The launch of Air Peace Limited’s direct flight from Abuja to London Heathrow has dramatically reduced ticket prices on the Nigeria-UK corridor, with the airline’s Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Allen Onyema, crediting President Bola Tinubu’s supportive policies for the breakthrough.
Speaking during an interview on Arise News, Onyema disclosed that the introduction of Air Peace flights had forced international ticket prices down from a staggering high of $13,000 to approximately $3,000, saving Nigerian travelers substantial costs.
Onyema described the achievement as a pivotal moment for the nation’s aviation sector, highlighting the power of government support for indigenous enterprise.
“I want to congratulate President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for pulling this off. This is an example of government paving the way for the private sector to thrive,” Onyema stated. “No country develops without the private sector, because it is the private sector that embodies and implements the visions and aspirations of government.”
He emphasized that President Tinubu’s intervention compelled foreign airlines to drastically reduce their existing fares. “President Tinubu did the right thing for this country. His intervention forced foreign airlines to reduce their ticket prices drastically,” he added.
The commendation follows the commencement of the direct Abuja–London Heathrow flight on Sunday from the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport. Onyema noted that the new competition has “saved Nigerians money and made flying affordable again. Even Britons on our flights were happy because competition has finally arrived.”
Air Peace now operates 14 weekly flights between Nigeria and the United Kingdom, servicing both the Lagos–London Gatwick and the new Abuja–London Heathrow routes, marking the first time any Nigerian carrier has achieved such extensive coverage on the lucrative UK routes.
