Nigeria’s Air Peace has placed an order for five Embraer E175 aircraft as seeks to expand its operations.
The decision by West Africa’s largest airline marks a significant step forward in the ongoing strategy of modernising its fleet.
This acquisition is in line with Air Peace’s determination to become the operator of the largest and youngest fleet of aircraft in Africa and paves the way for further regional expansion.
Deliveries of the 88 seat aircraft start in 2024. The value of the order, at list price, is $288.3m.
Air Peace Embraer fleet
Air Peace is already an operator of Embraer’s newest and largest jet, the E195-E2, and these smaller aircraft will complement the airlines’ existing fleet.
Chairman and CEO Allen Onyema said: “This is another important step in helping to realize our ambition to connect the whole of Nigeria with the entire African continent, while also feeding passengers into long-haul flights from our Lagos hub.
“The acquisition enables us to continue delivering on our ‘no-city-left-behind’ initiative – connectivity is what our passengers, and Africa, demand. The deal also paves the way to establish local maintenance capabilities in Nigeria, with direct support from Embraer.”
Stephan Hannemann, VP sales and marketing, head of Africa and Middle East region, commercial aviation, added: “Air Peace’s strategic and innovative approach continues to make them a powerhouse of aviation success in West Africa.
“Already an E2 operator, it now makes sense to upgauge their ERJ145 fleet, offering passengers more seats and comfort with the E175.
“The commonality of the cockpits between the E1 and E2 fleet also simplifies aircrew costs and management. Acknowledging Air Peace’s significant investment in the acquisition of the Embraer fleet of aircraft, which has increased to 18 brand new firm aircraft to date, Embraer, in partnership with Air Peace is committed to directly supporting the establishment of local maintenance capabilities in Nigeria.”
Subscribe to the FINN weekly newsletter
