West Africa’s largest carrier, Air Peace, Thursday in Abuja finalised negotiations with OEM, a Brazilian manufacturer Embraer, to to buy five E175 regional jets with options for five more.
The Chairman and CEO of Air Peace, Allen Onyema, disclosed this at a Summit in Abuja that the MRO agreement was in line with a new initiative by the minister, Festus Keyamo, to ensure fleet growth would be matched by inward investment in service support.
He said was good for Nigeria, good for West Africa and good for the whole of Africa.
Speaking to journalists on the sidelines, shortly after the agreement, Onyema hinted that the aircraft deal worth $300 million, adding that it would see them replacing existing Embraer ERJ145 fleet.
His words: “Already an operator of Embraer’s newest and largest jet, the E195-E2, these smaller aircraft will complement the airlines’ existing fleet, allowing Air Peace to dynamically match capacity to demand, protecting yields and route viability.
“This is another important step in helping to realise our ambition to connect the whole of Nigeria with the entire African continent, while also feeding passengers into long-haul flights from our Lagos hub. The acquisition enables us to continue delivering on our ‘no-city-left-behind’ initiative – connectivity is what our passengers, and Africa, demand,” the Air Peace boss concluded.
On his part, Embraer Commercial Aircraft Head of Africa/Middle East region, Stephan Hannemann, explained that Air Peace’s strategic and innovative approach continues to make them a powerhouse of aviation success in West Africa.
Hannemann said, “Already an E2 operator, it now makes sense to upgrade their ERJ145 fleet, offering passengers more seats and comfort with the E175.
“The commonality of the cockpits between the E1 and E2 fleet also simplifies aircrew costs and management.”