Air Peace to Acquire Five E175 Embraer Jets

*Airline to seal MRO deal with OEM 

*Says new aircraft worth $300m  

Kasim Sumaina in Abuja

West Africa’s largest carrier, Air Peace, yesterday, finalised negotiations with OEM, a Brazilian manufacturer of Embraer to buy five E175 jets with option to acquire five more.
The airline also announced that an agreement for new MRO facility would be developed in Nigeria to support maintenance on the regional jet types.
The Chairman/CEO of Air Peace, Mr. Allen Onyema, disclosed this to his audience at the 7th Aviation Africa Summit and Exhibition in Abuja.
According to him, the MRO agreement was in line with a new initiative by the new Minister, Festus Keyamo, to ensure fleet growth would be matched by inward investment in service support.
This, according to Onyema, was good for Nigeria, West Africa and the whole of Africa.
Speaking to journalists shortly after the agreement, Onyema hinted that the aircraft deal worth about $300 million would see the airline replacing existing Embraer ERJ145 fleet.
His words: “Already an operator of Embraer’s newest and largest jet. The E195-E2, the 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.
Similarly, 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 added: “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.”