Air Peace CEO Allen Onyema has revealed that the airline could be starting flights to Israel soon. The Nigerian carrier would be the first to offer direct flights, dramatically cutting travel time to the Middle Eastern country. While not confirmed, services could start as soon as the end of November.
New route incoming?
According to The Eagle Online, Air Peace is considering a new route from Lagos Airport to Tel Aviv-Yafo. The route will cater to the thousands of pilgrims who visit Israel every year for its historical religious sites. Currently, travelers must take lengthy one-stop connections through the Middle East, which can take at least 10 hours.
However, a direct flight between the two cities would be just shy of six hours, a major improvement for most. CEO Allen Onyema is certainly interested in this route, as he revealed in a meeting with the Israeli Ambassador to Nigeria, Michael Freeman, and the Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Christian Pilgrim Commission, Yakubu Pam.
The 2,684-mile route has never been served by a Nigerian carrier before, with Pam saying,
“Having a direct flight to Israel by a Nigerian airline will curtail the issue of high expenditure and reduce abscondment. Our joy is that our own person, a Nigerian, will be the first to have this opportunity to airlift pilgrims directly to Israel”.
Coming soon?
While there is demand for direct flights to Israel, several factors go into deciding whether such a route is feasible. Air Peace’s fleet of Boeing 737s, 777s, and the new E195-E2 are all capable of making the six-hour journey from Africa to the Middle East, offering a decent amount of flexibility.
One Air Peace Media Representative also hinted that flights could start as soon as the end of November, meaning the carrier is working hard to make this route a reality. However, this is yet to be confirmed, and tickets have not gone on sale just yet, meaning such a short lead time is questionable.
Flights for religious pilgrims tend to perform exceptionally well due to relatively inelastic demand, especially around important seasons. Therefore, Air Peace’s new route to Tel Aviv could see a comfortable passenger load, especially during certain times of the year.
Not the longest regional jet route
If Air Peace decided to push ahead with Tel Aviv flights, it wouldn’t even be the longest regional jet flight in the world. This record is held by the same carrier, with Air Peace’s recently resumed Lagos-Johannesburg clocking in 2,803 miles and a length of over six hours. Depending on demand, don’t be surprised to see the E195-E2 headed to Tel Aviv as well.
Source: simpleflying.com