Nigeria’s largest carrier, Air Peace, will begin direct flights between Lagos and Brazil in November, following the signing of a Bilateral Air Services Agreement (BASA) during President Bola Tinubu’s recent visit to Brasília.
Air Peace Chairman and CEO Allen Onyema described the development as a milestone in economic and diplomatic relations between Africa’s largest economy and Latin America’s largest.
“We are looking forward to starting towards the last week of November into December this year,” Onyema said, confirming that the airline will operate three weekly flights covering Lagos–São Paulo and Lagos–Rio de Janeiro routes, with return connections to Lagos.
Onyema praised President Tinubu’s foreign engagements, noting that “most of his shuttles abroad have started paying dividends for the good of our nation.”
Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva also confirmed the launch during a joint press conference with President Tinubu in Brasília. “Increasing the direct connections between Nigeria and Brazil is another essential step to strengthen the ties between our societies,” he said.
The agreement was signed at the Palácio do Planalto by Nigeria’s Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, and Brazil’s Minister of Ports and Airports, Silvio Costa Filhos. Additional MoUs were signed on diplomatic training cooperation and political consultations by Nigeria’s Ambassador Bianca Ojukwu and Brazil’s Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira.
Onyema stressed that the direct service will open new opportunities in trade, tourism, and cultural exchange. “The Brazilian economy is the largest in Latin America. The Nigerian economy is the largest in Africa. Both countries are very rich in human and natural resources, and they need to tap into this. Without aviation, it will be very difficult for some of these things to be actualized,” he said.
