Nigeria’s leading airline Air Peace has launched non-stop flights to Lomé, Togo and is eyeing more routes to bridge the connectivity gaps in West Africa and further contribute to the development of regional air travel.
After launching flights to Niamey, Niger, last year, the carrier has expanded its footprint in the region with a direct connection between Nigeria and Togo. It has become the second full-service carrier to connect the two destinations after Togo’s Asky Airlines. Flights will be operated up to three times a week on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays.
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The inaugural flight was operated on July 28 from Lagos Murtala Muhammed Airport (LOS) to Lomé Tokoin International Airport (LFW) with the Embraer E195. It departed LOS at 08:04 and arrived at LFW at 08:31, where it was welcomed by the various locals and airline stakeholders. Air Peace Safety Manager Godfrey Ogbogu said;
“Today, Air Peace is connecting another city in West Africa. In March 2022, we launched Niamey in Niger Republic. Now, we’re expanding further with the commencement of flights into Lomé, Togo. It suffices to say we’re on a mission to ease air travel and bridge the connectivity gap among West African countries, and we’re quite delighted that Togo is joining our route network, making it eight regional routes in less than nine years since inception.”
The two capitals are only about 161 mi (260 km) apart, and this new connection will offer passengers more travel options while strengthening bilateral ties between Nigeria and Togo. With many Nigerians traveling to Togo for business, leisure, and other activities, Air Peace will foster trade and tourism in the region.
The Lagos-based carrier also plans to connect more destinations with Nigeria as part of its regional route expansion strategy. Upon landing in Lomé, the Safety Manager disclosed that Air Peace is planning to launch non-stop flights to Cotonou (COO) in Benin, Abidjan (ABJ) in Cote d’Ivoire, Kinshasa (FIH) in Congo, and Malabo (SSG), Equatorial Guinea.
Some of these routes are already in the works and will be launched before the end of 2023. According to the International Air Transport Association (IATA), passenger traffic in Western and Central Africa has recovered 108% of 2019 levels and will increase to 111% in 2024. Although the majority of air transport is provided by international airlines, regional carriers are looking to expand to meet the increase in demand. Ogbogu added;
“Air Peace will continue to provide best-in-class flight services, driven by a customer-first orientation and hinged on strict adherence to established safety standards. We’re also modernizing and increasing our fleet, especially with the brand new Embraer 195-E2 aircraft, to continue to give our customers a matchless experience onboard, whether domestic, regional, or international.”
This year, Air Peace has added Tel Aviv Ben Gurion (TLV) and Mumbai Chhatrapati Shivaji (BOM) to its international network. With the recent collaboration between the United States and Nigeria, the airline might also consider launching direct flights to Houston. Additionally, it will operate special flights to Antigua and Barbuda on the 5th and 9th of August for the Antigua Carnival.