We’re ready for Abuja to London route; Houston and New York in works — Allen Onyema
The CEO of Air Peace Airlines, Dr. Allen Onyema said the airline is ready to take the Abuja to London flight and is planning to begin flights to the USA — New York and Houston by the end of the year.
The Air Peace boss disclosed this in an interview with Arise Television earlier on Monday.
Onyema also stressed that the airline is in the process of purchasing more aircraft for this purpose.
“We are doing seven daily flights into Gatwick. Nigeria has a balance of about fourteen to do. We are ready, if the government gives us Abuja-London, I will do it, because we are expecting more aircraft into the country purchased by Air Peace. If we get it, we will do it”, said Dr. Allen.
“Like, we are planning to hit New York or Houston towards the end of the year, because we are bringing in more 777s. As I speak to you, my staff, they’re in California, the engineering technical services department”,
“…they’re in California inspecting some three 777s we want to acquire, we want to buy. So, if we could get them in the next two or three months, then of course, we are good to go anywhere”, Onyema continued.
However, the company is faced with struggles and sabotage in trying to achieve the long-awaited Lagos to London flights.
He said, “You suffer what I call both internal and external conspiracies. It took us seven years. We got the designation about six and a half years ago to go into London. Since then, it has been a Cat-and-Mouse game.”
“We actually procured our three 777s because of this route, not for any other route,… However, we were not allowed to go.”
“Whether you like it or not, there is what is called international aero politics which is very dirty. We applied for the TCO. TCO means Technical Country Operators permit, you must get that one before you start going into any European country, UK inclusive.
“And the TCO organization from Europe wrote to our Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority- Do you know Air Peace? Do you know about their designation? And we were denied. My own country denied us, so they threw it back.
“We went back to the NCAA, they said, oh, we didn’t tell them. Who designated us, the Federal Ministry of Aviation, whose duty it was and still is to do that. We said okay, we’re ready.
“They refused, they said until they allow us to apply. So, we got a designation from the Federal government, and the NCAA, under the same Federal Government, was telling us that we should not make any application towards going into the UK.”
Onyema also added that the Nigerian airlines need all the support they can get from the Federal Government.
“In our own country, what we are pleading for – I like when you support – the ease of doing business, let them even do that for the indigenous airlines and see us blossom, instead of badmouthing these airlines that pass through all manner of problems.”
