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Nigeria’s biggest airline, Air Peace, has commenced a historic flight to the UK’s busiest airportThe flight, which took off from Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, began on Sunday, October 26, 2025The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Management, Festus Keyamo, commended the airline for the feat Pascal Oparada is a journalist with Legit.ng, covering technology, energy, stocks, investment, and the economy for over a decade. Nigeria’s largest airline, Air Peace, has commenced a historic direct flight from Abuja to London Heathrow Airport, marking a major milestone in the nation’s aviation industry. The inaugural flight took off from Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, on Sunday, October 26, 2025, and is expected to arrive in London the same evening. Keyamo leads passengers on maiden flight The development follows months of negotiations and diplomatic engagements between Nigeria and the United Kingdom. According to a statement by Tunde Moshood, Special Adviser on Media and Communications to the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Management, Festus Keyamo, the minister personally led passengers aboard the maiden Heathrow flight. Moshood stated: “The flight took off this morning and will arrive this evening in London, marking a new era for Nigeria’s aviation industry. The minister has been at the forefront of securing reciprocity under the Bilateral Air Services Agreement (BASA) between Nigeria and the UK.” He added that Keyamo had written to the UK Secretary of State for Transport, Louise Haigh, on August 1, 2024, insisting that a Nigerian carrier be granted landing rights at both London Gatwick and Heathrow Airport. Allen Onyema applauds government intervention Allen Onyema, Chairman of Air Peace, expressed gratitude to the federal government and praised Minister Keyamo’s relentless advocacy for local airlines. In an interview cited by Vanguard, Onyema urged other Nigerian airlines to acknowledge and support the government’s positive actions, including the recent suspension of a 4% Free-on-Board (FOB) charge previously imposed by the Nigeria Customs Service. He disclosed that the aviation minister’s intervention led to the removal of the levy, saving local airlines millions in costs and strengthening their global competitiveness. Keyamo: “Destroying the private sector destroys the country” Speaking at the event, Festus Keyamo highlighted the federal government’s commitment to supporting homegrown airlines, stressing that over 100 Nigerian airlines have collapsed in the last four decades — including Belview, Sosoliso, and Chanchangi. “If you destroy the private sector in your country, you destroy the country. Every good economy thrives on the wealth and wellbeing of the private sector,” he said. Keyamo reaffirmed that President Bola Tinubu’s administration is determined to protect and empower indigenous operators, describing the Heathrow flight as a victory for economic sovereignty. Air Peace expands global reach The carrier has also launched monthly flights to Antigua and Barbados, connecting Nigeria directly to the Caribbean through Accra, Ghana. Aviation analysts have hailed the airline’s international expansion as proof of Nigeria’s growing aviation capacity and urged the government to adopt Air Peace as the nation’s official carrier. Air Peace makes historic long-haul flight to St. Kitts and Nevis Legit.ng earlier reported that Nigeria’s largest carrier, Air Peace, has become the first Nigerian airline to fly to Robert L. Bradshaw International Airport in Basseterre in St. Kitts and Nevis. The airline's statement recently disclosed that it deployed a Boeing 777 aircraft to the airport, becoming the first Nigerian airline on the St. Kitts and Nevis arrivals board. The airline's statement recently disclosed that it deployed a Boeing 777 aircraft to the airport, becoming the first Nigerian airline on the St. Kitts and Nevis arrivals board. Source: Legit.ng
