Norse Atlantic Airways and Air Peace signed an aircraft leasing agreement under ACMI format (an acronym for Aircraft, Crew, Maintenance, and Insurance) which will facilitate the Nigerian airline’s entry into the British market.
Through this agreement, three Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners from Norse Atlantic will operate under a charter mode four times a week between Lagos and London-Gatwick, utilizing the slots that Air Peace holds at that airport. This complements the other three weekly flights it will operate with its own Boeing 777s, as mentioned by the airline’s CEO, Allen Onyema, in an interview with Arise News channel.
«Air Peace is delighted to have signed this partnership deal with Norse Atlantic Airways for the commencement of our London service. As we make a foray into the European market, we are confident that this strategic partnership will further position us to surpass the expectations of our customers, offering them superior air travel experience while we continue to optimise our operations for more innovative service delivery,» the executive added in a statement.
Bjørn Tore Larsen, CEO and founder of Norse Atlantic Airways, said they are «thrilled to be working with Air Peace to launch this ACMI charter service between London Gatwick and Lagos. This collaboration represents an exciting opportunity to leverage our expertise in charter operations to deliver a reliable and high-quality service to Air Peace and their customers,” said Bjørn Tore Larsen, CEO and Founder of Norse Atlantic Airways.»
Air Peace will inaugurate its flights between Lagos and London-Gatwick on March 30, and the agreement with Norse Atlantic will begin to be implemented from April and is valid for two months, although they indicated that there is potential to establish it in the long term.
The Nigerian airline will compete with British Airways and Virgin Atlantic, both of which operate daily flights between Lagos and London-Heathrow. The allocation of slots at a London airport to Air Peace was the result of contentious negotiations, as it was originally offered Luton or Stansted, options that Air Peace considered uncompetitive compared to Heathrow or Gatwick.
Founded in 2013, Air Peace has grown to become the most important airline in West and Central Africa, with a network of 19 destinations in Nigeria and 11 international ones, among which stand out Mumbai (India), Johannesburg (South Africa), and Jeddah (Saudi Arabia). Its fleet consists of five Embraer E195-E2, six Boeing 737-300, three Boeing 737-500, two Airbus A320, two Boeing 777-300, and one Boeing 777-200. It also has eight E195-E2, five E175, and 10 Boeing 737 MAX 8 pending delivery.
See also: Air Peace schedules the longest regular flight of an Embraer E-Jet
For Norse Atlantic, agreements like this one (similar to the one it has with Air Europa) allow it to make its operations more efficient and generate additional income during periods of lower demand in its transatlantic network.
