Anyaoku commends Air Peace over support for youth development

Former Secretary-General of the Commonwealth, Chief Emeka Anyaoku has hailed the commitment of West and Central Africa’s biggest airline, Air Peace to youth development in Nigeria.

Anyaoku made the commendation on Sunday during the finals of the 12th edition of the Annual Under-16 Inter-State Emeka Anyaoku Cup in Lagos.

He urged Air Peace to sustain its support for youth development projects, saying the nation needed to invest more in its young people to ensure its well being.

Anyaoku affirmed that the tournament instituted in his honour by the  National Youth Soccer Association  and supported by Air Peace had continued to positively impact the youth.

He said some of the participants had been exposed to life-changing opportunities.

He presented a medal to Air Peace as a symbol of recognition of its role in youth development in the country.

Speaking at the event, Air Peace Chairman/Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Allen Onyema said the carrier would continue to distinguish itself as a pro-youth organisation.

Onyema, who was represented at the event by Air Peace Corporate Communications Manager, Mr. Chris Iwarah, said the airline had provided massive opportunities to positively channel the creative energies of the youth.

He said the airline, which would soon launch its international flights to Sharjah, Dubai, Johannesburg, London, Houston, Guangzhou and Mumbai, would continue to support efforts aimed at projecting a positive image for Nigeria.

He described Anyaoku as a worthy Nigerian who had brought honour to the country and should be celebrated.

Air Peace, he said, would continue to identify with projects conceived to celebrate Anyaoku’s distinguished service to the country. 

Passengers predict bright future for Air Peace on international routes

West and Central Africa’s leading airline, Air Peace on Monday ended the first round of its operations to give air travellers a foretaste of its soon-to-start long-haul flights to Sharjah, Dubai, Johannesburg, London, Houston, Guangzhou and Mumbai, with members of the flying public saying the carrier was on the right track to provide an exceptional international travel experience.

The airline deployed one of the four Boeing 777 aircraft it acquired for its international flights for the showpiece operations, which started on Good Friday.

It operated on the Port Harcourt-Abuja and Abuja-Port Harcourt routes, winning accolades from air travellers comprising top government officials, royalties, corporate executives, among others.

Air Peace said it deployed its wide-body aircraft for the Easter operations “to give Nigerians and the flying public an Easter gift and showcase our readiness for our international operations, starting with our inaugural international flights to Sharjah/Dubai. Other international routes, including Johannesburg, London, Houston, Guangzhou and Mumbai will later follow.

"We are set and ready to give Nigerians, Africans and the flying public a reliable alternative on our chosen international routes. But we are pleased to give our loyal customers on the domestic routes a foretaste of our long-haul offering.”

The Boeing 777 aircraft with registration mark 5N-BVE took off from the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos at about 10:01 a.m. and landed at the Port Harcourt International Airport at 10.46 a.m. to start the scheduled operations on the Port Harcourt-Abuja-Port Harcourt route.    
                                              The flights recorded huge passenger loads on all the sectors on Good Friday and Easter Monday, with ecstatic travellers praising the carrier for the initiative to give its domestic customers a feel of its international operations ahead of the actual launch.

Justice Sotonye Denton-West, who was on board the Port Harcourt-Abuja sector of the flight, commended Air Peace for giving its customers a wonderful experience on its Boeing 777 aircraft.

“I was hugely surprised when I saw the aircraft scheduled for my trip and when I boarded I was greeted to its luxurious atmosphere. With that, you can see the airline is on the right track with the state-of-the-art aircraft and wonderful service,” she said.

On his part, Director of Legal Services of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Mr Kaltungo Moljengo, who was on board the Abuja-Port Harcourt sector of the flight, said he was satisfied with the luxury interior of the airline’s aircraft, its well-mannered and courteous crew and exceptional service.

He predicted a bright future for Air Peace on the international routes it planned to service.

Air Peace surprises travellers, deploys B777 for Easter operations

West and Central Africa’s biggest airline, Air Peace on Thursday pulled a big surprise on the travelling public with its plan to deploy its wide-body Boeing 777 aircraft for its domestic operations on the Port Harcourt-Abuja and Abuja-Port Harcourt  routes on Easter Friday and Monday.

Air Peace recently acquired four Boeing 777 aircraft for its long-haul operations to Sharjah, Dubai, Johannesburg, London, Houston, Guangzhou and Mumbai. Three of the wide-body aircraft have so far been delivered to the airline in readiness for its soon-to-start international operations.

A statement issued by Air Peace Corporate Communications Manager, Mr Chris Iwarah said the carrier decided to deploy its Boeing 777 aircraft at Easter to "give Nigerians and the travelling public a taste of the luxury to expect on our international routes starting soon.

