The Chief Operating Officer of Air Peace, Toyin Olajide has revealed that economy class ticket seats on the airline’s route to London from Lagos are fully booked for the next 60 days, beginning in July.
In a recent interview in Lagos, Olajide stated that the airline had experienced various problems along the route, but he was pleased that the carrier has provided Nigerians with a choice.
This comes as Nigerian passengers on the Lagos-London route, including a travel agency, praised the airline for its decision to begin flight services to European countries three months ago.
According to Air Peace’s COO, the airline’s Sunday flight on June 30, 2024, was completely booked in economy class, with 41 seats in business class evenly occupied.
She regretted, however, that its system did not advertise its first-class seats, a mistake that management had addressed.
In addition, she stated many Nigerians coming from the US to the UK book Air Peace to Lagos, taking advantage of the inexpensive US-Europe flights.
She continued that by doing so, travelers on the US-UK-Nigeria routes saved a significant amount of money compared to direct US-Nigeria flights.
She added that Chinese citizens in Nigeria travel Air Peace to London and connect China Southern Airlines to China in order to save money on airfare.
Olajide said “But our system did not advertise our first-class seats, an error that has been corrected. So, what it means is that we recorded a very high load factor, only 12 seats in the first class and one business class seat; that is, 13 seats were empty out of the 274-seat capacity aircraft. We thank Nigerians. We appreciate the fact that they are happy with the airline.
“We recently upgraded two passengers who flew from the US to London and used our flight to Lagos. We upgraded them from economy class to business class in appreciation of their commitment and desire to patronise us. But they also take advantage of the cheap flights between Europe and the US, and our flights are also affordable. So, this enables them to save a lot of money.
“The entrance of Air Peace into this market has not only increased accessibility but also diversified the passenger base. Remarkably, the airline has attracted elderly passengers who previously could not afford high ticket prices post-pandemic, as well as students returning home for family events and reunions. This influx has resulted in a 5 per cent to 15 per cent increase in passengers.”
According to her, Air Peace’s operations have also had a significant impact in positively positioning the Nigerian brands.
She mentioned that products like farm fresh yoghurt, Gratia chin chin flakes, Olu Olu crisps, and native long-grain Nigerian rice had acquired popularity and increased their reach.
This ripple effect has benefited small businesses and local farmers who supply produce like tomatoes, peppers, and spinach, contributing to an economic expansion of over N2bn,” she added.
Recall the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo recently announced that the Federal Government had begun the process of allowing Nigerian airlines direct access to international routes to the United States and South American countries.
