Air Peace says that it has taken delivery of another aircraft, a Boeing 737-500 with registration number 5N-BQS.
A statement by the airline on Tuesday said the aircraft, which landed in Lagos from the United States last weekend, had already commenced demonstration flights.
The Chairman of Air Peace, Mr. Allen Onyeama, who was quoted as saying this, said the airline would commence operation with seven aircraft comprising Boeing and Dornier airplanes.
He also disclosed that the airline had entered into a maintenance partnership with the BCT Aviation Maintenance Company of the United Kingdom.
According to him, Air Peace is being maintained by the British maintenance firm, BCT Aviation Maintenance Company, which maintains aircraft around the world.
He pointed out though the maintenance agreement was at a huge cost to the company, the airline attached importance to safety issues.
He said, “One of the airlines operating in Nigeria is using the Germans in the maintenance of its aircraft and that is good; but Air Peace has gone British, and is being maintained by a major maintenance company, the BCT Aviation.
“This airline has zero tolerance for unsafe practices hence the serious attachment to safety with the signing of an agreement with the UK base maintenance company.”
On what motivated him to venture into airline business, Onyeama said he decided to set up an airline to create jobs for Nigerians and not to make money.
He said, “It is about my vision to plough back into the society. I know that the aviation industry is a very turbulent industry not only in Nigeria but also worldwide, but I have to contribute my own quota on how to contribute to the growth of my nation by creating jobs.”
“Someone told me that one airplane could give about 100 people a job, and this is why I decided to go into aviation because I wanted to create jobs.”
He said that Air Peace chose to use Dornier aircraft because of its capabilities, adding that the aircraft could take off on a short runway and land on short runway.
