Air Peace, Nigeria’s biggest carrier has disclosed that the airline will be acquiring more narrow-body and wide-body aircraft to deepen its no-city-left-behind project.

Allen Onyema, the carrier’s Chairman said the airline, which recently placed a firm order for 10 brand new Embraer 195-E2 jets and purchase rights for 20 aircraft of the same model, had ordered seven more 50-seater Embraer 145 jets to strengthen its operations under its subsidiary, Air Peace Hopper. The airline had earlier taken delivery of six Embraer 145 jets.

Onyema disclosed these during the inauguration of its board members in Lagos.  

Emeka Ngige, Renowned lawyer, Mutiu Sunmonu, former Managing Director of Shell Petroleum Development Company, Benedict Adeyileka, former acting Director General of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, and other new directors of Air Peace have assured of their readiness to work with Allen Onyema, and Alice Onyema, Vice Chairman, to deliver on the airline’s vision to transform air travel and project a positive image for Nigeria in the global aviation community.

The new directors of the airline, including Ekaete Bassey Okoro, the Founder/Chief Executive Officer of Topnotch Integrated Concepts Limited, Mohammed Danjuma, Coordinator of the North East Recovery and Stability Programme (NERSP), Oluwatoyin Olajide, the carrier’s Chief Operating Officer, and Ejiro Eghagha, Chief of Administration and Finance, made the pledge on Wednesday in Lagos when they were inaugurated as members of Air Peace Board of Directors.

In a related development, Allen Onyema, Air Peace Chairman has urged Nigerians with means to invest in the country to complement the economic development efforts of the government, saying he set up the airline primarily to create jobs for the people and give the country a place of pride in the global aviation community. 

Onyema spoke during the inauguration of Ngige, Sunmonu, Adeyileka, Okoro, Danjuma, Olajide and Eghagha as new members of Air Peace Board of Directors.

“The reason I started Air Peace was to create employment opportunities for Nigerians and help in national development, because I know that all the violence and security challenges we are facing will reduce if our youths are positively engaged. I enjoin all Nigerians with means to invest in the country and help to create jobs to complement the efforts of the government,” he urged.

The airline, he assured, would make the country proud with its soon-to-start flights to Sharjah, Dubai, Johannesburg, London, Houston, Guangzhou and Mumbai despite the challenges it was facing from unfair competition and aero politics by some of the countries it planned to operate into with its four Boeing 777 aircraft.

Onyema described the new members of Air Peace Board of Directors as Nigerians who were passionate about efforts targeted at developing the country and creating employment opportunities for the people.

For their part, the new directors said they agreed to join Air Peace Board because of Onyema’s consistent display of integrity and sincerity.

They pledged not to fail in the discharge of their duties as directors of the airline, saying they would work to deepen and sustain the carrier’s success.  

Ifeoma Okeke-Korieocha is the Aviation Correspondent at BusinessDay Media Limited, publishers of BusinessDay Newspapers. She is also the Deputy Editor, BusinessDay Weekender Magazine, the Saturday Weekend edition of BusinessDay. She holds a BSC in Mass Communication from the prestigious University of Nigeria, Nsukka and a Masters degree in Marketing at the University of Lagos. As the lead writer on the aviation desk, Ifeoma is responsible and in charge of the three weekly aviation and travel pages in BusinessDay and BDSunday. She also overseas and edits all pages of BusinessDay Saturday Weekender. She has written various investigative, features and news stories in aviation and business related issues and has been severally nominated for award in the category of Aviation Writer of the Year by the Nigeria Media Nite-Out awards; one of the Nigeria’s most prestigious media awards ceremonies. Ifeoma is a one-time winner of the prestigious Nigeria Media Merit Award under the 'Aviation Writer of the Year' Category. She is the 2025 Eloy Award winner under the Print Media Journalist category. She has undergone several journalism trainings by various prestigious organisations. Ifeoma is also a fellow of the Female Reporters Leadership Fellowship of the Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism.

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