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Air Peace

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Air Peace
IATA ICAO Call sign
P4 APK PEACE BIRD
Founded2013; 10 years ago
Operating basesMurtala Muhammed International Airport
SubsidiariesAir Peace Hopper
LIAT20 (70%)
Fleet size29
Destinations20
HeadquartersIkeja, Lagos State, Nigeria
Key peopleAllen Onyema, CEO
Websiteflyairpeace.com

Air Peace Limited is a private Nigerian airline founded in 2013 with its head office in Ikeja, Lagos State, Nigeria,[1] and the largest airline of Nigeria and West Africa. Air Peace, which provides passenger and charter services, serves the major cities of Nigeria and flies to several West African destinations and the Middle East. The airline also established a subsidiary, Air Peace Hopper, in 2018.[2]

History

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Founding

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Air Peace was founded in 2014 by Nigerian lawyer and businessman Allen Onyema. Onyema says that he started the airline with the intention of using it as an engine to provide economic opportunities to Nigerian youth.[3] The airline began operations with Dornier 328s and Boeing 737s. In 2017, the first international route to Kotoka International Airport in Accra, Ghana was launched.[4] By 2018, Air Peace had the largest market share in the domestic airline market in Nigeria.[5] That same year, the airline took delivery of its first Boeing 777s,[6] and it commenced flights to Sharjah in 2019.[7] Flights to Johannesburg, South Africa, commenced in 2020.[8]

South Africa evacuation flights

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Following an outbreak of xenophobic violence against foreign nationals in South Africa in September 2019, Air Peace offered to evacuate Nigerian citizens for free.[9] Over 300 persons took advantage of this offer and traveled on board Boeing 777 flights from Johannesburg to Lagos.[10]

Money laundering allegations and security concerns

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In 2019, the US Department of Justice issued an indictment against Air Peace founder and CEO Allen Onyema on the grounds of money laundering and bank fraud.[11] Onyema was accused of falsifying documents used for the purchase of aircraft for Air Peace and using those to fund purchases of luxury cars and high-end shopping.[12] Onyema denies these allegations.[13] In October 2022, his alleged co-conspirator pleaded guilty and was sentenced to a fine and 3 years probation.[14] Onyema and the Chief Financial Officer of Air Peace remain charged with 36 counts of criminality.[15] In October 2024, Onyema was additionally charged with two counts of obstructing justice and conspiracy to obstruct justice, due to his alleged falsification of documents used in his defense against the original charges.[16]

Safety issues and cover-ups

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Also in 2019, the Accident Investigation Bureau (Nigeria) accused Air Peace of persistent failure to report serious incidents and accidents involving its aircraft. Some issues cited by the AIB included failure to report incidents that resulted in structural damage and erasure of Cockpit Voice Recorders prior to reporting incidents. The airline's management was cited for "willfully [failing] to comply" with the Bureau's regulations, and it was further stated that the management "lacks the full understanding of the statutory mandates".[17][18][19][20][21]

Controversy with UAE

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In April 2021, the Chief Operations Officer of Air Peace stated that 17 of their aircraft were grounded for maintenance reasons, thus reducing the carrier's operational fleet to just 8 aircraft.[22] In December 2021, Air Peace indulged in a controversy with the General Civil Aviation Authority of the UAE. As per the reports, the Emirates turned down the airlines' request for three slots instead of one at the Sharjah International Airport in the UAE, calling it "unreasonable." The UAE authorities said that Air Peace should consider flying the other two flights to any of the other airports in the country. However, Air Peace condemned the Emirati claims, accusing its officials of falsehood. The airline also called for an apology from the UAE, along with a retraction. Prior to issue, the Nigerian government had reduced the slots of Dubai-based Emirates from 21 to one, following which Emirates Airline also suspended all its flights to Abuja and Lagos. The matter came as a threat to the diplomatic relations between the two countries.[23][24] A diplomatic crisis was averted after Dubai Airports allocated slots at Dubai for Air Peace.[citation needed]

Operations halt

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In May 2022, Air Peace announced a plan to halt all domestic and regional flights, along with other airlines such as Max Air, Arik Air, Ibom Air, United Nigeria Airlines, and others, citing staffing and the rising costs of jet fuel. However, that plan was abandoned after government officials stepped in to aid the airlines affected.[25][26]

