Obaseki urges Air Peace to create regional hubs in Nigeria

EDO State Governor, Godwin Obaseki, has urged the management of Air Peace to consider creating regional hubs for air transport in the country.

While describing air transport as the catalyst that would push for economic integration of the states in Nigeria and West Africa sub-region, Obaseki called on other airline operators in the country to also consider ways of making air travel more affordable for air travelers.

Earlier in his speech, the Chairman of Air Peace, Mr Allen Onyema used the occasion to urge the Brazilian aircraft manufacturer, Embraer to consider partnering Nigeria to establish a Maintenance, Overhaul and Repair (MRO) facility in Nigeria.

Establishing an aircraft maintenance facility in the country, according to Onyema, will ease the stress the domestic airline operators face in flying out their aircraft for maintenance in foreign countries at high prices compounded by the unstable foreign exchange rates.

Onyema’s appeal was as a result of the arrival of one out of the 13 firm orders of the Embraer 195-E2 being expected to join the fleet of the airline.

Air Peace is the first African carrier to take delivery of this brand new aircraft type with 30 orders, which include 13 firm orders and 17 purchase right orders, making the airline the second to Lufthansa globally, which ordered 35.

The Air Peace Chairman used the occasion to thank President Muhammadu Buhari for making the delivery of the Embraer jet a reality through his approval for the removal of Value Added Tax (VAT) and customs duties on new planes coming into the country which he described as a great financial relief.

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

Sirika, in his response, described the aircraft delivery by Air Peace as a step in the right direction, adding that the bold step by the airline to go for new planes fell in line with the Federal Government’s road map for the aviation sector.

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