Air Peace (P4, Lagos) plans to debut flights to New York and Houston in the United States by the end of 2024, following its launch of services to London Gatwick on March 30, according to CEO Allen Onyema.
Speaking on The Morning Show on Nigeria's Arise News television channel, Onyema said the airline was in the process of acquiring three more B777 aircraft for this purpose. It currently has two B777-300s and one B777-200ER, its only widebodies, according to ch-aviation fleets data.
"As I speak to you, my staff are in California, the engineering technical services department, are in California inspecting some three B777s we want to acquire and buy. So, if we could get them in the next two or three months, then of course, we are good to go anywhere," he was quoted as saying by Nigeria's This Day newspaper.
US government records show Air Peace has yet to apply for a US Foreign Air Carrier Permit or Exemption Authority.
ch-aviation has reached out to Air Peace for comment.
Speaking on the launch of Air Peace's UK flights, Onyema highlighted that it had taken years of regulatory obstacles to obtain air access to London. He initially insisted on serving slot-constrained London Heathrow, calling for reciprocity with UK carriers serving Lagos and Abuja, but in the end settled for Gatwick. Air Peace operates the route twice weekly with a B777-200ER and five times weekly with a B787-9 wet-leased from Norse Atlantic (United Kingdom) (Z0, London Gatwick).
