Air Peace deepens safety standard with IOSA renewal

• Launches Monrovia, Abuja-Accra services
Air Peace Airlines has improved its safety standards, which enables it to scale the hurdle of International Air Transport Association Operational Safety Audit (IOSA) renewal.

The airline, in its fourth year of operation, described the audit as “rigorous” but quite pleased to sustain the high standards of its flight operations.

The airline sets a record when it secured its initial IOSA certificate barely two years into its operations and was admitted as a member of the global aviation body – International Air Transport Association (IATA).

Area Manager (South West Africa) of IATA, Dr. Samson Fatokun, recently presented the IOSA renewal certificate to the Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of Air Peace, Allen Onyema, in Lagos.

Fatokun reckoned that the fresh exercise was much tougher than the first audit exercise.

He congratulated Air Peace on scaling the tough test, urging the carrier’s management to remain uncompromising in ensuring the safety of its flight operations.

Onyema commended IATA for insisting on strict safety requirements for flight operations. The carrier, he assured, would continue to raise the bar of service in the aviation industry .

Air Peace, he said, was ready to receive guidance from IATA to ensure its operations always accorded with global best practices and standards.

Onyema noted that global aviation and corporate players were amazed at the huge growth of Air Peace, which recently increased its fleet size to 24 aircraft to cater to the expansion of its domestic operations from 12 routes, regional flights to more West Coast cities besides Accra, Freetown, Banjul and Dakar as well as launch of its long-haul flights to London, Dubai, Sharjah, Guangzhou-China, Mumbai and South Africa.

Meanwhile, Air Peace has announced plans to commence flight services from Lagos and Abuja to Roberts International Airport, Monrovia and from Abuja to Kotoka International Airport, Accra on August 6.

Corporate Communications Manager of Air Peace, Chris Iwarah, said the new routes were part of the third phase of the carrier’s network expansion project on the West Coast of Africa.

Air Peace launched its first regional flight out of Lagos to Accra on February 16, 2017. About a year later on February 19, 2018, the airline added Freetown (Sierra Leone), Banjul (The Gambia) and Dakar (Senegal) to its route map.

The new routes, Iwarah said, would also connect Accra and Monrovia. The carrier added that many domestic routes, including Makurdi, Warri, Port Harcourt NAF Base and Kaduna, would soon join its network under its no-city-left-behind project. Air Peace also confirmed that it would shortly reopen its Asaba and Sokoto operations.

He said: “We are not just progressively expanding our route network to deliver on our goal of seamless air connectivity; we are also crystallsing our ultimate vision of bringing the world to Africa and Nigeria through the expansion of our capacity in terms of human resources and equipment.

“We have recruited a lot of personnel to deepen our service efficiency. We have also increased our fleet of Embraer 145, Boeing 747 and Boeing 777 to a size of 24 aircraft. We solicit the continued support and partnership of the flying public in our determination to give the best in air travel,” Iwarah said.