Chairman of Air Peace, Dr. Allen Onyema, has hailed President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo SAN, for laying the foundation for what he describes as a bold renaissance in Nigeria’s aviation industry, marking the first time in over a decade that true reforms are translating into real operational benefits for indigenous airlines.
Speaking during a media parley with aviation correspondents at the airline’s Lagos headquarters on Wednesday, Onyema credited the Tinubu administration’s political will and Keyamo’s decisive actions with attracting renewed global interest in Nigeria’s aviation sector including long-denied dry lease opportunities that are now just weeks away from materializing.
“For over ten years, Nigerian airlines have struggled without access to dry lease arrangements. We cried, we begged, and nothing changed,” Onyema said. “But today, under President Tinubu’s leadership and Mr. Keyamo’s bold reforms, international lessors are returning. They see a government that means business.”
Onyema described Minister Keyamo as a game-changer who did not waste time lamenting past failures but took strategic steps to fix them. “He is pragmatic and responsive. While others held meetings, he took action. And now the world is paying attention.”
These policy shifts, Onyema noted, are enabling Nigerian airlines like Air Peace to retool their operations in ways that would have been impossible just a year ago.
He announced a new strategy implemented on May 12, 2025, under which Air Peace grounds three fully functional aircraft daily to serve as buffers.
The move, he said, is costly but necessary to absorb sudden disruptions caused by bird strikes, poor infrastructure, or weather delays.
“We’re losing money daily by keeping those aircraft idle, but we are protecting lives. This is the new mindset safety over profit. And we’re able to take these bold steps because we finally have a government that supports indigenous growth,” Onyema declared.
The chairman went on to recount two recent bird strikes — one in Port Harcourt and another in Owerri that could have ended in tragedy.
The Owerri incident, he said, involved a bird so large it shattered the aircraft’s windshield mid-air, risking decompression. Only quick thinking by the pilots saved the day. “They descended rapidly below 10,000 feet to maintain pressure. If they had climbed higher, we would be telling a different story today.”
Onyema emphasised that Air Peace pilots are rigorously trained for such emergencies, undergoing scenario-based bird strike simulations. “No pilot flies for us without passing that module. Foreign airlines may not go that far, but we do. Because Nigerian lives matter,” he said.
He also tackled misconceptions about flight delays, pointing out that Air Peace, which runs more than 100 daily flights, often bears the brunt of unfair criticism. “People see 10 delays and assume the worst, not realizing it’s a small fraction of our operations. Systemic issues from airport congestion to weather are to blame in most cases, not incompetence.”
Yet, Onyema said, the current administration is already addressing many of these structural challenges.
He urged the flying public and investors to support the direction the industry is now heading. “We are witnessing a rebirth of Nigerian aviation. It’s not just about Air Peace — it’s about giving every local airline the tools to succeed, and that’s what this government is doing.”
Reiterating his gratitude to President Tinubu and Minister Keyamo, he called on Nigerians to reject the culture of pulling down their own and to instead support indigenous businesses. “If you destroy your own champions, you destroy your own economy. Let’s build, not break,” he said.
With improved policies, stronger safety culture, and growing investor confidence, Onyema expressed hope that Nigeria will soon become a hub for aviation excellence in Africa. “We are finally on the right path. And this time, we’re flying forward — not falling behind.”
