The United Kingdom has thrown its weight behind Air Peace as the airline gets set to launch direct Abuja to London flights on October 26, 2025, a move expected to ease travel for Northern travelers and cut down ticket prices.
Chairman of Air Peace, Allen Onyema, disclosed this on Monday in Abuja during the airline’s Travel Agency Forum held to promote the Abuja–London flights.
“The British government is very friendly to Airpeace. And I want to use this opportunity to thank the Deputy High Commissioner of the British High Commission in Lagos, Jonny Baxter.
“He is a good diplomat who made sure Airpeace got everything Airpeace needed. He offered tremendous support. The UK loves Airpeace. He smoothened all rough edges for us to make sure Airpeace gets it right.
“So I want to use this opportunity to let Nigerians know that the government of the UK is not our enemy; they want Airpeace to come. That’s why we are doing it today.
“These flights will help to further bring down fares. It will ease the process of travelling for people in the north. Instead of transiting through Doha and other places to get to London, now we’re taking them to London direct from here,” Onyema said, describing the move as a “revolution” in Nigerian aviation.
Reflecting on the airline’s resilience, Onyema said, “We survived the initial challenges, initial obstacles. We surmounted all of them. And we are doing very well. And Nigerians are very happy about it. We brought down fares. We triggered the slashing of fares by all airlines that fly their routes out of Nigeria. Even those who do secondary flying to London are going to their countries first before coming. Everybody brought down their fares because of what Airpeace did
Onyema credited the Federal Government for supporting Nigerian airlines, while also thanking Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, and President Bola Tinubu.
“I want to thank Festus Keyamo and the President. They’ve done a lot to help the situation of all the airlines. They are trying to build the capacity of these airlines. They are giving us a lot of support,” he said.
He emphasized that Air Peace remains the most affordable option for London-bound travelers.
“Airpeace remains the cheapest on the London route. And because we are very cheap, we forced other carriers to come down. We’ve made it possible for citizens to fly these other international airlines, but at the appropriate fares, not extortionist or exorbitant fares. And this is what we’ve done for them.”
Calling for greater confidence in Nigerian airlines, Onyema said, “As Nigerians, we are stigmatized. As a Nigerian carrier, I have to prove 10 times over what other people will do for me to be accepted. We have to do it 10 times over for your own people to believe in you. Some people are still asking the question, You mean they can go to London? So this kind of question of belief comes from some ignorant kind of attitude that has no basis. We can do it.”
He revealed that Air Peace plans further international expansion. “We are planning to do Rio and Sao Paulo before the end of the year. And of course, we want to hit Antigua and Barbados also by November. Of course, on the African side, we want to reopen Kinshasa, Libreville, and Douala, that was suspended; we want to reopen them. We want to reopen Johannesburg if they improve the visa regime and Conakry, so we are going to increase our presence in African sub-regions while also looking at Toronto and the rest. Toronto, we’ve already applied to the Canadian authorities.”
Looking ahead, Onyema expressed confidence in the future of Nigeria’s aviation sector: “In the next five years, Nigerian airlines will cover the entire length and breadth of this world.”
Supporting his optimism, Vice President of the National Association of Nigerian Travel Agencies Abuja Zone, Ibiwari Kemabonta, said the direct London flights from Abuja are a boost for travellers.
“This is a good thing for the Abuja market, because I know that a lot of people like to travel from Abuja. So I’m so happy that this is happening to cater for Abuja and the North, going to London from Abuja, rather than going to Lagos. So the travel time is reduced, and it is an exciting development, and I’m happy this is happening.”
Kemabonta added that Air Peace’s growing reputation combines Nigerian identity with international standards. “Airpeace will be bringing Comfort, home feeling, and global competitiveness, actually, to know that they are comparable to other airlines that we know, and people are comfortable using them as well. So that is something to look forward to. For Airpeace to be able to succeed, they have to bring global competitiveness to Nigerian-ness. Where we don’t lose who we are, but we keep the standard that is comparable to everyone else globally.”
Recall that Air Peace shook up the international market in March 2024 with its Lagos to London flights, a move that forced foreign carriers to slash fares on the busy route.
In July, the airline announced that “Travelers originating from any of Air Peace’s domestic destinations across Nigeria can now book through fares via Abuja to either Heathrow or Gatwick using a single ticket, eliminating the need for multiple bookings or baggage rechecks.
“Travelers from London can access multiple destinations across Nigeria using a single Air Peace ticket through Abuja every morning. These destinations are Lagos, Port Harcourt, Enugu, Benin, Warri, Owerri, Kano, Yola, Gombe, and Asaba, for now. Other destinations will be added later.”
