The Chairman of Air Peace, Nigeria’s largest carrier, Allen Onyema has expressed regret at a point in his life when he misbehaved. In an interview, Mr. Onyema recalled when he lived in a hotel for two years when he had money to live in a personal house. According to him; “I left where I was squatting and moved to Ikeja Hotels where I lived for two years. I never liked three bedrooms with one toilet thus the decision.
As at that time in 1993, Allen was already a millionaire in the real estate sector. Few years after, he was the biggest real estate investor in Lekki area of Lagos. He recalled that when his wife, then his girlfriend visited him expecting to pick his things but discovered it was a hotel he was living in, she cried.
Allen advised Nigerian youths not to emulate such lifestyle expressing that it was youthful exuberance. He encouraged the youth to always study their environment to identify the needs and challenges of the society and provide solutions. “If you are the first person to discover a challenge and solve it, you will be very rich,” he concluded.
Allen Onyema is a pan-Nigerian and thorough-bred businessman with a strong nationalistic orientation. He has a profound interest in peace advocacy, youth empowerment, aviation, legal practice, and real estate investment.
He is an ambassador of the One Nigeria project, with a track record of deploying resources to key initiatives for promoting peaceful coexistence and productively engaging the Nigerian youth. The result-oriented and decisive conflict resolution veteran is from Mbosi in Ihiala, Anambra State.
Driven by the desire to create jobs, in September 2014, the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) finally issued Onyema an Air Operator’s Certificate (AOC) to commence operations under the brand name Air Peace Limited (APL).
From starting in 2014 with a record fleet of seven aircraft to earning the appellation of West and Central Africa’s largest carrier, Air Peace, under the leadership of Allen Onyema, has continued to evince strength, reliability, and consistency, becoming the aviation pride of Nigerians.
The airline has not only put Nigeria’s aviation industry on the map; it has also shown the world that a Nigerian airline is capable of globally acclaimed feats across all fronts, including a matchless safety culture. The airline took delivery of five brand new 124-seater Embraer 195-E2 aircraft, the first of its kind in Africa.
Air Peace, dominating Nigeria’s aviation industry under Onyema, has continued to set records that have remained unbroken, blazing the trail in route and fleet expansion to meet the increasing travel demand of its markets. The airline operates a mixed fleet of 13 Boeing 737s, 1 Dornier 328-300 Jet, 3 Boeing 777s, 8 Embraer 145s, 5 Embraer 195-E2s, and 10 Airbus 320s.
The country’s largest carrier, under Onyema’s leadership, has been actively involved in humanitarian efforts to evacuate stranded Nigerians from various crisis-hit regions. Last year, 277 Nigerians who were stranded at the Egyptian border due to the crisis in Sudan were successfully evacuated by Air Peace.
Air Peace’s commitment to humanitarian efforts demonstrates its dedication to ensuring the safety and well-being of Nigerian citizens, even in challenging circumstances. While these actions occurred during various crises, it’s important to recognize the airline’s role in providing assistance when needed most.
