I wrote about Air Peace several weeks ago, which to me is one of Africa’s most interesting airlines.
Air Peace is a privately owned Nigerian airline that was founded in 2013, which operates a fleet of just under two dozen planes, including Embraers, 737s, and 777s. The airline is based in Lagos, which is a challenging aviation market, yet also one with a lot of potential.
While the airline has successfully been operating regional flights for years, the airline has been looking to spread their wings and launch long haul flights using 777s. I’ve been unsure of how seriously to take their long haul ambitions.
Air Peace has said that this year they want to launch flights to Houston, London, Guangzhou, Mumbai, Sharjah, and Johannesburg, which seems… ambitious?
Well, the airline has now officially put their first long haul flight to sale.
Air Peace will be launching 3x weekly Boeing 777 flights between Lagos and Sharjah as of July 5, 2019. The flight will operate with the following schedule:
P47557 Lagos to Sharjah departing 6:00PM arriving 5:00AM (+1 day)
P47558 Sharjah to Lagos departing 8:00AM arriving 1:00PM
The flight will operate to Sharjah on Sundays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays, and from Sharjah on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays. At ~3,700 miles, the flight should take 7-8 hours in each direction.
The airline sure is taking some liberties with how they’re marketing this service, suggesting that they’re flying to Dubai, even though the flight is to Sharjah and then they’ll put you on a bus to Dubai. Also, I think they might be confused about what a 777 looks like…
Much to my surprise, these flights really are on sale now…
Perhaps what’s coolest here is that Air Peace has three cabins on their 777s. One-way business class tickets cost ~850USD, while one-way first class tickets cost ~1,175USD.
Air Peace has maintained Emirates’ old cabins for these planes. So first class is in a 2-2-2 configuration, and business class in a 2-3-2 configuration. Here’s a news report, which has some video of the plane, including the cabins:
Oh my gosh, there’s quite a bit wrong with this story, like the captain being labeled as first officer, and I also don’t love the logic of how they’re bringing in ex-pats to fly the 737s, but they’re putting Nigerians on the 777s to promote local employment.
When you add it all up, this is an airline I absolutely have to fly and review!
When it comes to being able to take pictures onboard, where do you think this airline ranks on the scale of TAAG Angola to RwandAir?
Guys help me I’m traveling to Dubai this months I couldn’t meet up with the tickets so I had to book a one way for December 31 which was cheaper but I’m scared I may have issues going with a one way ticket via airpeace for a 3 month visa what do I do please anyone help [email protected] my mail
Please what’s the name of the bus station and time for pick up from Dubai to Sharjah airport
What bus station is the pick up from Dubai to Sharjah airport on the 10th July,5am
The baby is not even yet born and they already sad he'll do bad.
The very first challenge Air peace would face is that of competition from the big guys and if only the Nigerian government would help them would they succeed. I heard their 737 max, when it comes would also be for international routes. I wish them well.
@5NFGS - With all due respect, the answer to your question lies in the national legislation. In the case of Nigeria, there is a requirement to file "mandatory incident reports" with both the NCAA as the regulator and the AIB as the investigating authority.
This can be found in the "CIVIL AVIATION (INVESTIGATION OF AIR ACCIDENTS
AND INCIDENTS) REGULATIONS, 2016", Section 10 entitled "Notification to the Bureau and Duty to furnish Information relating to...
@5NFGS - With all due respect, the answer to your question lies in the national legislation. In the case of Nigeria, there is a requirement to file "mandatory incident reports" with both the NCAA as the regulator and the AIB as the investigating authority.
This can be found in the "CIVIL AVIATION (INVESTIGATION OF AIR ACCIDENTS
AND INCIDENTS) REGULATIONS, 2016", Section 10 entitled "Notification to the Bureau and Duty to furnish Information relating to Accidents or Incidents".
Furthermore, the AIB's findings regarding deliberate attempts to conceal the incidents and overwrite CVRs are especially damning. Poor oversight and management control (which is a different issue in itself) may explain the failure to report, but not the attempts to cover up.
All these stupid racists.
So you believe only ex-pats can fly aircrafts? Lol.
There's something warped about your thinking.
Ben, from my previous comment you can tell I am a Nigerian and I will like to correct the few liberties you have taken in this story.
