Air Peace on Friday launched a non-stop flight to Mumbai in Maharashtra State, Southwestern India.
The airline said in a statement by its spokesman, Mr. Stanley Olisa that the Mumbai flights would be operated twice weekly while plans to commence Delhi operations are afoot.
The statement quoted the chief operating officer of the airline Mrs. Oluwatoyin Olajide as saying that the Lagos-Mumbai direct service “is a respite to Nigerians and Indians who have to travel for so many hours to India with stopovers via other countries.”
She said passengers can connect from Kano, Port Harcourt, Abuja, Accra, Monrovia and Douala through Lagos to Mumbai.
She said passengers connecting from the “aforementioned domestic routes” would have the “fare for the local leg is waived.”
“The Mumbai route,” she said, “is our fourth international destination and is strongly indicative of our unwavering commitment to continually expand our route network to meet the evolving travel needs of not only the Nigerian market but also the West African sub-region.
“On May 31, 2020, Air Peace became the first ever Nigerian airline to operate the first direct flight from Nigeria to Kochi, India, airlifting 312 Indian citizens. In the same year and early 2021, we operated more than six evacuation flights afterwards, showing our strength and familiarisation with the Indian airspace.
“Our Mumbai service is direct- meaning no stopovers. So, you’re saving time, money and avoiding stopover stress. Also, we’re offering a launch fare of 450,000 naira. That’s unbeatable, especially considering that we’re deploying our comfy Boeing 777 aircraft, offering passengers best-in-class hospitality.
The COO further stated that the carrier “is strengthening its presence on the Asian continent with the launch of Mumbai service,” adding that “it is not just a big stride for the airline but also a huge feat for Nigeria in the implementation of its Bilateral Air Services Agreement, BASA, with India, and deepening socio-economic ties between both countries.”
Besides, Olajide said discussions are underway with some Indian airlines for an interline partnership “so that we can connect not just the West but the North, East and South of India to Nigeria and the West African region.”
“Our promise is to consistently provide seamless connections for our esteemed customers across continents.
“Air Peace is only eight years old, but we have done a lot and have more planned in terms of route expansion and fleet modernisation. As you may know, plans to launch Israel are in top gear as the Israeli government has approved April 20, 2023, as the kick-off date. Also being planned for launch are Jeddah, Malabo, Congo Kinshasa, Lome and we recently introduced Abuja-Banjul and Abuja-Dakar connections,” she added.
The COO also disclosed that the airline was investing in modern aircraft.
Currently, she said the airline has 37 aircraft and still expecting eight brand new Embraer 195- E2s and additional 15 brand new Boeing 737 Max 8 and 10 orders to boost its operations.