Air Peace unveils Abidjan route to ease Africa's travel burden

From left: Anassou Ebba Edwige, General Sales Agent, Air Peace, Abidjan; Chief Angus Nwoye, CEO, Group Auto Promotion, Cote d' Ivoire: Augustin Kamano, Director of Flight Operations, Air Peace; Itam Akpama, Charge D Affaires ad Interim, Embassy of Nigeria, Abidjan, Cote d' Ivoire; Ayodeji Adeyemi, Ground Operations Manager, Air Peace; Kaled Ati-Atcha, Aerodrome Commander, ASECNA, Cote d' Ivoire; Germain Azagoh, Director of Air Transport, Civila Aviation Authority, Cote d' Ivoire and Victoria Mukoro, Manager of Abidjan Station, Air Peace, during the airline's inaugural flight ceremony in Abidjan, Cote d' Ivoire on Monday, January 22, 2024.

Air Peace on Monday launched flight operations to Abidjan, the capital of Cote d’Ivoire, thereby helping to ease the travel burden within Africa.

The airline’s inaugural flight P47770 on B737-500 aircraft piloted by Gerald Nmorka, touched down at Félix-Houphouët-Boigny International Airport in Abidjan and was welcomed with a ceremonial water salute.

The Management of the airline led by Augustin Kamano, the Director of Flight Operations, was received by Ivory Coast’s airport authorities, the Nigerian Embassy officials in Abidjan and the Nigerian community.

Kamano reiterated the commitment of the airline under the Chairmanship of Allen Onyema to bridge connectivity gap among West African countries and reduce the air travel burden for Africans.

He also hinted that the airline’s 10th regional route, which is Cotonou in Benin Republic, would be launched on January 27, 2024, adding that passengers can also fly from Abidjan to Dakar, Senegal.

He said, “Nigeria has a long-standing relationship with Ivory Coast and the launch of flights by Air Peace into Abidjan today will deepen commercial cooperation as well as solidify bilateral ties between both countries.

“Since we commenced operations in 2014, we have been on an aggressive but strategic route expansion mission, becoming famed for our no-city-left-behind initiative which goes beyond the West Coast to include international destinations.

“The airline is committed to providing increased connectivity across key cities in the West African sub-region and promoting economic prosperity for Africans. We want to make air travel easier for the collective development of all West African countries”.

Charge d’Affairs, Embassy of Nigeria in Abidjan, Itam Akpama said the flight operation is timely considering the ongoing African Cup of Nations Competition going on Ivory Coast.

She said, “It is an honour to be here. This is a very timely flight considering the AFCON that is ongoing with influx of Nigerians and other travelers in and out of Ivory Coast. You have the full support of the Nigerian Embassy and Nigerians in Côte d’Ivoire.”

On his part, Michael Onwuchelu, the President of the Nigerian Community in Ivory Coast, commended the Chairman of Air Peace for his initiative to connect the African continent with air transportation.

“This is our own and we must specially support Air Peace. Côte d’Ivoire has been a hospitable country, we are all happy here. We will support our own,” he added.

Ifeoma Okeke-Korieocha & Kelvin Okojie

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.