For the first time in history, Nigerians will be able to take a direct flight to Israel, and this is courtesy of Air Peace. The Israeli Transport Minister approved an aviation agreement with Nigeria on Sunday, March 26th, enabling direct flights between the two countries. Pending cabinet approval in Israel, the agreement will enable carriers from both nations to conduct flights between Tel Aviv and Nigerian cities such as Lagos and Abuja.
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According to the Israeli Transport Ministry, the flights are expected to begin in April. The agreement will make the pilgrimage for Christians to the Holy Land more seamless, as it presently necessitates a layover in either Turkey or Ethiopia. According to the Israeli Ministry, Nigeria’s Air Peace is going to be the first airline to offer direct flights, with twice-weekly service commencing on April 20th.
Miri Regev, the Israeli Transport Minister noted that Nigeria, “maintains close ties with Israel in a wide variety of fields, alongside heavy traffic of pilgrims coming to Israel to visit the holy places in Christianity.” She also spoke about direct flights stating that they “will contribute to strengthening of the business and cultural ties between the nations and between the governments.”
Allen Onyema, the Chairman and CEO of Air Peace, stated that the airline is ready for its first and future flights to the Holy Land. He revealed that the service would commence with two flights every week and would gradually increase in frequency over time.
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Nigeria and Israel first signed a Bilateral Air Service Agreement (BASA) in 2013. The Bilateral Air Service Agreement (BASA) aimed to enable non-stop flights between Nigeria and Israel. Nevertheless, the agreement remained ineffective as no airline was willing to undertake the route until Air Peace stepped forward.
