Boeing 737 Max: Air Peace To Take Decision On Order After Investigation

The Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Air Peace, Mr Allen Onyema, on Wednesday, said the airline was waiting for the outcome of Boeing’s investigation on the 737 Max aircraft before taking a decision on its order.

Air Peace had last year ordered 10 Boeing 737 Max for its operations but the crash of Ethiopian Airlines’ 737 Max about two weeks ago had raised concerns about the safety of the aircraft.

Onyema said the airline made the order before it was involved in two fatal accidents in Indonesia and Ethiopia respectively, but like other airlines that had also ordered, it planned to wait.

He explained that none of the airlines that had ordered the aircraft had cancelled its order but rather, they were all waiting for the investigation and action that would be taken by Boeing.

He, however, added that like many other countries, Nigeria had banned the aircraft in its airspace.

Onyema said, “Air Peace does not have the aircraft in its fleet, so I wonder why Nigerians are attacking the airline, while nobody had attacked the carriers that have the aircraft and are operating the equipment before the accidents.”

He stated that the aircraft were billed to begin to arrive in Nigeria in 2023.

He said, “We are not saying we are cancelling neither are we saying we are not cancelling because no airline that ordered for the aircraft had said it is cancelling. Everybody is waiting for the outcome of the investigation.

“What airlines that have the aircraft have done now is ground them until the result of the investigation comes out. And at the same time, countries are banning them from flying in their airspace until the investigation comes out.”

Meanwhile, Air Peace on Wednesday took delivery of its fourth Boeing 777 aircraft.

Onyema said with the arrival of the aircraft, the airline would commence international flights, from next month, beginning with Dubai and Sharjah.