Air Peace has concluded the Federal Government’s humanitarian evacuation from South Africa, with the airline’s Boeing 777-200 aircraft returning the final batch of 308 Nigerians to Lagos.
The airline said the final flight brought the total number of evacuees to 1,393 Nigerians airlifted across five successful humanitarian missions.
This is contained in a statement issued on Wednesday in Lagos by Air Peace spokesperson, Efe Osifo-Whiskey.
Osifo-Whiskey said the final evacuation flight arrived at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, on Wednesday, marking the successful completion of the operation. He said the aircraft docked at the Cargo and Hajj Terminal, officially bringing the Federal Government’s coordinated humanitarian mission with Air Peace to a close.
According to him, the operation represented another milestone in Nigeria’s humanitarian response to the security situation affecting Nigerians in South Africa, and demonstrated the importance of strong public-private collaboration in protecting citizens abroad.
“From the commencement of the operation, Air Peace deployed its Boeing 777-200 wide-body aircraft across five dedicated evacuation missions, safely airlifting 1,393 Nigerians,” he said.
“Each evacuation flight carried families back to loved ones, restored hope to those displaced by uncertainty and reaffirmed that Nigerians can rely on their nation.”
Osifo-Whiskey said the operation had further strengthened Air Peace’s reputation as Nigeria’s leading humanitarian airline, noting that the carrier has undertaken more than 20 humanitarian and evacuation missions across Africa and beyond since it began operations. He said the missions had supported emergency repatriations, humanitarian interventions and national response efforts whenever the need arose.
He disclosed that the returnees were received at the airport by the Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM), Dr Abike Dabiri-Erewa, alongside senior immigration officials, who welcomed the evacuees on behalf of the Federal Government and assured them of continued support.
Dabiri-Erewa sympathised with the returnees over the hardships they experienced during the crisis and conveyed President Bola Tinubu’s reassurance of government support, affirming the administration’s commitment to their reintegration and overall welfare.
She commended everyone involved in the evacuation and expressed appreciation to Air Peace and its Chairman, Dr Allen Onyema.
Air Peace reaffirmed its commitment to supporting government-led humanitarian initiatives, connecting Nigerians to destinations beyond and providing hope during periods of uncertainty. (NAN)
