Sade Williams/Business a.m.
Nigeria International Air Show, the country’s historical first air show, which took place in Abuja recently, honoured Air Peace, west and central Africa’s largest carrier by fleet size, with the award of ‘Airline of the Year. The air show was staged at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in the country’s capital.
Festus Keyamo, minister of aviation and aerospace development, presented the award to the airline representative, during which he acknowledged Air Peace’s meteoric rise and transformative impact on Nigeria’s aviation sector.
Founded in 2014, the Nigerian flagged carrier has grown from a modest fleet of Dornier 328s and Boeing 737s to one of the most formidable carriers in Africa. Today, the airline boasts a mixed fleet that includes wide-body Boeing 777 aircraft, modern Embraer 195-E2 jets, and other narrow-body and regional aircraft, a clear demonstration of its strategic investments in fleet modernization and capacity expansion.
On the route front, Air Peace has significantly expanded its reach, both domestically and internationally. In 2024, the airline launched its Lagos–London (Gatwick) service, marking its entry into the European market. In late 2025, it further extended its international footprint by inaugurating a direct Abuja–London (Heathrow) flight — the first ever by a Nigerian airline, thereby signaling the airline’s global ambitions and capacity to compete on the world stage.
These achievements; a modern, diverse fleet, a broad domestic/regional network, and strategic long-haul expansion, collectively underscore why Air Peace stood out at the Nigeria International Air Show.
The “Airline of the Year” award recognises not just its current success, but its role in reshaping Nigeria’s aviation landscape, expanding connectivity, and restoring national pride in local carrier capability.
Aviation analysts say as Air Peace continues to grow, the award cements its status not just as Nigeria’s leading airline, but as a continental aviation powerhouse determined to connect Africa more robustly to the world.