"The deployment of our beautiful big birds, the Boeing 777 on our domestic routes this Easter begins with our Port Harcourt-Abuja and Abuja-Port Harcourt services on Easter Friday and Monday.

“Although our decision to deploy our wide-body aircraft on the domestic routes has huge financial implications for us, we are pleased to honour our pledge never to spare anything in giving our esteemed customers an exceptional feel of air travel experience.

“In the next few days, we will be announcing a firm date for the commencement of our international operations.

"We plan to operate long-haul flight services to Sharjah, Dubai, Johannesburg,  London, Houston, Guangzhou and Mumbai. We are set and ready to give Nigerians, Africans and the flying public a reliable alternative on our chosen international routes.

"But we are pleased to give our loyal customers on the domestic routes a foretaste of our long-haul offering.

" It sure will be a memorable experience starting with our Port Harcourt-Abuja and Abuja-Port Harcourt services on Easter Friday and Monday.”

The airline said the flight departs Port Harcourt for Abuja at 10.45 a.m. and returns to Port Harcourt at 12.30 p.m. on Easter Friday. The Easter Monday operations, it added, would take off from Port Harcourt at 8.30 a.m., with a return flight at 10.45 a.m.  

Air Peace boss loses father

Chief Michael Chukwuka Onyema (Nze Onyebuchi of Mbosi), father of the Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of Air Peace, Mr. Allen Onyema, has passed on.

A devout Catholic and community leader, Chief Onyema passed on at the weekend. He was 86 years old. 

Speaking on the passing of his father, the chairman of Air Peace said he and his siblings would greatly miss Chief Onyema.

He described the departed head of the Onyema family of Mbosi in Ihiala Local Government of Anambra State as “my best friend.”

The second son and last surviving child of the late Mr. Alfred Onyema, Chief Onyema was a valuable member of the Mbosi Traditional Council and an ichie in the king’s cabinet.

Chief Onyema was famous for his tireless sacrificial community service.

He was the motivator of the several corporate social responsibility projects undertaken by Air Peace in different areas of Nigeria.

An amiable and hospitable leader, Chief Onyema was also credited with the mass employment of Nigerians without discrimination on ethnic or religious basis.

After losing his wife, Mrs. Helen Ekwusi Onyema at a young age, Chief Onyema shouldered the huge responsibility of catering for the upbringing of his young children alone.

He was a man that loathed dishonesty. A very opened-minded and passionately detribalised Nigerian, he encouraged and supported his children to see every Nigerian as one.

Chief Onyema supported his first child, the CEO of Air Peace, to marry a Northerner against the counsel of some of his friends. He also happily gave out one of his younger daughters in marriage to a Yoruba. 

He was a natural activist, speaking up against injustice and man's inhumanity to man, an attribute he bestowed on his son, Allen Onyema.

Funeral arrangements will be announced later by the family of the departed leader.

International flights : Obiano seeks FG's support for Air Peace

Anambra Governor, Chief Willie Obiano on Monday urged the Federal Government to give the needed support to Nigerian carrier,  Air Peace to enable the airline begin flights on the international routes.

The governor made the appeal in a
statement issued by the State Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment, Mr Don Adinuba.

It will be recalled that no Nigerian airline is currently plying the lucrative international routes which recorded 15,645 flights in 2018.

The federal government has  however granted Air Peace approval to start long-haul operations to Sharjah, Dubai, Johannesburg, London, Houston, Guangzhou and Mumbai.

Adinuba quoted Obiano as describing Air Peace, which recently received its third B777 aircraft in preparation for its foray into the international market,  as the fastest growing and most ambitious airline in Nigeria's history. 

The governor expressed  satisfaction with the number of aircraft the airline had acquired since it commenced flight operations in 2014.

Obiano urged the federal government to support the airline with a flag carrier status instead of floating a new national carrier like the defunct Nigeria Airways Limited. 

"This is a more pragmatic step to take than the rumoured current attempt in some quarters to make the President Muhammadu Buhari administration establish a state-owned airline.

"This is despite the terrible record of Nigeria Airways and the government's wise suspension of Nigeria Air in September 2018.

"There is no way any state-owned or promoted airline can enhance Nigeria's reputation in the world that Air Peace is not doing and will continue to do with greater efficiency and results," he added. 

According to him, of  particular interest to both the flying public and the government is the airline's safety record which is excellent owing to the extra mile it goes to not only maintain its machines to the highest global standards.

He commended the professionalism demonstrated by Air Peace staff in their flight operations, asserting the airline’s flight services were comparable to those of its international counterparts.