Air Peace expands Asian footprints with direct commercial flights to Saudi Arabia
Air Peace Airlines, West and Central Africa’s largest airline, has expanded its Asian presence with the commencement of direct commercial flights to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
The Emir of Kano, Aminu Ado Bayero, praised the airline for its significant strides.
The maiden flight was operated by one of the airline’s Boeing B777s and took off from Kano at 23:22 hrs with 231 passengers on board.
While Air Peace has been operating charter flights in Saudi Arabia before now, the direct flight into the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia officially kicks off the airline’s scheduled operations to Jeddah.
Air Peace Chairman, Dr. Allen Onyema, described the airline’s entry into Jeddah as “another milestone recorded in the annals of Nigeria’s aviation history,” stating that Jeddah is the airline’s sixth international destination in just nine years of commercial flight operations.
Onyema further added that, with the new route to Jeddah, Air Peace has increased its presence on the Asian continent.
“This is huge, not just for Air Peace but for Nigeria. We are undoubtedly exemplifying our ambition of connecting Nigeria to the world with world-class flight services.
“Air Peace is on a mission to easing the air travel burden for Nigerians and plugging the connectivity gaps that have hitherto existed.
“We are happy to be serving as a means of solidifying socio-economic ties between Nigeria and other countries of the world,” Onyema said.
Onyema expressed gratitude to the Emir of Kano for facilitating the airline during its recent ninth anniversary.
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He described the Emir as a bridge-builder and applauded his contributions to nation-building in Nigeria.
The Emir congratulated Air Peace for the launch of the Jeddah direct flight and praised the airline for always being pioneering in Nigeria’s aviation industry.
He also commended Onyema for the remarkable impact he is creating with Air Peace in Nigeria.
Onyema thanked the Saudi Arabian authorities, travel partners, and the Nigerian Government for making the launch possible.
He emphasised that Air Peace is modernising and expanding its fleet and recently signed a firm order for five brand new E175 aircraft and an existing order for 15 Boeing MAX aircraft to continue providing its customers with unparalleled in-flight experiences.
Onyema stressed that Nigeria and Saudi Arabia’s relationship has co-existed smoothly, with religious tourism being a key driver, and that the airline hopes to deepen the bilateral ties between both countries, advance mutual development, and boost both countries’ economies through the launch of scheduled nonstop flights to Jeddah.