1. In my limited knowledge through both being a regular SLF and having a few flight deck friends in the airline, Air Peace has an approximately 90:10 ratio in it's pilot ranks i.e it is a mostly Nigerian flown fleet.
The foreigners are mostly training captains, especially...
Ben, from my previous comment you can tell I am a Nigerian and I will like to correct the few liberties you have taken in this story.
1. In my limited knowledge through both being a regular SLF and having a few flight deck friends in the airline, Air Peace has an approximately 90:10 ratio in it's pilot ranks i.e it is a mostly Nigerian flown fleet.
The foreigners are mostly training captains, especially on the newly inducted B 777 fleet.
So, I say your assertion about NGAs flying only the 777 and nothing else is scandalous.
Even the airline's chairman will rather hire safe expats than unsafe locals:
https://businessday.ng/aviation/article/we-employ-nigerian-pilots-but-not-at-the-expense-of-safety-air-peace-ceo/
2. The list of cities announced by the airline is actually a list of cities which they have been given rights to fly to by the Nigerian government.
Officially, they have been designated by the FGN as the Nigerian carrier to fly ATL, BOM, CAN, DXB/SHJ, IAH, JNB and LHR/LGW/STN.
Of course, all this at first is not possible so the airline has stated that it will start long haul with SHJ, and then follow up with JNB.
It has also performed several proving flights to these 2 airports from LOS
https://allafrica.com/stories/201903250902.html
https://www.dailytrust.com.ng/fg-should-play-international-aero-politics-to-help-airlines.html
3. Cut them some slack. Yes, we know West African aviation is typically piss-poor compared to yours, but Rome wasn't built in a day , was it?
@JMunene Air Peace has been in the air since 2013.
Presently the biggest airline in West and Central Africa as well, so no scam I assure you.
@SG Too true.
Government needs to cooperate and understand that aviation cannot be run like normal naija business.
Same issues killed Virgin Nigeria VK and most of Arik W3.
@SeanM trust me, as professional as the Nigerian AIB is, weird things do happen.
Research more...
@JMunene Air Peace has been in the air since 2013.
Presently the biggest airline in West and Central Africa as well, so no scam I assure you.
@SG Too true.
Government needs to cooperate and understand that aviation cannot be run like normal naija business.
Same issues killed Virgin Nigeria VK and most of Arik W3.
@SeanM trust me, as professional as the Nigerian AIB is, weird things do happen.
Research more and you will discover that 4P did things by the book and reported those incidents to the NCAA, the equivalent of US FAA.
It's for them at NCAA to decide if AIB, the equivalent of US NTSB needs to investigate or not.
Example, if DL has an accident, do they report to the FAA or NTSB?
@Sam Nigerians love their big luggage allowances.
That will be a key differentiation for them, at least till competitors match up.
EK gives 2 x 23 kg in Y on NG routes.
That extra 23 kg Peace offers is a little more shopping space for the average NG based traveler!
@ Noah they do have an interline agreement with Air Arabia that allows them to sell 23 or so destinations via SHJ.
Destinations include AMD, AMM, BLR, BEY, CMB, DEL, DME, MAA and RUH.
They also have a strong (LF wise) but loss making West and Central Africa network, which can also be tapped for transfer traffic.
So I think these should help with connecting traffic to build their services.
The short haul/regional network efficiency, capacity and capability is expected to be boosted (and hopefully become profitable) in the medium term.
This is thanks to their orders for the E 190-E2 and B 737 Max (if and when the a/c does fly again), and hopefully the eventual phase out of the current short haul fleet of B737 Classic and ERJ-145.
@Seth, service has not even commenced yet and you say nixed?!!
Relax brother, I believe this will be the first Nigerian carrier in a long while to "get it right".
It may take time, but they are doing the right things, all factors considered IMHO.
Long distance service is scheduled to start as follows:
4P 7557 LOS 1800 05 JUL SHJ 0500 +1 777
4P 7558 SHJ 0800 06 JUL LOS 1300 777
4P 7577 operates 2,5,7 and 4P 7588 operates 1,3,6 for a 3 weekly service initially.
Man do I want to jump on this before it is nixed
Lucky, what’s the skinny on the Air Peace lounge in Lagos? Is there one?
That livery is... awesome? horrid?
I have no issue advertising Sharja as Dubai. Since it’s technically in the greater Dubai region. We do the same here in the US. Newark is not technically in New York City or Washington Dulles is not Washington DC. That is the least of my concerns.
