Air Peace has announced plans to commence international flight operations from Gateway International Airport to London this summer.
The Airline’s Chief Executive Officer, Allen Onyema, disclosed this during an interview with journalists after inspecting the airport’s facilities alongside Ogun State Governor, Dapo Abiodun.
The visit followed the official commissioning of the airport by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
According to Onyema, Air Peace will operate flights connecting the airport to both London Gatwick Airport and Heathrow Airport, marking a significant milestone for Ogun State’s aviation sector.
He praised the state government for delivering a world-class aviation facility, describing the airport as one of the best-equipped in Sub-Saharan Africa.
He emphasised that the airport’s infrastructure meets global standards and highlighted its four-kilometre runway, capable of accommodating large aircraft, such as the Airbus A380.
Air Peace, he noted, plans to deploy its Boeing 777 fleet for the London route.
Onyema also revealed that he had received approval from the Minister of Aviation to proceed with the operations, describing the project as a national asset rather than a purely state initiative.
Abiodun, in his remark, announced plans to further expand the airport’s ecosystem with the construction of an international conference and convention centre, alongside a 550-room five-star hotel.
He said the development would position the state as a hub for global business and tourism.
The governor also disclosed that cargo operations had already commenced with Allied Air, while Ethiopian Airlines is expected to begin operations soon. Additionally, another European carrier is set to launch cargo services into the state.
Abiodun projected that approximately 50 cargo flights would operate through the airport between April and the end of the year.
He further revealed the establishment of Gateway Airlines, which has acquired two Bombardier CRJ900 aircraft. The 90-seater planes are expected to enhance connectivity between Ogun State, Abuja, and other major Nigerian cities.
The governor, therefore, expressed confidence that the Gateway International Airport could soon become Nigeria’s third busiest aviation hub, after Lagos and Abuja.
Meanwhile, President Bola Tinubu, former President Olusegun Obasanjo, and Senate President Godswill Akpabio, at the weekend, lauded Abiodun for transforming the state and changing the face of aviation in the state through the Gateway International Airport.
They spoke during the inauguration of the airport and the state’s new airline, Gateway Airline, among other landmark projects, including road and housing projects in the state.
Tinubu thanked Abiodun for his strides in office, saying that the governor had justified the confidence reposed in him by the people of the state.
Obasanjo, who thanked Tinubu for making the sacrifice to attend the event, said it was a very important occasion in the history of Ogun State.
He commended Abiodun for building the airport, describing it as a landmark project.
Akpabio, while lauding Tinubu for his reforms, commended Abiodun for building the airport and his judicious use of increased federal allocations.
