By Uche Mbah
Air peace Sunday airlifted 312 Indians to Kerala in as part of the evacuation of foreign nationals by the airline, thereby increasing the number of foreign countries that uses the airline to evacuate their nationals.
In a release Sunday, the airline said it was a ten hour non stop journey.
“The flight, which departed today (Sunday, 31st may) from the Murtala Mohammed International Airport Lagos was operated with a B777 Aircraft with registration number 5NBWI is expected to arrive Cochin International airport in Kerala.
“We are thankful to the Indian Authorities for engaging Air Peace to Operate the Flight and the Nigerian government for supporting the Airline in all it’s special flights during the lockdown”, the Airline said.
Airpeace boss, Allen Onyema, further expressed gratitude to all other countries that patronised them during the lockdown.
“Israel blazed the trail when it approved the evacuation of its citizens from Lagos and Abuja to Tel-Aviv, followed by China and India”, he said.
“For the three countries to engage Air Peace to carry out the evacuation exercise speaks volumes about the level of confidence they have on the airline and its safety standards, which has been attested to by the International Air Transport Association (IATA) Operational Safety Audit (IOSA) certification of our airline.
“What the three countries have done will help in creating and sustaining jobs for Nigerians and by identifying with a Nigerian carrier at this time shows that they love our country and their support has challenged us to do more by improving on our achievements. Air Peace is grateful to the government of these countries. Their support means a lot to us. It shows that they truly have the interest of Nigeria at heart,” Onyema said.
In a related developement, Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Aviation, Honourable Nnolim Nnaji has said Federal government should ensure that at least one airport is reopened in each of the six geopolitical zones of the country as part of the gradual ease off of the lockdown due to covid 19, noting that this will give all zones a sense of belonging.