Destinations

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As of April 2024, Air Peace flies to the following destinations[27] in Nigeria, West Africa, Southern Africa, Asia, and Europe:[28][29]

Country City Airport Notes Refs
Cameroon Douala Douala International Airport [30]
Gambia Banjul Banjul International Airport
Ghana Accra Kotoka International Airport [31]
Ivory Coast Abidjan Félix Houphouët Boigny International Airport [32]
Liberia Monrovia Roberts International Airport
Nigeria Abuja Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport
Akure Akure Airport
Asaba Asaba International Airport
Onitsha Anambra International Cargo Airport
Benin City Benin Airport
Calabar Margaret Ekpo International Airport
Enugu Akanu Ibiam International Airport
Gombe Gombe Lawanti International Airport [33]
Ibadan Ibadan Airport [34]
Ilorin Ilorin International Airport [35]
Kaduna Kaduna International Airport
Kano Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport
Lagos Murtala Muhammed International Airport Hub
Makurdi Makurdi Airport
Owerri Sam Mbakwe International Cargo Airport
Port Harcourt Port Harcourt International Airport
Uyo Victor Attah International Airport
Warri Osubi Airport [36]
Yola Yola Airport [37]
Saudi Arabia Jeddah King Abdulaziz International Airport
Senegal Dakar Blaise Diagne International Airport
Sierra Leone Freetown Lungi International Airport
South Africa Johannesburg O. R. Tambo International Airport [citation needed]
Turkey Istanbul Istanbul Airport
United Kingdom London London Gatwick Airport [38]

On January 31, 2020, Air Peace announced two new destinations in India and Israel would be activated before the end of the year.[39] Air Peace also operated ad hoc charter flights from Lagos to Montego Bay in Jamaica during the Christmas 2020 season.[40]

Fleet

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As of January 2022, Air Peace's fleet consists of the following aircraft:[41][42]

Air Peace current fleet
An Air Peace Boeing 737-300 at Tallinn Airport in Estonia
An Air Peace Hopper Embraer 145 at Lungi International Airport in Sierra Leone
An Air Peace Boeing 777-21HER
Air Peace fleet
Aircraft In Service Orders Passengers Notes
F J Y Total
Boeing 737-300 8 — — — 148 148
Boeing 737-500 5 — TBA 128
Boeing 737 MAX 8 — 10 TBA [43]
Boeing 777-200ER 1 — 12 42 220 274 [44]
Boeing 777-300 2 — 12 42 310 364
8 50 226 284
Embraer E145 8 — — — 50 50 Operated by Air Peace Hopper[45]
Embraer E175 — 5 TBA Deliveries start 2024[46]
Embraer E195-E2 5 8 — 12 112 124 [47][48][49][50][51]
Total 29 23

Accidents and incidents

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  • On 12 March 2016, an Air Peace Boeing 737 from Port Harcourt to Lagos made an emergency landing in Port Harcourt following a smoke detector indication. The aircraft was evacuated via slides and there were no serious injuries.[52]
  • On 14 December 2018, an Air Peace Boeing 737 from Lagos to Enugu with 130 passengers and 6 crew suffered a loss of cabin pressure at 31,000 feet. Although the oxygen masks deployed, the crew elected to continue the flight after an emergency descent. Two passengers were subsequently treated for complications related to the decompression.[53]
  • On 15 May 2019, an Air Peace Boeing 737 from Port Harcourt to Lagos suffered a hard landing that resulted in damage to the engine pod and the landing gear. The aircraft was grounded, although no injuries were reported.[54]
  • On 22 June 2019, an Air Peace Boeing 737 with 87 passengers and 6 crew from Abuja to Port Harcourt exited the runway while landing in heavy rain and came to rest in soft mud.[55]
  • On 23 July 2019, an Air Peace Boeing 737 with 133 passengers and 6 crew landed on Lagos' runway 18R but suffered a hard touch down causing both nose wheels to separate from the nose gear strut. The aircraft skidded to a halt on the runway on main wheels and the rest of the nose gear strut. There was one minor injury. The aircraft sustained substantial damage as did the runway.[56]
  • On 5 November 2019, an Air Peace Boeing 737 with 90 passengers and 6 crew suffered an engine failure en route from Lagos to Owerri. The aircraft returned to Lagos where it landed safely without further incident.[57][58]
  • On 24 July 2021, an Air Peace Boeing 737 from Abuja to Ilorin suffered burst nose gear tires and became disabled on the runway upon landing. The airport was closed until the damaged aircraft could be safely removed from the runway.[59]
  • On 22 November 2021, an Air Peace Boeing 737 with 95 passengers and 6 crew flying from Owerri to Lagos reported an engine failure and suspected fire immediately following departure. The crew returned safely to land in Owerri on a single engine.[60]

