Air Peace is set to commence the first direct flight from Nigeria to the State of Israel with effect from April 20, 2023.
This is the first time a Nigerian carrier would be operating a scheduled direct flight to Israel, which would be a relief for travellers on that route amidst the increasing diplomatic ties between the two countries.
Usually, many Nigerians who travel to Israel especially for pilgrimage spend 27 hours connecting two or more countries on a journey of five hours on a direct flight.
But the Israeli government has confirmed that Air Peace’s inaugural flight to Ben Gurion International Airport, Tel-Aviv, Israel would be April 20, 2023.
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The Israeli Minister of Transportation and Road Safety, Brigadier General Miri Regev who disclosed this in Israel, noted that this would be a historical feat, as there had never been a direct flight between the Middle East nation and Nigeria.
“The signed agreement will for the first time allow the airlines of each of the countries to operate regular flights at Ben Gurion Airport to several destinations in Nigeria, such as Abuja and Lagos. In the first phase, the Nigerian company (airline) will operate two weekly flights between Israel and Nigeria.
Brigadier General Regev said Israel has started opening new routes to connect the world and identified Nigeria as one of the leading countries in Africa that maintained close ties with Israel.
Commenting, the Chairman and CEO of Air Peace, Mr. Allen Onyema said that the airline is prepared for the inaugural and subsequent flights to the Holy Land, disclosing that it would begin with two flights a week and increase frequency with time.
He also disclosed that the airline has completed plans to begin three times a week flight service to Jeddah and Medina in order to make it easy for Nigerians who wish to travel for pilgrimage, adding that it is in fulfillment of the promise the airline made to Nigerians of connecting them to domestic destinations and to the world.