, which has its main hub at the General Aviation Terminal (GAT) of the Murtala Muhammed Airport, Lagos, said it would now operate its Lagos-Akure, Lagos-Asaba, Lagos-Kaduna and Lagos-Port Harcourt NAF Base flights from MMA2.

    A statement issued by Air Peace Corporate Communications Manager, Mr. Chris Iwarah said the development was in line with its expansion plan and strategy to deliver a much better experience to members of the flying public using its services.

    The airline said the expansion to MMA2 would address the space constraints it was facing at the General Aviation Terminal of the Murtala Muhammed Airport, Lagos.

    “We are pleased to announce the extension of our flight operations from our main base, the General Aviation Terminal (GAT) of the Murtala Muhammed Airport, Lagos to the Murtala Muhammed Airport 2 effective from January 2, 2019. We will now operate our Lagos-Akure, Lagos-Asaba, Lagos-Kaduna and Lagos-Port Harcourt NAF Base flights from MMA2. Other new domestic routes we plan to launch soon will also be done form the facility.

    “Other domestic flights out of Lagos will, however, operate from our main Base, the General Aviation Terminal of the Murtala Muhammed Airport, Lagos. We are quite hopeful that the expansion of our Lagos base to MMA2 will afford us the space and convenience to deliver first-class flight experience to our loyal customers.

    “The extension of our operations could not have come at a better time than the Yuletide season. As is the experience around this time of the year, we anticipate a great leap in the demand for air travel. Already, we are creating more flights to cater to the expected rise in the demand for air travel this period.

    We have also launched a good number of routes in the last one year. As a customer-oriented carrier, it is only strategic that we seek a better operational atmosphere for seamless passenger facilitation and exceptional customer service experience. This exactly is what MMA2 offers with its state-of-the-art facilities and we are indeed proud of our decision to annex it to our Lagos hub,” Air Peace said

  • Air Peace scales safety test for B777 operations

    Air Peace has  scaled a major regulatory hurdle in its path to international flight services, its spokesman, Chris Iwarah has disclosed.

    Iwarah said the airline at the weekend successfully performed the partial emergency evacuation and ditching demonstrations as part of the safety tests for the operation of its Boeing 777 aircraft.

    In aviation par lance, emergency aircraft evacuation refers to an exercise aimed at evacuating those on an aircraft when an emergency occurs on the ground, in water or mid-flight.

    He said the ditching demonstration, however, simulates a planned water landing and evaluates the airline’s ability to handle such emergency.

    An emergency evacuation demonstration is mostly required when an airline proposes operating a specific aircraft type and model entering into its service for the first time.

    He said once the signal for is given, the aircraft’s emergency evacuation equipment and 50 percent of the required emergency exits and slides must be ready for use in a maximum of 15 seconds.

    Iwarah said though simulated, evacuation drills are a risky operation for crew and other participants – often leading to injury of varying degrees.

    Air Peace recently acquired four Boeing 777 for its long-haul operations to destinations including Dubai, Sharjah, London, Houston, Guangzhou-China, Mumbai and Johannesburg. The airline made history as the first Nigerian carrier to acquire and register the Boeing 777 in the country.

    Read Also: Air Peace takes delivery of 6th Embraer jet

    Being the first time the Boeing 777 was entering its service, Air Peace , Iwarah said was mandated by aviation regulations to demonstrate its capacity to handle emergency evacuation and ditching under the close supervision of officials of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) comprising Group Capt. E.C Agu, Capt. Ejike Wosu, Mr. Augustine Eboigbe, Mr. Rabiu Sharif, Mohammed Auwal, Hajara Yahaya, Msooityo Malu, Prewari Yemaye, Mrs. Famous-Cole, Efunfela Ojekale, Maria Udor, Bosede Tagarino, Kunle Martins and Basira Lami.

    Air Peace emergency demonstrators in the flight deck , he said included Capt Simon Donoghue, Capt Ndubisi Ekwempu, First Officer Femi Aderomu and First Officer Ahmed Abdullahi. Members of the Cabin Crew comprised Pauline Aiya-Obaze,

    Others were: Shittu Kamoru, Samuel Mayowa Jnr, Olowolade Ademola, Valentine Nkwocha, George Opakirite, Nana De-Man, Esther Ogedengbe, Doherty Ayotunde, Nwachi Tole, Tella Toyosi, Nicholas Williams, Kingsley Eloka, Mariapieta Ukonze, Joy Nwagbologu and Tekla Ezewusi.

    Once the signal for the exercise to commence was given, the crew set out to work, deploying the four slides of the eight-exit Boeing 777 aircraft within 10.5 seconds – 4.5 seconds ahead of the maximum time allowed. They drew applause for their display of efficiency.

