Air Peace Faced Both Domestic And Foreign Hurdles

Over its Lagos-London operations, Air Peace faced both domestic and foreign hurdles

According to Air Peace's CEO, Allen Onyema, the airline had to overcome both internal and external challenges before it could start operating flights between Lagos and London.

Nigeria's national airline, Air Peace, started offering flights between Lagos and London on March 30.

In an interview with Arise TV on Monday, Onyema stated that it required seven years to be able to start operations.

Onyema remarked: “We got the designation about 6 and a half years ago to go into London. Since then, it has been a cat-and- mouse game.

“We actually procured our three-triple seven because of this route, not for any other route because we wanted to give it the blow that it deserved at that time.

“However, we were not allowed to. Whether you like it or not, there is what we call international aero- politics which is very dirty. We applied for the third-country operators (TCO). You must get that one before you start going into any European country, UK inclusive.”

According to Onyema, the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) was “denied” by the European TCO organization when they wrote to inquire if the agency was aware of Air Peace's status.

“My country denied us. So, they tweaked back. We went back to the NCAA and they said we did not tell them. Who designated us? The federal ministry of aviation whose duty it was and it still is to do that,” he said

The airline was prepared, but Onyema claimed that “they (NCAA) said until they allow us apply.”

“We got designation from the federal government and the NCAA, under the same federal government that was telling me that you should not make any application going into the UK,” he said.

“No other airline in Central Western Africa does that much. So, the game is both from within and without. We were stopped. I'll never stop saying it," he said.

“So, we continued this cat and mouse game with the NCAA until Captain Musa Nuhu during his time said enough is now enough. Air Peace must be allowed to go in. What's the issue? When the heat became so much, they told us to prove to them that we will be able to pass the TCO.

“If I don't pass the TCO, it doesn't mean anything, then I'll leave. But allow me to go. They said we must prove to them that we will be able to pass the TCO. I said you come and audit us based on the TCO standard.

“They said we have to get consultancy firms from IATA to do that and IATA must conduct that and give their results. We paid a cost of over 200 million. We brought IATA and IATA conducted it.”

He added that this was the case even though he had airline licenses to China and India.

According to Onyema, the airline is performing “over 160 hours of flying (unblemished) daily” in the UK, but NCAA does not consider it worthy to operate there.

According to Onyema, Air Peace passed the exam, and she went on to write to the NCAA to get permission to conduct an audit with TCO Europe.

He stated that after the airline threatened to contact the media if the TCO did not respond, they did not reply for more than a year.

In the meantime, he claimed that all the airlines “going to London from this place” are defrauding the nation.

People were paying five times as much for airfares as they should have been, according to Onyema.