By Dickson Omobola
Like yesterday, it will be a year tomorrow since Nigeria’s largest flag carrier, Air Peace, activated the competitive Lagos-London route.
Given that no Nigerian airline had operated the lucrative route in a long time, the excitement that greeted that historic period was not hidden.
From travel agents to passengers, the tune that made its way to the lips of delighted Nigerians was loud and clear: fly Air Peace. Fly Nigeria. Fly our own.
As such, it was not difficult for the carrier to receive the support of Nigerians on its maiden trip, having accommodated 260 passengers on a 274-capacity aircraft.
The notable personalities that were aboard the carrier’s first flight to London Gatwick included the founder of United Nigeria Airlines, Obiora Okonkwo; Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Mr Festus Keyamo; businessman and socialite, Obi Iyiegbu, better known as Obi Cubana; a former President of the Nigerian Bar Association, NBA, Olumide Apata.
Some Nollywood stars including Uche Jombo, Chioma Akpotha, Ufuoma McDermott and Omoni Oboli also travelled to Gatwick on the airliner.
London route
The famed London route had played host to some Nigerian airlines in the past, including defunct Virgin Nigeria, which started the lucrative route on June 28, 2005, with an Airbus A340-300 aircraft, but terminated operations four years later.
With a different business strategy, Arik Air on December 15, 2008, also began international operations to London-Heathrow.
However, the airline, which used an Airbus A340-500 aircraft wet-leased from Hi Fly to operate to London, faced financial difficulties and discontinued its London services while under the receivership of the Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria, AMCON. In 2017, Med-View Airline became the last indigenous carrier to operate on the route, having flown there for a short while.
Price war
Saturday Vanguard recalls that prior to Air Peace’s Lagos-London operations on March 30, 2024, foreign airlines charged as high as N3 million to London for a round-trip economy ticket.
But with the Nigerian flag carrier fixing its round-trip economy ticket at N1.2 million, international carriers were forced to reduce their airfares to an average of N1.4 million.
For instance, before Air Peace entered the Lagos-London market, British Airways, BA, charged as much as N3 million for Economy Class and N11 million for Business Class. Meanwhile, with the entrance of Air Peace, BA fares dropped to N1.7 million for Economy and N6.8 million for Business Class.
The price war stimulated individuals like a former acting Director General of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, NCAA, Benedict Adeyileka, to call on Nigerians to be patriotic to enable Air Peace succeed on the route.
“We have suffered and we have been ripped off big time. Why were (foreign airlines) charging us between N2 and N3 million for tickets that are now less than N1 million? Economy class went for that amount and some of them were non-refundable. And when you missed a flight, you lost the money,” Adeyileka told Saturday Vanguard at the time.
But an Aviation Management Consultant, Mr Babafemi Adeniji, on his part, wondered if the development could be called a price war.
Adeniji said: “Can we really describe this as a price war? I think it is premature to say it is. Air Peace made an introductory offer to woo price sensitive customers and, as is normal, we have a reaction from the competitors. The ultimate winner in any price war is the carrier with the lowest cost. The cost advantage is with the foreign carriers given their scale and financial position.”
Current situation
Given that Air Peace has been celebrating a milestone achievement on the fierce route for a year, it shows the airline is flourishing despite initial hurdles.
To buttress this, Head of Corporate Communications at Air Peace, Dr Ejike Ndiulo, revealed that since the maiden trip to London, the airline has successfully operated over 662 flights on the Lagos-London route, and transported more than 136,661 passengers.
He noted that one year later, Air Peace’s London service has become a symbol of excellence that offers competitive fares, top-tier service and a bespoke travel experience on its Boeing 777 aircraft.
Ndiulo, who disclosed this in a statement, said the achievement was an indication of the airline’s commitment to expanding the country’s international aviation footprint, just as Air Peace strives to deliver unparalleled service to passengers.
While identifying what the carrier had done throughout the past year, Ndiulo said Air Peace has implemented a series of customer-centric initiatives to enhance the travel experience.
He stated: “We have ensured passengers enjoy convenient and stress-free travel with ample baggage capacity. Air Peace has streamlined airport transfers by facilitating seamless connections and reduced transit times for travelers.
“There have been exclusive limousine pickups by partnering with SIMPLAA UK to provide premium limousine services, including a 10 per cent discount on Gatwick Airport transfers.
“There have been student travel discounts. We have offered a 15 per cent discount on economy-class tickets for students traveling between Nigeria and London.
“Also, premium passenger rewards. Air Peace has collaborated with top brands like Samsung to provide passengers with exclusive perks, including the Samsung Galaxy SmartTag 2.”
Positive impact
Ndiulo also said Air Peace’s presence on the Lagos-London route has had a positive impact on Nigeria’s economy and aviation sector.
According to him, by increasing connectivity between Nigeria and the United Kingdom, the airline has created jobs within the aviation industry and related sectors.
He said: “Boosted tourism and business travel, supporting economic growth. Strengthened Nigeria’s position in international air travel, reducing reliance on foreign carriers. Encourage healthy competition in the aviation market, leading to better fares and improved services for travellers.”
Thriving
On his part, Chairman and CEO of Air Peace, Allen Onyema, said: “The launch of our Lagos-London route was a historic moment for Air Peace and Nigerian aviation. One year later, we have not only sustained operations but also thrived, delivering top-tier service, expanding passenger benefits, and contributing to the Nigerian economy. This success reaffirms our vision of making international travel more accessible and affordable for Nigerians.”
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