Air Peace-Ethiopian deal offers alternative to foreign carriers’ dominance

By Dickson Omobola Excitement is growing in the aviation sector over the bilateral interline agreement signed by Africa’s leading aviation group, Ethiopian Airlines, and Nigeria’s leading carrier, Air Peace. In aviation, an interline agreement is a formal partnership between two or more airlines that allows passengers to travel across multiple carriers on a single ticket, with their luggage transferred to their final destination and their connections protected in the event of delays.

With Ethiopian Airlines operating 53 weekly flights into Nigeria through five major airports, including Lagos, Abuja, Kano, Enugu and Port Harcourt, many are eager to see how the agreement will strengthen connectivity between Air Peace and Ethiopian Airlines while expanding travel options for passengers. Observers in the aviation sector have said the deal will be beneficial for the industry, saying it could offer a better alternative to allowing foreign carriers multiple entry points and frequencies into the country.

In fact, some said if government cannot restrict the operations of foreign airlines to one of the country’s major airports, domestic carriers such as Air Peace should explore interline partnerships with them. When the agreement was signed a few days ago, the management of both airlines expressed optimism about its potential, saying it as a step towards bringing Africa closer to the rest of the world.

Group Chief Executive Officer of the Ethiopian Airlines Group, Mr Mesfin Tasew, said “We are delighted to partner with Air Peace, a leading carrier in Nigeria, through this strategic interline agreement. This collaboration reflects our shared commitment to enhancing connectivity, improving customer convenience, and supporting the growth of air travel across the African continent.

By combining our strengths, we are creating more travel opportunities and bringing Africa closer to the world.” For his part, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Air Peace, Allen Onyema, also said: “This partnership with Ethiopian Airlines represents another significant milestone in our commitment to strengthening Africa’s aviation connectivity and bringing the continent closer together.

By combining Air Peace’s extensive domestic, regional network, and our growing international network with Ethiopian Airlines’ global reach, we are creating greater opportunities for seamless travel in and out of the African continent. Beyond expanding travel options, this collaboration reflects our shared vision of fostering stronger economic, commercial and cultural ties across Africa and beyond.

At Air Peace, we remain committed to building strategic partnerships that enhance passenger convenience, broaden connectivity and position African aviation as a formidable force in global air transport.” The agreement has also generated reflections within the country’s aviation sector, particularly over its implications for domestic airlines and the country’s ambition to develop a stronger aviation hub.

Sharing his thoughts on the issue, incoming Country Manager of Uganda Airlines in Nigeria, Gbenga Onitilo, in a statement titled: ‘Air Peace and Ethiopian: Who Really Wins the Interline?,’ said a few years ago, few people in the country would have bet on seeing the two airlines partner. The former Managing Director of Travelden stated that Ethiopian Airlines was the strategic partner lined up for Nigeria Air, the proposed national carrier project that domestic operators challenged in court and opposed publicly until it collapsed in 2023.

Air Peace, he stated, was among the loudest voices in the opposition. He said: “My advice to Air Peace is to treat this interline as a first step rather than a destination. It should use the booking data to argue for special prorate terms on key city pairs and, in time, a codeshare with shared revenue upside. It should build a protected connection product at Lagos, with guaranteed connection times, a dedicated transfer desk, and enforceable service levels with its handlers.

With four hub carriers now competing for its feed, it should negotiate from strength rather than accept standard terms, and it should protect the routes it flies with its own aircraft through carve-outs and fare floors. Above all, it should invest relentlessly in punctuality and disruption handling, because in a partnership reputation is shared but blame is not.

“Government has homework too. Nigeria needs a genuine domestic-to-international transfer experience at Murtala Muhammed, firm reciprocity in its air services agreements, clear rules on passenger rights when interline journeys go wrong, and a coherent national position on the Single African Air Transport Market. Policy should reward Nigerian carriers that build connecting traffic through Lagos, not merely those that feed it elsewhere.

The handshake between Ethiopian and Air Peace is a good thing. It connects people, cities, and markets that were too far apart for too long. Whether it becomes a great thin