West Africa’s leading airline, Air Peace has announced plans to commence daily flights into the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) Base in Port Harcourt, Rivers state.
The airline, which slated its maiden flight for January 18, would operate from OAS Terminal at the base with state of the art facilities.
A statement issued by the airline’s Corporate Communications Manager, Mr. Chris Iwarah confirmed that the airline would operate from the Murtala Muhammed Airport domestic terminal (MMA2), Lagos and the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja into and out of the Port Harcourt NAF Base.
The operations, he said, would be managed by the carrier’s subsidiary, Air Peace Hopper as part of its no-city-left behind project, targeted at connecting underserved and unserved domestic and regional routes.
“We are delighted to announce the commencement of our flight operations from the Murtala Muhammed Airport 2, Lagos and the Nnamdi Azikiwe Airport, Abuja to the Nigerian Air Force Base, Port Harcourt, Rivers State starting from Friday, January 18, 2019.
“Our valued customers had yearned for the extension of our flight operations to the Port Harcourt NAF Base and we are quite pleased to respond to their request to enter the route,” the airline said.
The Managing Director and CEO of OAS Helicopters, which operates the OAS Terminal, Captain Evarest Nnaji, said the new terminal was designed and delivered to support airplanes and helicopters for oil and gas flight operations.
“It was designed and delivered with the sensitivity and stringent standard associated with oil and gas aviation security and safety in mind, taking into account the reliability and predictability desirous of a facility that supports 24/7 high net worth operations.
Evarest explained that Air Peace is accommodated in the facility in order to enhance the movement of oil and gas workers to and from different parts of the country to the base.
“First we conceived a large facility capable of supporting operations way more than we expect to utilise in near future; we therefore have enough space to share. Second, oil and gas operators seem very comfortable with Air Peace judging the number of expatriates you see on Air Peace flights, so when they approached us to use the facility we had no problem accommodating that, and I think they are happy. The facility is the best you can find around here as it meets all international oil and gas aviation standards which is usually way higher than regular commercial aviation,” Nnaji said.
The MD/CEO also said that the facility is still expanding as OAS expects to, within the next 24 months, install a state-of-the-art new generation helicopter maintenance hangar, which, according to him has not been found anywhere else in Africa.
“We have not been talking about this because OAS business model will remain on simple achievement milestone, showcasing our mileage of achievements as we accomplish them. That to me is more dignifying,” Captain Nnaji added.
