Air Peace hails FG over VAT removal, waivers on importation of aircraft spares
The Chairman of Air Peace Limited, Mr. Allen Onyema has joined other leading stakeholders in the nation’s aviation industry to commend the federal government for recent range of policy initiatives introduced to lift domestic aviation in Nigeria.
In his remarks to celebrate the safe takeoff and landing of Air peace inaugural all-female crew flight in Abuja, Onyema thanked President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration for the support given to domestic airlines, especially the recent removal of the Value Added Tax on transportation and waivers on the importation of aircraft spares.
He revealed that over 20 per cent of key positions in the airline were being held by women, who had demonstrated that they had the capacity to deliver.
The all-female Air Peace flight crew which took place on Thursday, July 5, 2018, landed at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja at 3.29 p.m. amidst pomp and pageantry from aviation stakeholders.
The Boeing B777-300 aircraft piloted by Simisola Ajibola and assisted by Senior First Officer, Quincy Owens, departed Lagos to Abuja and Owerri.
The aircraft also departed Abuja and touched down at the Sam Mbakwe Cargo Airport, Owerri at 6.00 p.m. where it was welcomed with a ceremonial water salute.
While noting that the feat is to promote gender equality in the nation’s aviation industry, the chairman revealed further that Air Peace had employed about 2,000 workers since it began operations over three years ago, stressing that about 1,500 of the employees were women.
Earlier in his comments at a brief ceremony to mark the arrival of the flight in Abuja, Minister of State for Aviation, Hadi Sirika, commended Air Peace for joining the league of airlines that had operated flights with an all-female cockpit, cabin crew members, engineers and flight dispatchers.
The Minister, represented by Talba Alkali, Director, Safety and Technical Policy, Ministry of Transportation, said the feat had shown that the airline was gender friendly.
He recalled that “this is the first time a Nigerian airline is carrying out an all-female flight with a high capacity aircraft, adding that lower capacity aircraft were used by both Arik Air and Aero Contractors in previous occasions”.
“Air Peace has made a tremendous impact on the industry and we as regulators and the ministry will continue to create an enabling environment for the airline and other domestic airlines to thrive.
“Today’s event is yet another testament of the safety of our airspace and we will continue to work with the airlines to make it safer.”
Responding, the lead pilot, Ms Ajibola thanked Air Peace for giving her and her colleagues the opportunity to conduct the historic flight, adding that Nigerians should get used to having women in the cockpit.
Business Hilights recalls that within the last few months, the airline has expanded air services to some strategic routes in Africa and West Africa in particular.
