Posted by Sade Williams
Chief Operating Officer of Air Peace, Mrs. Toyin Olajide said that in recent times, only Air Peace has acquired brand new aircraft in Nigeria.
Olajide, who was reacting to claims by Akwa Ibom State Government that only its airline has recently acquired brand new airplane in Nigeria, added that the aviation industry in Nigeria and globally is aware that in the past 10 years it is only Air Peace that has acquired brand new aircraft in Nigeria.
Olajide said that it is public knowledge that Air Peace made firm order for 13 Embraer E195-E2 aircraft and the new aircraft, which Embraer showed the world when it was in the production line has started arriving.
“The first one arrived in January 28, the second came on March 18 and the third one is coming in on June 17, 2021. They are flown directly from the manufacturing facility in San Jose, Brazil. The 13 aircraft we ordered will be brought into the country by the manufacturer, Embraer. I don’t understand the tendency to deceive the public by claiming an aircraft that was leased from another airline is brand new,” the Air Peace COO said.
The Managing Director, Flight and Logistics Solutions, Amos Akpan said brand new aircraft usually comes straight from the manufacturing line with identifiable serial number.
“The only aircraft that have been delivered brand new in recent times are the Embraer E195-E2 delivered by Embraer to Air Peace. People saw when the aircraft was being manufactured in the manufacturing line. In any case, if you take the manufactured serial number (MSN) of the aircraft claimed to be delivered brand new, you will see when it was manufactured, the first airline that received the aircraft and so on,” Akpan said.
Another stakeholder said the aircraft type is new in the market but the one that came into Nigeria is not brand new, advising that records should be set straight.
