By Joke Kujenya
DURING a special event held over the weekend in Lagos, Fidelity Bank Plc lauded Air Peace for its remarkable performance over the past decade since it initiated flight operations.
The occasion, organized by Fidelity Bank to celebrate Air Peace’s milestone of inaugurating direct flights from Lagos to London, saw Dr. Nneka Onyeali-Ikpe, the Managing Director of Fidelity Bank, expressing admiration the airline’s adherence to financial discipline and corporate governance principles since its inception.
Dr. Onyeli-Ikpe, who also served as the host of the event held at the Civic Center, Victoria Island, Lagos, highlighted Air Peace’s unwavering loyalty to the bank and its significant role as one of the bank’s major clients since its establishment.
She underscored the importance of celebrating the airline’s achievement in launching direct flight services to London and anticipated further milestones in its future endeavours.
The event also witnessed the presence of various bank Managing Directors, stakeholders from the aviation sector, media personalities and well-wishers of both Air Peace and Fidelity Bank.
In his remarks at the event, Dr. Allen Onyema, the Chairman of Air Peace, expressed gratitude for the support received from the flying public, aviation stakeholders, the media and the government since the airline’s inception in 2014.
He specifically acknowledged the instrumental role played by Engr. Ben Adeyileka, the former Acting Director-General of the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), in facilitating the acquisition of Airline Operator Certificate (ADC) for the airline.
Dr, Onyema commended Fidelity Bank for its consistent support and emphasized the bank’s contribution to Air Peace’s success story, recalling the partnership between Air Peace and the bank as a significant journey, praising Fidelity Bank for its commitment to supporting real business and alleviating poverty.
Furthermore, Dr. Onyema reiterated Air Peace’s mission of creating employment opportunities rather than solely focusing on profit-making, emphasizing the airline’s dedication to empowering Nigerians economically through job creating, stating that the establishment of the airline was driven by the conviction that running a carrier would contribute to massive job opportunities in Nigeria.
Highlighting the importance of supporting the growth of the Nigerian economy, Dr. Onyema appealed for continued patronage and support from all Nigerians, particularly on the newly inaugurated Lagos-London route.
He emphasized that sustaining the route would require collective support from Nigerians, as every contribution to Air Peace directly supports the livelihoods of thousands of Nigerians and fosters economic growth.
The Air Peace chairman assured passengers of the airline’s stanch obligation to safety standards and applauded the efforts of the carrier’s management and staff in realizing the milestone launching directs flights to London.