Chinedu Eze
Nigeria’s major carrier, Air Peace, introduced Lagos- Lome flights yesterday and said it aims to connect major destinations in West Africa.
It said it intends to deepen economic ties with Togo with the commencement of flight operations into the country.
The operation is geared towards easing air travel and bridging the connectivity gap among West African countries.
Nigeria’s Ambassador to Togo, Julius Adesina, said the commencement of Air Peace flight into Lome is a product of concerted efforts by the governments of Nigeria and Togo as well as Air Peace to boost trade between the West African nations and ensure ease of movement across West Africa.
According to Adesina, aviation is an essential sector for the sub-region’s development, particularly Nigeria and Togo to work towards a sustainable intra-African trade.
“We therefore celebrate with Air Peace Nigeria on this milestone and commends its commitment to providing smooth air transport services to Nigerians, to the Togolese, West Africans and, indeed, all Africans.
“It is most gratifying that this is happening just as President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is leading the charge to make ECOWAS the best regional organisation, a potent tool for the peace, progress and prosperity of our region,” the ambassador added.
The Safety Manager, Air Peace, according to Godfrey Ogbogu, in his opening address at the launch in Lome airport, said the airline was delighted that Togo is joining their route network, making it eight regional routes in less than nine years since inception.
He said, Togo and Nigeria currently have strong socio-economic ties and both countries have collaborated on significant fronts.
Ogbogu noted that, the launch of flights by Air Peace into Lome has given credence to these ties and will foster commercial cooperation as well as deepen bilateral ties between both countries.
He added, “Nigerians come to Togo for business and other purposes and the launch of this connectivity adds fillip to this economic exchange between both countries and also advances development.
“We’re reputed for our no-city-left-behind initiative and this is not just for domestic operations. Our no-city-left-behind drive extends to the West Coast, as we’re poised to continually interconnect key cities in the sub-region, making it easy for Africans to maximise the payoffs of air travel for the collective development of all the nations.”
The Air Peace Safety Manager also disclosed that in keeping with this corporate ambition, the airline would be launching soon, flight operations into Cotonou in Benin Republic, Abidjan in Cote d’ivoire, Congo Kinshasa and Malabo in Equatorial Guinea.
The new routes he said would happen before the end of 2023, “some of these routes will have been launched, because they’re already in the works.”
He assured that Air Peace would continue to provide best-in-class flight services driven by a customer-first orientation and hinged on strict adherence to established safety standards.
“We’re also modernising and increasing our fleet, especially with the brand new Embraer 195-E2 aircraft, to continue to give our customers a matchless experience on board- whether domestic, regional or international.
“We currently boast of 20 domestic routes, eight regional and five international destinations, including Israel, India and China. Also planned for launch in the future are Houston-USA and London. We’re constantly reviewing our route network in line with the travel needs of the flying public.”
Ogbogu, thanked the Togolese authorities and their partners present at the event and the Nigerian Government for making the launch possible and promised to work jointly with all the relevant aviation stakeholders to ensure this new route produces the desired outcomes for all.