References

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  1. ^ "About Us". Air Peace. Retrieved 2021-03-20. Head Office: 25, Sobo Arobiodu Street GRA, Ikeja, Lagos.
  2. ^ Eze, Chinedu (February 5, 2018). "Air Peace Establishes Subsidiary to Manage New Fleet". thisdaylive.com. Retrieved 2020-09-28.
  3. ^ ""Why I named my aircrafts [sic] after my wife & kids" – Air Peace Chairman, Allen Onyema". City People. 9 April 2017.
  4. ^ "Air Peace grows into Ghana". Anna.aero. 21 February 2017.
  5. ^ "How I made my fortune to start Air Peace - Onyema". Premium Times Nigeria. 25 November 2019.
  6. ^ Gary Leff (12 March 2018). "Air Peace gets Boeing 777s". View From The Wing.
  7. ^ "Air Peace flies out of Africa for the first time". Logistics Update Africa. 29 July 2019.
  8. ^ "Air Peace launches Lagos to Johannesburg". Anna.aero. 18 December 2020.
  9. ^ "Airline owner offers to 'evacuate' Nigerians from SA". eNCA. 5 Sep 2019.
  10. ^ Abdur Rahman Alfa Shaban (11 September 2019). "Over 300 Nigerians evacuated from South Africa by local airline". Africa News.
  11. ^ "CEO of Nigerian airline indicted for bank fraud and money laundering". US Department of Justice. 22 November 2019.
  12. ^ "Airline founder accused of bank fraud and laundering money to shop for jets, a Rolls-Royce and Prada". CNN. 24 November 2019.
  13. ^ "Air Peace Founder, Onyema denies alleged $20 million bank fraud". NairaMetrics. 23 November 2019.
  14. ^ "US court sentences Allen Onyema's alleged fraud conspirator to three years probation". Premium Times. 2022-10-29. Archived from the original on 2024-04-02. Retrieved 2024-08-18.
  15. ^ "US woman sentenced in Nigerian aircraft deal". ch-aviation. Retrieved 2024-04-11.
  16. ^ "CEO of Nigerian Airline and Co-Defendant Indicted for Obstruction of Justice". US Department of Justice. 11 October 2024.
  17. ^ "Air Peace Concealed Major Aircraft Incidents". Sahara Reporters. 11 June 2019.
  18. ^ "AIB slams Air Peace over failure to report incident". Nigerian News Direct. 12 June 2019.
  19. ^ "Investigation exposes how Air Peace allegedly shields its aircraft from probe". NairaMetrics. 11 June 2019.
  20. ^ "Is Air Peace safe?". One Mile at a Time. 23 July 2019.
  21. ^ "AIB accuses Air Peace of failure to report serious incidents to Bureau". Nigerian Flight Deck. 10 June 2019.
  22. ^ "Air Peace awaiting return of 17 aircraft from overseas maintenance". CAPA Center for Aviation. 19 April 2021.
  23. ^ "UAE official lied, Air Peace says as row over flight slots deepens". Premium Times. 12 December 2021. Retrieved 12 December 2021.
  24. ^ "Emirates suspends Nigeria flights after new restrictions". Reuters. 11 December 2021. Retrieved 11 December 2021.
  25. ^ "Why Air Peace, Max Air, others suspended planned shutdown of operations". 8 May 2022.
  26. ^ "Airlines' strike: Air Peace announces suspension of ALL domestic, regional flights". 8 May 2022.
  27. ^ "Air Peace - Book A Flight". flyAirPeace.com. Retrieved 10 April 2021.
  28. ^ "Nigeria's Air Peace chooses Accra for maiden international service". ch-aviation. 6 February 2017. Retrieved 6 February 2017.
  29. ^ "Air Peace to commence commercial flights into Johannesburg". Vanguard News. 2020-10-27. Retrieved 2021-01-28.
  30. ^ "Air Peace Expands Routes to Douala, Ibadan – AutoReportNG".
  31. ^ "Nigeria's Air Peace chooses Accra for maiden int'l service". ch-aviation.com. 6 February 2017.
