Nigerians have commended Air Peace for providing an alternative to existing airlines by reducing airfares on the Nigeria-London route.
The airline was lauded for providing a cheaper alternative to existing airlines and breaking the monopoly of two airlines on the Lagos-London route. The Deputy Area Commander for Advocacy and Enlightenment, National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Dr. Aloysius Nwolisa, told Journalists that Air Peace has made it possible for Nigerians to travel to the UK at cheaper airfares, making it accessible to the middle-income bracket.
This is not the time when no Nigerian airlines served Europe and airfares soared. “Air Peace has started operating from London, which means that with more Nigerian airlines able to operate international routes, Nigerians will spend less on air tickets. The Nigerian government should continue to support Air Peace and other Nigerian airlines, especially now that they are making a conscious effort to protect Nigerian airlines from other predatory companies, including foreign airlines,” Nworisa said.
Air Peace Chief Operating Officer, Toyin Olajide, said the airline’s passenger occupancy is high, with economy class fully booked for the next 60 days and many bookings in business class as well. She said economy class seats were fully booked and 41 of 42 business class seats were filled for the flight on Sunday, June 30, 2024.
She revealed that the airline appeals to a diverse clientele, including Nigerians traveling between the US or China and Lagos, who can take advantage of cheap connecting flights, Nigerians shuttling elderly parents to the UK, and middle-income earners who can benefit from air travel. With Air Peace’s cheap flights, traveling to London is now affordable.
“Our system was not showing any first-class seats but this error has now been corrected. This meant we had a very high load factor with only 12 first class seats and one business class seat, meaning 13 seats were empty on a 274-seat plane,” she added.
“We recently upgraded two passengers who were flying from the US to London on a flight to Lagos. In recognition of their dedication and willingness to support us, we upgraded them from economy class to business class. But they also fly cheap flights between Europe and America and our tickets are also affordable. This way, we save a lot of money.”
“Many Nigerians prefer to fly Air Peace for their aging parents because our flight attendants have mastered the African way of looking after the elderly. We take care of them just like we would take care of our own parents. The flight attendants give them special attention and make sure they are happy. We place special emphasis on serving them. In fact, some Nigerians are sending their parents unaccompanied on our airlines,” the Chief Operating Officer said.
She also revealed that while many airlines have reduced or eliminated commission, travel agents benefit from Air Peace’s generous commission structure that offers a 9% commission and other incentives. She added that the initiative, which is now backed by the National Association of Nigerian Travel Agents (NANTA), is aimed at regulating industry practices and supporting travel agents.
