Air Peace has become Nigeria’s first airline to begin direct flights between the country and the State of Israel.
According to the airline, direct travel between the two countries would begin on April 20, 2023.
The feat was characterized as a big relief to Nigerians and Israelis who had to travel for 27 hours from Nigeria to Israel via other countries, but it was emphasized that a direct trip between the two countries would take only five hours.
The airline announced that the Israeli government has confirmed its debut flight to Ben Gurion International Airport in Tel-Aviv, Israel, on April 20, 2023.
According to the announcement, Israeli Minister of Transportation and Road Safety Brigadier-General Miri Regev announced this in Israel and emphasized that it would be a historic performance.
There had never been a direct flight from the Middle East country to Nigeria.
Brigadier-General Miri Regev stated that Israel has begun to develop new routes to connect the world and named Nigeria as one of the key African countries with close relations with Israel.
According to the release, Regev stated that Israel has recently seen a surge of new routes opening to destinations all over the world, and he expressed joy at the beginning of direct flights to Nigeria as well.
He emphasized that Nigeria was one of Africa’s top countries and that it had maintained good links with Israel in a wide range of industries, including pilgrimage traffic to Christian holy sites in Israel.
He welcomed the new line, promising that it will contribute to the strengthening of the two countries business and cultural ties.
Mr. Allen Onyema, Chairman of Air Peace, commented on the new route, saying that the airline was ready for the inaugural and subsequent flights to the Holy Land.
Onyema added that the new route would begin with two flights per week and would gradually rise in frequency.
Onyema praised the governments of Nigeria and Israel for breaking down outdated barriers to make direct flights between the two countries a reality.
He also stated that the airline had completed plans to begin three times a week flight service to Jeddah and Medina to make it easier for Nigerians who wish to travel for pilgrimage, stating that this was in fulfillment of the airline’s promise to Nigerians of connecting them to domestic and international destinations.
He expressed confidence that the carrier will obtain authorization from Saudi authorities for the flight service and would announce the date for the scheduled flight operation in the coming days.
Air Peace was also the first Nigerian carrier to meet Israel’s severe safety and security requirements, allowing it to evacuate Israeli civilians during the COVID-19 lockdown in 2020.
The airline has begun direct flights to China and will begin another direct journey to India on March 31.