    Assessing the exercise which took place at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos from about 5pm to 10 pm on Thursday, leader of the NCAA team of inspectors, Capt. Agu said they were satisfied with the partial evacuation and ditching demonstrations staged by Air Peace.

    He congratulated the carrier on the success of the exercise, urging it not to rest on its oars in sustaining its high safety standards.

    Commenting on the assessment, Air Peace Cabin Crew Manager, Florence Opia and Quality Manager, Mr. Patrick Achurefe commended the NCAA team for going about the exercise in a diligent manner.

    They assured that the carrier would continue to priotise safety and compliance with aviation regulations in its preparations for the launch of its long-haul flights to Dubai, Sharjah, London, Houston, Guangzhou-China, Mumbai and Johannesburg.

    With the evacuation exercise off the way, Air Peace said it was now set for the next stage of regulatory requirements for the induction of its B777 aircraft into service and commencement of its international flights.

    The airline confirmed that it would soon operate demonstration flights with its B777 aircraft to Port Harcourt, Kano, Freetown, Dakar, Johannesburg and Sharjah.

     

  • Flight shortage: Air Peace pledges to rescue travelers with more flights

    Air Peace on Thursday urged members of the flying public not to panic over the shortage of scheduled flights on domestic routes, assuring that it would soon deploy more aircraft to service destinations currently experiencing air travel difficulties.
    A statement issued by Air Peace Corporate Communications Manager, Mr. Chris Iwarah said the carrier was concerned about reports of shortage of scheduled flights across the country and was ready to do everything within its capacity to ease the pain of air travelers.
    The airline confirmed that the nation had been facing air travel difficulties since it reviewed its flight schedule downward on account of five of its aircraft it pulled out of service and sent abroad for C-check.
    “In the last few weeks, we have been inundated with demands for flights by members of the flying public who wish to travel but could not secure seats as almost all our flights on major domestic routes are fully booked. We are genuinely concerned about the plight of the travelling public and sincerely empathize with them.
    “The situation became dire after we recently pulled out five of our aircraft from service for maintenance abroad and had to necessarily review our flight schedule downward to avoid delaying our valued customers. A check-on our reservation platform indicates that almost all our flights are fully booked till the end of the year.

    Read Also: Air Peace resumes Kaduna flights

    “We, however, are aware of the role we play in ensuring seamless air travel in Nigeria and are not going to let down our dear country and members of the flying public now that they need us the most. We urge members of the flying public not to entertain any fear. Beginning from Sunday, most of our aircraft that went for C-check will start to return to join our operations. We are soon going to schedule more flights and deploy more aircraft across our domestic routes.
    “We have also made plans to cater to the upsurge expected during the Yuletide. A lot of flights would be scheduled from around December 17, 2018 to seamlessly take those travelling for Christmas and the New Year to their destinations. As an airline that prioritizes safety and places a premium on the lives of our valued guests and crew, we have undertaken comprehensive maintenance of most of our aircraft to ensure their readiness for our end-of-year operations.
     ” This is the least we can do for 1 our esteemed customers and nation for their support for us. We will do everything within our capacity to rise to the challenge of air travel currently facing our nation and deliver exceptional service that is sure to leave the flying public truly comfortable, proud and satisfied,” Air Peace assured.

  • Air Peace takes delivery of 6th Embraer jet

    Nigerian carrier, Air Peace has received the last of the six 50-seater Embraer 145 jets it recently acquired to boost its vision of providing seamless flight services on the domestic, regional and international routes.

     

    The airline made the announcement in a statement issued by its Corporate Communications Manager, Mr Chris Iwarah on Wednesday, in Lagos.

    Iwarah said the aircraft marked 5N-BUW and named Virginia Omeogo Adegoke (Nee Onyema), touched down at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos at about 4am on Tuesday.

     

    He said the airline’s goal of guaranteeing seamless flight operations as well as connecting unserved and underserved routes was fast being fulfilled.

    “We are delighted to announce the arrival of our sixth 50-seater Embraer 145 jet at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos at about 4am on Tuesday.

     

    “The arrival of the aircraft has further strengthened our resolve to provide seamless flight services on the domestic, regional and international routes.

    “It will as also extend the reach of our exceptional operations to many more unserved and underserved destinations under our no-city-left-behind project,” Iwarah said.

     

    Read Also: Air Peace receives fifth Embraer regional jet

     

    He said the airline had in February 2018 established a subsidiary, Air Peace Hopper, towards actualising this objective.

    Iwarah said “Since we started this project, the pieces of feedback have been quite encouraging.

     

    “There have been challenges, including delays mostly on account of circumstances bordering on safety and other factors beyond our control.

    “However, we have kept reviewing our schedules and restrategising to ensure the best of flight services for our teeming loyal customers. This has greatly paid off and the delays reduced to the barest minimum.”

