The Nigerian airline Air Peace has acquired a new Embraer (E195-E2) for the company’s commercial fleet.
Air Peace is a privately-owned airline, founded in 2013 by Nigerian businessman and lawyer Allen Onyema.
Onyema unveiled the addition at a ceremony at the Abuja International Airport.
The plane is the third new aircraft delivered to the company as a part of a pre-order of 13.
Five more will be delivered by the year’s end, Vanguard reported.
Vanguard quoted Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority Director-General Musa Nuhu as saying that the acquisition is a milestone for Nigeria’s aviation sector.
“Today is another milestone and a paradigm shift and this is something that I have not seen since my days at Nigerian Airways when they were purchasing the right aircraft for the right routes,” Nuhu said. “Air Peace is not only buying aircraft but also buying the right-size aircraft for the Nigerian market.”
Meanwhile, Anambra South District Senator Ifeanyi Ubah commended Onyema as an astute businessman and the only local operator bringing new aircraft into the country.
The airline works closely with Fidelity Bank, which also lauded the company’s financial discipline.
According to Nneka Onyeali-Ikpe, the bank’s managing director, Air Peace has exhibited high fiscal discipline over their seven years of doing business together. This, she said, prompted the bank to support the airline.
“It is a major success for a local player to have the level of financial discipline that this company has. So I commend you, and we will work with you all the way to any level that you want,” she said.
