In 1990, Allen Onyema arrived in Lagos with empty pockets, sleeping on a friend’s floor in Oshodi and trekking daily because bus fare was a luxury he could not afford. Three decades later, that same man runs West Africa’s largest airline.
Air Peace began with seven aircraft funded by bank loans and now flies nearly forty, including routes to London where his fares crashed from $13,000 to $3,000 and forced foreign rivals to slash prices in response. Other international destinations include India, and Barbados.
Air Peace has secured approval to fly to Brazil and has announced plans to launch services to Toronto, New York, and Manchester, among other destinations
He evacuated stranded Nigerians from South Africa in 2019 and Sudan in 2023, mediated Niger Delta tensions before ever touching aviation, and plans a N32 billion maintenance hub promising 50,000 jobs.
A lawyer who names planes after his family, Onyema built an airline that rescues citizens and undercuts cartels. The floor-sleeper became the sky-opener.
Article source: Africa Giant
