Air Peace, Nigeria’s biggest airline and market leader in West Africa has officially inaugurated its first Embraer E195-E2. The airline took delivery of its first E2 in January and has since added two more. After over six months of waiting, these new, modern regional jets have officially flown their first passengers.
Air Peace is the first African operator of the E2 and has made some interesting cabin layout changes. The aircraft which was officially commissioned into passenger service on Monday, 19th July took off from the airline’s base in Lagos, Nigeria, and has flown multiple rotations.
It was all smiles at the inaugural flight, as Air Peace celebrated its youngest aircraft fleet and became the first African E2 operator. The planes are currently being used for domestic rotations within Nigeria, flying to Abuja, Owerri, Port Harcourt, Kano, and several others.
Speaking on the inauguration, the Chairman of Air Peace, Allen Onyema said that “Today, we officially commissioned our ultramodern E195-E2 airplanes into service. These brand new aircraft are the latest invention from Embraer and offer you a whole new level of comfort. Keep choosing Air Peace.#BetterDealWithAirPeace #airpeace #embraer pic.twitter.com/OyU4cKGjJh
— Allen Onyema (@Ifeallenonyema) July 19, 2021
Out of Air Peace’s three delivered E2s, two are currently flying, according to data from RadarBox.com. 5N-BYF, the airline’s first E2, and 5N-BYH, the most recent delivery, are the two that have been flying. After over a month of non-passenger flights, the airline is finally ready to take off. Meanwhile, 5N-BYG has flown several test flights in June but has not yet entered commercial service.
For Air Peace, the addition of the E2 is a big step towards modernizing its aging fleet. In a statement, a spokesperson said,“Air Peace cares so much about the comfort of its customers and that explains why we keep investing in brand new aircraft to give the average passenger a memorable experience to look forward to on-board. This fleet expansion is also driven by our ambition to provide numerous connections for the flying public.”
Air Peace is looking to maintain its dominance in West Africa and continue growing in the coming years. In total, Air Peace has ordered 13 of the new E2s, which it will deploy on domestic and short-haul international flights. With three already here, the carrier is expecting to take delivery of five more E2s in 2021 alone, finishing a bulk of its order. The airline has long spoken about why it opted to purchase and boost its E2 order, citing the strong economics of the plane for its operations.
For those who have the chance to try out Air Peace’s E2 fleet, you might find something interesting in the cabin layout. Instead of a standard 1-2 seat layout in business class, the airline has chosen to go with Embraer’s staggered seat layout. This means all travelers have direct aisle access while still offering a 2-2 configuration.
The business class seats are offset for passengers to enter and leave without bothering their seat neighbors. Considering Air Peace is planning to use the E195s as feeder flights from its long-haul operations, having a premium business class cabin will go a long way for passengers. Moreover, those on domestic legs will undoubtedly enjoy the new cabin and overall E2 experience.
As the E2 becomes more prominent in Air Peace’s fleet, expect their deployment on more domestic and international routes.