Nigeria’s leading carrier, Air Peace, on July 10, 2020, dispatched, two B777 aircraft, with registration number 5N-BWI and 5N-BVE, to Malaysia and India, airlifting citizens of both countries and Singaporeans from Nigeria and returned to the country with over 300 Nigerians from different countries in Asia.
Among the evacuees airlifted from Nigeria included about 250 Indians in one of the many evacuation flights carried out by the carrier to the world’s second most populated country.
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Air Peace said both flights returned safely to Abuja and Lagos Saturday night, evacuating over 300 stranded Nigerians from Malaysia, Thailand and Indonesia in one flight, while the second flight brought in some stranded Nigerians in India and over 200 Indians working in Nigeria.
The airline said the stranded Nigerians from Malaysia and Thailand who had lost hope of being evacuated, commended Air Peace for coming to their rescue at an affordable fare.
The excited passengers were full of praises for the airline and the federal government of Nigeria for its support, according to the airline’s Chief Operating Officer, Mrs. Toyin Olajide.
Olajide commended the federal government of Nigeria for all the support and assured that with such continued support, Air Peace, and indeed, other Nigerian carriers would be able to compete with other notable carriers in the world.
She singled out the Minister of Aviation, Sen. Hadi Sirika and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Geoffrey Onyeama and thanked them for the support they have given the airline and the succour they have given Nigerians living abroad by providing them the opportunity to return home.
She said the fact that foreign governments have started using Air Peace to evacuate their nationals is an evidence of the capacity of the Nigerian carriers.
According to her, the local carriers have been able to withstand the stringent regulatory conditions by the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA).
She stated that Air Peace is efficiently and effectively managed and could compete with any other carrier globally.
Olajide also disclosed that besides bringing Nigerians back from the UK, India, China, Turkey, Kenya, Uganda, etc, the airline has equally been contracted by governments of Israel, China, India and now Malaysia to evacuate their citizens.