By ITOHAN ABARA-LASERIAN

Air Peace Airlines says when it begins its London route, there will be special student fares for students traveling to study beginning March 30.

The Chairman of Air Peace, Mr Allen Onyema, disclosed this at the airline’s travel agents forum for the London launch held on Thursday in Lagos.

Onyema, however, said that the special fares would ensure accessible and affordable fares for students during holidays and resumption periods.

Hence, he advised travel agents to handle the process with dexterity to rule out abuse of the initiative.

“Several parents have been disconnected from their children. Many students have not been home for over two years because their parents cannot afford return fares to London.

“Parents will no longer suffer to raise money for fares for their children because the student fares will be affordable for all parents.

“My children all schooled abroad and we insist that they return to Nigeria during their school breaks, no matter how short.

“This is to enable us remain connected to our children and ensure they stick to our values and culture.

“I know this is also the desire of several other parents but this desire has been cut short because of high fares.

“This narrative will changed as soon as Air Peace resumes flights to London,” Onyema assured.

The Chairman said that the Air Peace London route was borne out of his love for Nigeria and to help cushion the high fares from Nigeria to London and back.

He said: “I am not interested in politics. This is not about going to London. It is about giving Nigerians the best option and yielding to the yearnings of Nigerians. Air Peace was set up to create jobs for Nigerians,” he noted.

Onyema, however, did not reveal how much fares Air Peace will charge on London route, but assured that the fares will be cheaper than its contemporaries.

He also promised to give commissions on tickets sold for travel agents unified.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that currently, air fares to London range between N1.6 million to N2.4 million.

Mr Bankole Bernard, Chairman of Airlines and Passengers’ Joint Committee (APJC) of the International Air Transport Association (IATA), applauded Air Peace London flight.

Bernard noted that this was laudable especially as Nigeria would now have its own carrier creating balance of trade.

“There will be a bit of balance. Air Peace has been given a daily slot to Gatwick, which amounts to seven frequencies, compared to 21 frequencies that the legacy airlines have; 14 in Lagos and seven in Abuja.

“To an extent, we have something that will balance it up.

“Air Peace is not going to be faced with challenges of foreign exchange because the fares will be in naira. It is a welcome idea for travel agents and Nigeria as a whole.

‘We appeal to Air Peace to try its best to sustain the London route. We are willing to give them all the support to ensure this is successful. With Air Peace, travel agents envisage a 50 percent fare reduction,” Bernard said.

Mrs Oluwatoyin Olajide, Chief Operating Officer, Air Peace, said that the London route was one that marks the airline’s entry into the European continent.

Olajide said the service would be operated with the airline’s Boeing 777 aircraft and the Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft, one of the most modern and efficient aircraft in the skies.

She also said the airline would be launching with special promo fares and attractive plans for agents soon.

“Operating daily, this service will also offer several other benefits which give Air Peace an edge over the competition. It’s a direct flight without stop-overs and offers unbeatable fares.

“The specifics of these offers and other Unique Selling Points will be presented as this engagement progresses.

“We want you to know that Air Peace’s operational expansion and milestones are driven by our ambition to continually connect cities and ease the burden of air travel while fostering economic prosperity across nations,” she said. (NAN)

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