Nigeria’s leading airline, Air Peace, is set to begin construction of a Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul (MRO) facility in Lagos this September, a project expected to take 12 to 15 months.
The facility aims to strengthen the country’s aviation sector by providing local maintenance services for aircraft.
Chairman Allen Onyema announced the plans following his return from Brazil, where he accompanied President Bola Tinubu on an official visit that strengthened bilateral ties and formalized a direct air service agreement between Nigeria and Brazil.
Don’t Miss This: CBN gives banks Oct. 31 deadline for payment system upgrade
Onyema stated, “By September 17, we will commence 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”
According to Punch, the new MRO facility will eliminate the need for Air Peace to send Embraer aircraft abroad for servicing, reducing both time and costs.
Onyema highlighted that the project would also attract international operators to Nigeria.
The facility is a collaboration with Brazilian aircraft manufacturer Embraer, reflecting a partnership that emphasizes operational capacity and readiness rather than investment influence alone.
Air Peace plans to launch its Nigeria-Brazil route in the third quarter of 2025 after approvals from both President Tinubu and Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.
Onyema expressed optimism about the project’s potential to deepen economic and cultural relations between the two nations.
Don’t Miss This: Nestlé Trains Over 2,600 Food Vendors Across 11 States
“President Lula’s warmth demonstrated genuine eagerness to work with Nigeria,” he noted.
Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, lauded the bilateral agreement, describing it as a strategic move to revive trade, which had declined from $10 billion to $2 billion over the past decade.
“Connecting Africa and South America’s largest economies was critical,” Keyamo said, emphasizing the economic significance of the new flight link.
IMage Credit: thisdaylive