     

    According to him, Air Peace was in aviation to create massive job opportunities, connect people and business and leisure destinations and help in growing the economies of Nigeria and other nations.

     

    He noted that the addition of more aircraft to the airline’s fleet would deepen its capacity for travelers during the yuletide.

     

    NAN

     

  • Air Peace resumes Kaduna flights

    Air Peace on Monday resumed its Kaduna flight services, pledging that it would continue to observe high operational standards to ensure the safety of its customers, crew and other categories of staff.

    Air Peace suspended its Lagos-Kaduna-Lagos flights on October 21, saying the action was to safeguard the lives of its customers and staff.

    The development was sequel to a 24-hour curfew imposed by Kaduna State government to address security threats in the state.

    A statement signed by the carrier’s Corporate Communications Manager, Mr. Chris Iwarah said the airline restored its Kaduna flights based on the state government’s assurances that the security situation had improved.

    The airline empathized with members of the flying public who were affected by the suspension of its flights into and out of Kaduna, commending them for their cooperation and understanding while the development lasted.

    In a related development, Air Peace said it would continue to sustain its observance of strict safety standards in its flight operations to safeguard the lives of its customers, crew and other staff.

    Read Also: Air Peace receives fifth Embraer regional jet

    The carrier said it had a reputation for grounding its aircraft for simple technical and weather challenges because of the premium it placed on the lives of its customers and staff, saying its pilots were mandated by its standard operating procedure to return to base or divert whenever they were not sure there was a perfect weather condition or there was a technical challenge with the operating aircraft.

    “We are reputed for running a very strict safety and maintenance programme and have sustained this in the four years of our flight operations. In the last four years of our flight services, our operations have been subjected to the scrutiny of reputable corporate and regulatory organisations and we acquitted ourselves creditably. Just within two years of our operations, we secured our International Air Transport Association Organisational Safety Audit (IOSA) certificate. Our IOSA certificate was renewed in April 2018 after our operations were subjected to a tougher scrutiny by IATA.

    “We quite understand that aircraft are machines and as such can malfunction without warning. Besides, weather is a recurring issue in aviation all over the world. When there is a technical or weather challenge, our practice is never to take any risk however slight the situation may be. We have mandated our pilots to always err on the side of safety and they have continued to display professional discipline in this regard. When our pilots have any doubt with regard to technical or weather issues, the practice is to return to base or divert to the closest airport for checks or to wait till it is safe to operate the flight.

    “Although our pro-safety approach comes with a huge financial burden, we are pleased that its guarantees the lives of our valued guests, crew and other members of the Air Peace family, including our chairman and directors who fly us because they are sure of the depth of maintenance we do,” Air Peace said.

  • Air Peace receives fifth Embraer regional jet

    Air Peace at the weekend took delivery of its fifth Embraer 145 Regional Jet , assuring that the development has deepened its capacity to relaunch its flights to Sokoto and start its Katsina service.

    The carrier, which had earlier received four of the six 50-seater Embraer 145 Regional aircraft it recently acquired, said its goal of unifying Nigeria through air transport and extending its flight operations to unserved and undeserved cities was fast being realized under its subsidiary, Air Peace Hopper.

    A statement signed by Air Peace Corporate Communications Manager, Mr. Chris Iwarah said the latest delivery touched down at the Murtala Muhammed Airport, Lagos at the weekend.

    The new aircraft, marked 5N-BUX and named Udoka Ozor (Nee Onyema), the statement added, would be deployed on the Sokoto and Katsina routes in about two weeks’ time.

    Read Also: Air Peace relaunches Asaba route

    “We are pleased to announce the arrival of our fifth Embraer 145 aircraft in Lagos. The aircraft, which is marked 5N-BUX and named Udoka Ozor (Nee Onyema), landed at the Murtala Muhammed Airport, Lagos about 6.30 p.m. on Sunday, October 14, 2018.

    “We have now received a total of five of the six Embaer 145 aircraft we recently acquired as part of our fleet expansion project. We are delighted that with the arrival of the aircraft, we will relaunch our Sokoto operations and start our Katsina service in the next two weeks.

    “Air Peace is committed to our no-city-left-behind project under our subsidiary, Air Peace Hopper. We are honoured that our involvement in the aviation industry is fulfilling our goal of uniting Nigeria through air transport, creating thousands of direct and indirect job opportunities and lifting Nigeria’s economy.

    “We assure the flying public and Nigeria that we will continue to deliver exceptional flight services and create massive employment opportunities for the people with our domestic, regional and international operations. We our indeed grateful to our valued guests and solicit their continued support as we take greater steps to make our dear nation proud in the global aviation community,” Air Peace said