Air Peace seals USD 212.6 million deal for three additional E195-E2 jets

AT the Dubai Airshow, Embaer has announced that Nigerian airline, Air Peace, has signed a firm contract for three additional E195-E2s, confirming purchase rights for the original contract signed in April this year.

These new E195-E2s will be included in Embraer’s 2019 fourth-quarter backlog and have a value of USD 212.6 million, based on Embraer’s current list prices.

Air Peace is the first airline in Africa set to operate the E-Jets E2, Air Peace’s firm order, announced in April this year, is now for 13 E195-E2s with 17 purchase rights for the same model. The first delivery is scheduled for the second quarter of 2020.

“The E195-E2 is the perfect aircraft to expand our operations in Africa and this new order is a further confirmation of our ‘no-city-left-behind initiative which we shall continue to execute”, said Air Peace chairman/CEO, Allen Onyema.

He added, “We are receiving impressive data about the aircraft’s economics now that is in revenue service, and this was a driver to place this new firm order with Embraer. We look forward to receiving our first aircraft, which will enhance connectivity in Nigeria and the African region, while feeding long-haul flights from our Lagos hub.”

The e195-E2s ordered by Air Peace will have dual configurations with 12-seater business class and 102-seater in the economy class.

The aircraft also comes in single configuration of all economy class of 144 seats.

Air Peace Chief of Finance and Administration, Mrs. Ejiroghene Eghagha who signed the new deal on behalf of the airline said, “The E195-E2 is the perfect aircraft to expand our domestic and regional operations and the new deliveries will ease our subsidiary fleet in the Air Peace Hopper to actualise  our ‘no-city-left-behind initiative which we shall continue to execute”.

“We are receiving impressive data about the aircraft’s economics when in revenue service, and this was a driver to place this new firm order with Embraer. We look forward to receiving our first aircraft, which will enhance connectivity in Nigeria and the African region. The new order will gradually replace our existing fleet, which will make us the airline with the youngest fleet in the world.

“It is our plan to connect the whole Nigerian cities that have airports and burst the triangular routs by connecting flights to direct destinations. Air Peace is looking forward to serving Nigerians with these brand new airplanes and adding more routes to the existing ones for the overall development of our country,” Mrs. Eghagha said.

Air Peace also disclosed that with the delivery of the new jets, it would connect more cities in its domestic operations by developing new routes and connecting people to business hubs at different parts of the country.

“We will like to develop new routes to enhance the nation’s economy. We will like to connect Owerri to Kano, Benin to Port Harcourt, Ibadan to some destinations in the northern part of the country. We will also like to connect Sokoto to Maiduguri, Lagos to Gombe. We would connect these cities without stops in Lagos or Abuja.

“We will use our 50-seater Embraer ERJ 145 jets, which we acquired for this purpose. We have just added two of the brand to our existing six, making it eight aircraft. As the new deliveries arrive we utilise the 50-seater jets to connect every city in the country,” Mrs. Eghagha added.

Vice President Sales, Africa and Middle East, Embraer Commercial Aviation, Raul Villaron said,”Air Peace will love the aircraft’s efficiency and the passenger will experience an unparalleled level of comfort, especially in first class – Air Peace is the launch customer for Embraer’s new premium staggered seating option. We look forward to supporting Air Peace’s growing E2s fleet and to deepening our fruitful partnership.”