Air Peace

Air Peace is the de facto national carrier of Nigeria in the absence of a state flag carrier. Founded by Allen Onyema in 2013 and launched on 24 October 2014, the airline has scaled from three leased Boeing 737-300s to a fleet of over 35 aircraft serving domestic, regional and (since March 2024) long-haul international routes. The 2019 evacuation of stranded Nigerians from South Africa during the xenophobic attacks, at no cost to the passengers or the Nigerian government, established the airline's effective national-carrier status — a role that successive Federal Governments have failed to formally institutionalise.

The 2024 launch of scheduled Lagos–London Gatwick services with a leased Boeing 777-200ER restored Nigerian-flag long-haul operations to Europe for the first time since Arik Air's withdrawal in the late 2010s. The route entry was contested by the British and other European carriers operating Lagos–London, and required a tariff intervention by the Nigerian Minister of Aviation Festus Keyamo to enforce reciprocity under the Nigeria–UK BASA.

The US DOJ indictment of Allen Onyema and CFO Ejiroghene Eghagha (NDGA, 2019) on bank-fraud and money-laundering charges relating to alleged aircraft-purchase wire fraud is the most significant outstanding legal exposure. Both deny the charges; the case is continuing as of 2026.