  32. ^ Babalola, Yusuf (2024-01-23). "Air Peace Expands Africa Connectivity With Abidjan Route". Retrieved 2024-04-11.
  33. ^ "Air Peace expands presence in North East with launch of flights into Gombe State". 12 August 2021.
  34. ^ "Oyo govt facilitates Air Peace flights to Ibadan airport". 21 July 2021.
  35. ^ "Air Peace Starts Cheap Flight From Ilorin To Lagos & Abuja – Sagetravels". 17 June 2021.
  36. ^ "Air Peace Resumes Warri, Freetown Flights". 2 July 2021.
  37. ^ "Air Peace Expands, Resumes Suspended Routes". 29 January 2021.
  38. ^ Gill, Rob (2024-02-26). "Nigeria's Air Peace to launch London route in March". Business Travel News Europe. Retrieved 2024-08-18.
  39. ^ "Nigeria's Air Peace moots Asia growth in 2020". ch-aviation. 31 January 2020. Retrieved 31 January 2020.
  40. ^ "Air Peace revient sur le régional et booste l'international avec l'ajout de la Jamaïque en charter" [Air Peace returns to the regional and boosts the international with the addition of Jamaica in charter]. newsaero.info (in French). Retrieved 2021-01-28.
  41. ^ "Global Airline Guide 2019 (Part One)". Airliner World (October 2019): 22.
  42. ^ "Nigeria's Air Peace eyes Boeing widebodies for inc'l ops". ch-aviation. Retrieved 2017-08-29.
  43. ^ "Nigeria's Air Peace signs for 10 737 MAX 8s". Flightglobal. Retrieved September 13, 2018.
  44. ^ Omotayo, Joseph (Mar 21, 2019). "Air Peace gets third Boeing 777 airplane, to expand its flight operations". www.legit.ng. Retrieved Sep 18, 2019.
  45. ^ "Air Peace Takes Delivery of Another ERJ-145 Aircraft". thisdaylive.com. 2020-10-11. Retrieved 2021-01-28.
  46. ^ "Portal Embraer". embraer.com. Retrieved 2024-08-14.
  47. ^ "Air Peace airline receives 4th brand new Embraer 195-E2 aircraft". 23 September 2021.
  48. ^ "Air Peace orders up to 30 E195-E2s". flightglobal. 2019-04-03. Retrieved 2019-04-03.
  49. ^ "Embraer delivers first E195-E2 aircraft Nigerian carrier Air Peace". www.aerospace-technology.com. Retrieved 2021-01-28.
  50. ^ "Air Peace takes delivery of 2nd brand new Embraer jet, calls on customs to respect gazetted laws". 18 March 2021.
  51. ^ "First E2 Delivery to Air Peace - the E195-E2 for Nigeria market". 27 January 2021.
  52. ^ "Incident: Peace B735 at Port Harcourt on Mar 12th 2016, false smoke detector indication". avherald.com.
  53. ^ "Accident: Peace B733 near Enugu on Dec 14th 2018, loss of cabin pressure". avherald.com. Retrieved Sep 18, 2019.
  54. ^ "Accident: Peace B733 at Lagos on May 15th 2019, hard landing and engine pod strike". avherald.com. Retrieved Sep 18, 2019.
  55. ^ "Incident: Peace B735 at Port Harcourt on Jun 22nd 2019, runway excursion on landing". avherald.com. Retrieved Sep 18, 2019.
  56. ^ "Accident: Peace B733 at Lagos on Jul 23rd 2019, hard landing causes nose wheels to separate". avherald.com. Retrieved 2019-07-23.
  57. ^ "Nigerian bureau probes another Air Peace 737 incident". FlightGlobal. Retrieved 2019-11-19.
  58. ^ "Incident: Peace B735 at Lagos on Nov 5th 2019, engine shut down in flight". Aviation Herald.
  59. ^ "Incident: Peace B735 at Ilorin on Jul 24th 2021, burst nose gear tyre on landing". Aviation Herald.
  60. ^ "Serious Incident Preliminary Report 5N-BUQ 22nd November 2021" (PDF). AIB Nigeria. Retrieved 26 April 2022.
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