I worry more about other stuff
Fly and review them now Lucky. Give it two months, we'll have a reduction in service, the CEO will say something like the route is underperforming or we are not doing as well as expected. Then not long after the route will be cancelled.
They're going up against Emirates on this route but Emirates fly to the far more convenient Dubai International than Sharjah. Plus they have the absolutely enormous route network from Dubai to add to that
Seems like a new game changer was born.
@Christy: the cancellations look patchy. My SiL is set to fly to Houston from Jakarta in 2 days and it looks like she'll find no probs
Maybe SHJ-LOS on Air Peace in F or J, then Delta One on the A330 LOS-ATL? If you're lucky (no pun intended), you might be able to work in Kuwait Airways F too -- seeing roughly $2100 one-way fares on BKK-KWI, which isn't cheap at all, but not ridiculous.
What's interesting to me is that all cabin classes from economy non-flex to First class have quite similar conditions: cancellation policies etc., very generous Luggage allowance 3x23kgs in economy & 3x32kg in J & F!!
Given that they've been operating domestically for a while i don't have alot of doubt that they'll actually pull through with this.
@Adam
Changing airline interiors is apparently very costly. Look no further than AF and their A380...
What's interesting to me is that all cabin classes from economy non-flex to First class have quite similar conditions: cancellation policies etc., very generous Luggage allowance 3x23kgs in economy & 3x32kg in J & F!!
Given that they've been operating domestically for a while i don't have alot of doubt that they'll actually pull through with this.
@Adam
Changing airline interiors is apparently very costly. Look no further than AF and their A380 or BA saying changing interiors on 2nd hand A380s is too costly and doesn't make a business case buying used A380s.
Lucky, I wouldn’t hold out great hope for this operation. Sounds half assed. As for TAAG, their Diamond First Class can only be described as abysmal. Food was inedible, staff insufferable. New planes in terrible shape from lack of cabin care.
On the bright side a trip with Rwandair is delightful. Friendly staff, new fleet, impeccable presentation. And the country is great and resilient.
Keep in mind that Air Peace is the airline that has had THREE serious incidents/accidents in the last 6 months alone, and have been accused by the Nigerian Accident Investigation Bureau of both "failing to report" and "actively concealing" these incidents. They have also been accused of "overwriting the Cockpit Voice Recorder" to prevent the AIB from accessing the data as part of their investigations.
https://leadership.ng/2019/06/11/aib-frowns-at-air-peace-over-failure-to-report-incidents/
http://saharareporters.com/2019/06/11/air-peace-concealed-major-aircraft-incidents-us-%E2%80%93-aib
http://avherald.com/h?article=4c985b51&opt=0
http://avherald.com/h?article=4c4d759d&opt=0
http://avherald.com/h?article=4c916624&opt=0
Keep in mind that Air Peace is the airline that has had THREE serious incidents/accidents in the last 6 months alone, and have been accused by the Nigerian Accident Investigation Bureau of both "failing to report" and "actively concealing" these incidents. They have also been accused of "overwriting the Cockpit Voice Recorder" to prevent the AIB from accessing the data as part of their investigations.
https://leadership.ng/2019/06/11/aib-frowns-at-air-peace-over-failure-to-report-incidents/
http://saharareporters.com/2019/06/11/air-peace-concealed-major-aircraft-incidents-us-%E2%80%93-aib
http://avherald.com/h?article=4c985b51&opt=0
http://avherald.com/h?article=4c4d759d&opt=0
http://avherald.com/h?article=4c916624&opt=0
I have used Air peace domestically in Nigeria and there was no problem at all taking pictures. The only problem was the massive shakedown at Lagos airport. On average, you are subject to 6-8 searches (including entering the airport) and everybody is asking for a small present.
Air Peace will be no problem, just be careful at the airport.
Sounds like the latest Nigerian con on the internet. Would not advise anyone to buy tickets.
Lucky why the heck aren’t you covering the massive Eva air strike? I am in Bali with my flight home scheduled on Eva air and I didn’t know about the strike until the airline texted me to tell me my flight was cancelled despite reading your blog daily. It’s been dragging on for nearly a week now and flights are cancelled into July.
Wow they didn’t even change the interior at all! I wonder if it will be loaded with the ICE entertainment system lol!