TheCable

Allen Onyema, chief executive officer (CEO) of Air Peace, says some airlines are conspiring to take his company out of business by underpricing the flight tickets for the Lagos-London route.

Speaking in an interview on Channels Television on Tuesday, Onyema said Nigerians would pay 20 times more if the airlines succeeded in their “devilish conspiracy” against Air Peace.

On March 30, Air Peace, Nigeria’s flag carrier, commenced its Lagos-London flight services.

During the inaugural flight, many Nigerian politicians and celebrities boarded Air Peace to London.

The inaugural flight was widely celebrated by many Nigerians on social media who believed the cost of flight tickets to London would be reduced due to the presence of a Nigerian carrier on the route.

The development has made foreign airlines reduce the price of flight tickets for the Lagos-London route.

Reacting to the development, Onyema said some foreign airlines are now advertising prices like $100, $305 and $350 for Lagos-London flight tickets.

“Of course, it is a very devilish conspiracy. All of a sudden, airlines are underpricing — that is below the cost. Not up to a month,” he said.

“One other airline was advertising $100, another one $305 and $350. Fill up the entire aircraft and carry people on the wings. It is not even enough to buy your fuel.

“Why are they doing that? Because their governments are supporting them. Nigeria has been a cash cow for everybody.

“Their governments are supporting them to do this and take Air Peace out. The idea is to take Air Peace out, the moment they succeed in taking Air Peace out, Nigeria will pay 20 times over. It is going to happen, if they succeed in taking Air Peace out, God forbid. What is happening now is scary?”

The Air Peace boss said his company faced some hindrances during the inaugural flight at Gatwick Airport in London.

He said the intervention of Festus Keyamo, minister of aviation, assisted Air Peace.