The new aircraft  with registration number 5N-BYF, named Helen Ekwusi Onyema, touched down at the Nnamidi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja at about 2.00 pm  and was greeted with a water cannon salute by men of the Fire service department of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, FAAN.

Receiving the aircraft at Abuja Airport , the Chairman and CEO of Air Peace, Allen Onyema thank the President of Nigeria, Muhammadu Buhari for making the delivery of the ordered plane possible.

Onyema revealed that  the airline would not pay Value Added Tax, VAT and Customs duties in the new tax regime of the federal government on the new planes; describing that as big financial relief to the airline.

He also thank the Minister of Aviation, Senator Hadi Sirika for his tireless support and encouragement to Nigerian airlines, noting that it was in response to the minister’s challenge that Nigerian airlines acquire new planes that spurred Air Peace to order the new aircraft.

The Air Peace Chairman also thanked the National Assembly Committees on Aviation for facilitating the passage of the waiver to airlines, adding that the “13 aircraft create 8000 jobs for Nigerians”.

Speaking, the Minister of Aviation, Senator Hadi Sirika described the aircraft delivery by Air Peace as a step in the right direction. He said the bold step by the airlines aligned with federal government’s road map for the aviation sector.

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The Minister also said the use of newer airplanes by ” Nigerian carriers will change the dynamics in airlines’ profitability and sustainability; by driving down maintenance and fueling cost”.

In a speech, the Brazilian Ambassador to Nigeria, Ricardo Guerra de Araujo, said the feat of Air Peace was a remarkable  one for Nigeria and Africa, as Air Peace is the launch customer of this aircraft type in Africa.

The ambassador also expressed optimism that Air Peace would consider direct flight between Nigeria and Brazil.

Speaking on behalf of governors from Edo, Ondo, Anambra, Delta and Benue, Governor Obaseki urged Air Peace to ” rethink how to create regional hubs for air transport in Nigeria”.

He described air transportation as the catalyst that would push for economic integration of the states in Nigeria and West Africa sub-region and called on other operators in the industry ” to consider ways of achieving affordable fares for air travellers”.

Speaking about the aircraft, Arjan Meijer, President and CEO, Commercial  Aviation Business, Embraer, said : ” The E195-E2 tagged Profit Hunter aircraft will help Air Peace achieve its ambition of connecting not just all of Nigeria, but the whole of the African continent, while feeding long-haul flights from their Lagos hub”.

“Air Peace is also the first airline to configure a premium cabin with our staggered seat option. Each of the 12 Business Class seats is slightly offset from the other to give more space and privacy. There are three rows of seats arranged two-by-two at 51-inch pitch at the 124 seater aircraft. Passengers by the windows have unobstructed access to the aisle; they don’t need to awkwardly step over their seat mates or ask them to move”.

” There are large overhead bins on both sides of the aircraft. This is different from other configurations that have a narrow bin along one side of the premium cabin that transitions to a larger bin at the start of the economy cabin.”

“The new 124-seat E2s complemeieent the airline’s eight 50-seat E145s flying with Air Peace Hopper. The Embraer fleet will create greater regional and domestic connectivity from the carrier’s Lagos hub,” Meijer added.

Vanguard News Nigeria