Nigeria’s Air Peace secures a 5th Boeing 777 ahead of Abuja – London flights launch
September 25, 2025
Air Peace is building its widebody capacity further with the addition of another Boeing 777-200ER ahead of its Abuja-London flights launch next month.
For the first time in its history, Air Peace will begin service between Abuja and London Heathrow on October 26. Two days later, a service to London Gatwick will also launch. Services will run three times a week on each route.
When combined with the carrier’s daily Lagos to London service, these additions call for a more robust long-haul fleet. Air Peace currently operates four Boeing 777s: Two 777-300s, of which one is parked, and two 777-200ER. To give it the capacity it needs, the carrier is leasing an additional Boeing 777, expected to arrive within weeks.
Air Peace’s new Boeing 777
According to data from planespotters.net, the Boeing 777 destined to become Air Peace’s newest widebody is a 21.1-year-old aircraft, originally delivered to Japan Airlines in September 2004. Having been retired from JAL’s fleet in November 2022, it’s been stored ever since, first at Victorville, then later at Mojave.
The aircraft changed hands in 2023, becoming the property of Alta Airlines Holdings, a United States-based lessor. According to `NewsAero, it’s expected to be ferried to Teruel in Spain for maintenance and cabin upgrades before arriving in Lagos.
The most recent Boeing 777 to arrive with Air Peace followed a similar pathway. 5N-CEG, a 20-year-old 777-200ER, is also an ex-Japan Airlines aircraft, which was acquired by Alta in 2023. That aircraft was flown out of the United States earlier this year, arriving in Teruel on 8 June. It remained in Spain for almost three months before being ferried to Lagos on 22 August. It is yet to enter revenue service.
At present, Air Peace uses two 777s for London flights: A 777-300 registered 5N-BWI and a 777-200ER with tail number 5N-BVE. The pair tag team on the six-hour service from Lagos to London, taking turns on the route, likely so the other can be adequately maintained.
The 5th Boeing 777 is a 777-300, formerly of Emirates, which has been parked at Lagos since January 2023.
Building the Air Peace fleet for ambitious expansion
Air Peace is in the midst of a broad network rationalisation, reshaping its long-haul strategy after previously suspending intercontinental services to Jeddah, Johannesburg, Tel Aviv, Dubai, and Mumbai. The carrier now plans a phased relaunch of these routes while weighing a possible entry into the lucrative US market.
Alongside its long-haul ambitions, the airline is shoring up its medium-haul operations. A recently acquired Boeing 737-700, formerly with Aerolíneas Argentinas, is being inducted, while additional Embraer E190s and E195s are joining the fleet. Air Peace is also reactivating its new-generation E195-E2s, signalling a renewed focus on efficiency and network reach within Africa and beyond.
Despite this progress, the airline remains heavily reliant on ACMI operations, with a significant proportion of its schedules flown by wet-leased Airbus A320s. Meanwhile, more than a dozen ageing 737 Classic aircraft remain grounded, underscoring the challenges of maintaining a balanced and sustainable fleet.
Still, Air Peace’s long-term orderbook reveals its ambitious intent. The carrier has commitments for 11 Embraer E195-E2s, two E175s, and 10 Boeing 737 MAX 8s. This fleet programme is not only about renewal but also about industrial impact: it involves a network of 105 local suppliers and underpins thousands of jobs in Nigeria’s aviation and manufacturing ecosystem.
