Emir of Kano, Alhaji Aminu Ado-Bayero, has commended Air Peace Airline’s Tuesday’s maiden commercial flight to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
The airline’s spokesman, Mr Stanley Olisa, disclosed on Wednesday in Ikeja, the Lagos State capital, that the emir commended Air Peace for expanding its Asian footprints with Tuesday’s flight.
Air Peace operated its maiden commercial flight from Kano to Jeddah on Tuesday on a B777s jet carrying 231 passengers.
The airline had been operating chartered flights to Saudi Arabia on Hajj operations.
The emir noted that with the launch of the scheduled nonstop flights to Jeddah, Air Peace would further deepen bilateral ties between Nigeria and Saudi Arabia, boost the economies of both countries and advance mutual development.
Ado-Bayero also commended the Chairman of Air Peace Airlines, Dr Allen Onyema, for the impact he created in the country through the airline.
He thanked the Saudi Arabian authorities, travel partners and the Nigerian government for making the launch possible.
Reacting, Onyema described Air Peace’s entry into Jeddah as a milestone, stating that Jeddah was the airline’s sixth international destination in nine years of launch of commercial operations.
“This is huge, not just for Air Peace, but for Nigeria.
“We are undoubtedly exemplifying our ambition of connecting Nigeria to the world with world-class flight services.
“Air Peace is on a mission to easing the air travel burdens of Nigerians and plugging the connectivity gaps that had hitherto existed.
“We are happy to be serving as a means of solidifying socio-economic ties between Nigeria and other countries of the world,’’ Onyeama said.
He noted that Nigeria and Saudi Arabia had always cooperated smoothly, with religious tourism being a key relationship driver.
He said that in line with its route expansion drive, Air Peace would launch flight operations into London soon.
Onyeama expressed gratitude to the emir of Kano, who felicitated with the airline during its ninth anniversary, describing the emir as a bridge-builder.
He also applauded Ado-Bayero for his contributions to nation-building, adding that the nation needed more of such traditional rulers.
He said Air Peace was modernising and increasing its fleet as it already signed an order for five new E175 aircraft in addition to existing orders for 15 Boeing MAX aircraft. (NAN)
