Dr Allen Onyema, making a speech at the check-in pavilion of Nnmandi Azikiwe International Airport, NAIA, Abuja, before the maiden Abuja-Heathrow flight, Sunday, 26th October 2025
The Air Peace aircraft, which took off on Sunday, 26th October 2025, from Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, NAIA, Abuja, safely landed at Heathrow Airport just about six hours later.
All the passengers were delighted by the hitch-free flight, which most passengers described as blissful. The landing was hailed as seamless; there was hardly any jerking, rather, it was comfort in the skies and a peaceful reconnection with the ground.
A brief reception was organised by the management of Heathrow Airport as a welcoming symbol for the leading Nigerian flag carrier.
R-L: Dr Allen Onyema, Chairman, Air Peace Airline, in a heart-to-heart talk with Barr Festus Keyamo, Aviation & Aerospace Development Minister, and a board member of the airline
Also, before takeoff from Abuja, in a vibrant and celebratory event at the check-in counters of Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport (Abuja), Nigeria’s leading carrier, Air Peace Limited, officially launched its maiden direct flight from Abuja to London Heathrow Airport.
The check-in area was transformed into an exhilarating environment of branded décor and enthusiastic passengers, where travellers received special souvenirs and celebratory treats as part of the carrier’s inaugural flight into Heathrow.
In attendance were the airline’s management team, including the carrier’s Chairman, Dr Allen Onyema, Vice Chairman, Mrs Alice Onyema, and Board of Directors, Barr Emeka Ngige, SAN; Mrs Ekaette Monsuru; Engr Benedict Adeyileka, and Founder of the United Nigeria Airlines, Professor Obiora Okonkwo.
L-R: Dr Allen Onyema, Chairman Air Peace Ltd, and Barr Festus Keyamo, Minister of Aviation & Aerospace Development, chatting up a senior citizen with reduced mobility, at Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, NAIA, Abuja, shortly before the maiden flight to Heathrow and Gatwick
High-powered government officials underscored the significance of this milestone. Festus Keyamo, SAN, Minister for Aviation and Aerospace Development, highlighted the intensive diplomatic efforts that secured the Heathrow slot, reaffirming the Government’s support for indigenous carriers under the bilateral air services agreement.
He noted that “the connecting capital of the whole of Europe” now lies within reach of Nigerian travellers, reflecting Nigeria’s firm stance on reciprocity and fair access.
Representing the Vice President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the Deputy Chief of Staff, Ibrahim Hassan Hadejia, extended congratulations to Air Peace on behalf of the Government and Nigerians, welcoming the increased competition, improved service and more accessible pricing to the UK market.
He lauded the airline’s patriotism and the President’s enabling policies for aviation.
In a remark delivered on behalf of the 10th National Assembly, Benjamin Okezie Kalu, Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, said the milestone embodies the philosophy that when government clears the runway, the private sector takes flight.
L-R: Dr Allen Onyema, Chairman Air Peace, (2nd left), Prof Obiorah Okonkwo, Founder, United Nigeria Airlines, UNA, and Barr Festus Keyam, Aviation & Aerospace Development Minister, and Mrs Alice Onyema, Vice Chairman, Air Peace Ltd, at a brief reception in NAIA, Abuja, before departure on Sunday, 26th October 2025
He paid glowing tribute to Air Peace Airlines’ Chairman, Allen Onyema, as a role model in entrepreneurship, integrity, and a high-level of service delivery.
He said the old route had for about a century provided Nigerians a great link to Europe to acquire a Western education, and armed with the knowledge to contribute their expertise to the nation’s development, especially since independence was granted in 1960.
Allen Onyema, Chairman of Air Peace, thanked President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the Aviation Minister, and all stakeholders for their trust and support in enabling a major indigenous operator to claim a global gateway.
He emphasised that the feat of returning Nigeria’s flag carrier to London Heathrow airport was an indication of resilience, enormous local investment, improved private-sector capacity and a commitment to raising Nigeria’s footprint on the global aviation map.
R-L: Seated is a board member of Air Peace, next is Dr Allen Onyema, Chairman, Air Peace Airlines, and standing, Barr Festus Keyamo, Aviation & Aerospace Development Minister, at Abuja airport on Sunday, 26th October 2025
Onyema noted that Heathrow’s connectivity — beyond London to the Americas, Europe and the Caribbean — will now be accessible through the airline and that the Government should not relent in its support, thus averting stifling local investors but creating an enabling environment for indigenous aviation enterprises to continue to soar.
This landmark moment captures what Air Peace has steadily built upon. As West and Central Africa’s largest airline by fleet size, Air Peace launched its Lagos–London Gatwick route in March 2024 and over the last year has consolidated its international presence.
The Abuja–Heathrow operation, launched on 26th October 2025, positions the airline as the first Nigerian carrier to connect the nation’s capital directly to Western Europe’s premier airport.
As passengers checked in with excitement, adorned in branded memorabilia and looking ahead to a new chapter of connectivity, Air Peace’s maiden flight to Heathrow stood as a clear announcement: Nigerian aviation is ready for new heights, and the eagle has taken flight.
From all of us at Nigeria Transport Hub, NTH, we say hearty congratulations to Nigerians and Air Peace for leading the battle to mitigate the exploitative fares hitherto slammed on travelling Nigerians
DETAILS OF PASSENGERS’ ENCOMIUMS FOR THE BLISSFUL FLIGHT IN AN EXQUISITE CABIN, TO BE PUBLISHED SOON
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