KlasJet, a private corporate VIP charter company and ACMI leasing service provider and a part of the Avia Solutions Group, has signed an agreement with Air Peace, the largest airline in Nigeria. Under the new contract, KlasJet will provide Air Peace with a Boeing 737-800 aircraft. This dual-configured aircraft will help the airline provide scheduled passenger and charter services more efficiently.
Air Peace currently operates one of the largest and most diverse fleets in the region, including Boeing 737s, Embraer E195-E2s, and wide-body Boeing 777s for long-haul routes. The airline currently operates 29 aircraft that regularly serve 20 destinations.
The need for additional aircraft perfectly illustrates the rapid growth of both the Nigerian and West African aviation markets. According to IATA, air traffic in Africa is estimated to grow 7% in 2025 and forecast to increase 6% in 2026, with Central and West Africa among the fastest-growing subregions.
According to Augustinas Riskus, Deputy Chief Commercial Officer, Nigeria in particular and Africa in general has a lot of potential for ACMI providers. Nigeria’s economy is one of the fastest-growing on the continent, and the aviation industry itself contributes 2.5 billion dollars to the country’s GDP, creating 217,000 jobs in the process.
“We believe that the ACMI model is well-suited for the African market, as it allows carriers to test out new routes and expand fleets without the additional financial burden of ownership. In fact, it can even help airlines increase their profitability by 2-3 percentage points. Therefore, we try to increase our presence in the region each year. Nigeria is the most populous African country with an enormous economic potential. We hope to contribute to this growth and continue our cooperation with Air Peace in the future seasons,” he says.
Oluwatoyin Olajide, the Chief Operating Officer at Air Peace, emphasizes that both the airline itself and the West African aviation market as a whole are undergoing the crucial stage of rapid development. Reliable, productive partnerships are essential to ensuring this growth is sustainable.
“Nigeria and other countries are transforming themselves into economic powerhouses, and aviation is a major part of this process. As the region’s leading airline, we have ambitious plans for the future and are convinced that the aircraft leasing model provides us with the flexibility required to grow strategically,” she says.
