…Keyamo hails Nigeria-Brazil air pact
By Caryn Oseghale
The Chief Executive Officer of Air Peace, Allen Onyema, has said that the airline, with support from Embraer, will commence the construction of a Maintenance and Repair Organisation (MRO) on September 17, 2025.
He said this in Lagos on Wednesday after he arrived from his trip to Brazil in the company of the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, and other government officials.
Onyema said: “We are increasing our partnership with Embraer. By September 17, we are going to inaugurate the commencement of construction of our new MRO, and Embraer will operate maintenance for Embraer jets. By God’s grace, we will lay that foundation here in Lagos.
The new facility will eliminate the need to fly Embraer aircraft abroad for maintenance, saving time and cost. You will now be able to do it here, and people will also come to Nigeria to do the same.”
Speaking further, he commended President Bola Tinubu for his support for Nigeria’s aviation sector and also for ensuring that Air Peace is given all the necessary assistance to commence direct flights between Nigeria and Brazil.
“The President is not seeking partnerships that will lord over us. He is seeking partnerships that are symbiotic in nature, partners who will respect our sovereignty and not bully us,” Onyema said.
On the broader connectivity impact, he added: “This is not just a flight; it is a bridge. Connectivity is at the heart of true partnership. By opening this corridor, we are bringing Nigeria closer to Brazil and, by extension, to South America and the Caribbean. This is the beginning of long-lasting opportunities for both regions.”
He said the new Lagos–Brazil service will operate three times weekly, with plans to scale up frequency in the near future.
On his part, Keyamo said that what the country is seeing is the first fruit of the diplomatic shuttle of President Tinubu to Brazil.
“In his wisdom, the President has decided to reopen and expand our economic, diplomatic, and trade relations with Brazil. Brazil is the biggest economy in South America, and Nigeria is considered the biggest economy in Africa. Connecting these two economies was very key to both presidents,” he said.
He further said that Air Peace’s direct service would simplify travel between Nigeria and Brazil, eliminating the need for long detours through Europe or the Middle East. “With the new route, flight time is cut to just seven hours across the Atlantic, a move expected to unlock unprecedented opportunities in trade, tourism, and cultural exchange,” he said.
The Minister also emphasized that the service would facilitate onward connections across South America, providing direct access to Nigeria and, by extension, to Africa, thereby boosting regional and economic integration.
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