Recently Air Peace, the Air Transportation giants made a bold entry into the Lagos-London route of flight navigation. This latest patriotic investment was a testament to Nigeria’s aspirations for self-reliance and global competitiveness against entrenched foreign dominance and dictate of flight fares. South-West Editor, JOHN SILAS writes.
Patriotism in capitalism, an enduring ethos entwining national allegiance with economic enterprise, finds new resonance in recent saga of Air Peace’s bold foray into the Lagos-London route of flight navigation.
This symbolic maiden voyage from Lagos to London stands as a testament to Nigeria’s aspirations for self-reliance and global competitiveness against entrenched foreign dominance and dictate of flight fares. It heralds a new chapter in the nation’s quest for economic sovereignty.
The narrative underscores not only the commercial dynamism inherent in free-market economies but also the deeper currents of national identity and aspiration which shape contemporary business landscapes.
In the annals of history, notable business moguls like Andrew Carnegie and John D. Rockefeller exemplify the ethos of patriotism in capitalism with their vast fortunes channeled towards nation-building endeavors that transcended mere profit-seeking.
Propelled by a deep sense of patriotism, Air Peace had stirred the hornet’s nest of the aviation industry when the burgeoning flight company unilaterally crashed cut-throat airfares imposed on Nigerians by oligopolistic foreign airlines.
Incensed by the ascent of Air Peace and its noble act of crashing airfares, a concert of oppositions led by established players like British Airways, Virgin Atlantic have unleashed treacherous price war to push Air Peace out of business. They are hellbent to push or frustrate Air Peace out of business, but they would not succeed.
Before Air Peace’s entry into the route, foreign airlines charged average of N3.6 million and N7.3 million for economy and business class tickets from Lagos to London.
But the indigenous carrier crashed economy and business class tickets on the same route to N1.2 million and N4 million respectively, while Nigerians studying in the UK can further access a special 15 percent discount on the economy class fares.
Expectedly, the airline recorded a surge in passenger traffic as grateful travellers quickly grabbed all categories of its ticket classes ahead of the takeoff dates.
“Right from the day we published our fares, even that inaugural flight got sold out within days. It got sold out in days and even up to September. So, the traffic is there; however, the last 48 hours has not been easy,” Allen Onyema, owner of Air Peace, disclosed during an interview with a local television channel.
After Air Peace announced a 66 per cent reduction in air fare for the Lagos – London flight, here are the new flight fare for Lagos-London economy ticket: Egypt Air – ($470) ₦585,620; Air Peace – ($655) ₦816, 130; British Airways – ($787.99) ₦981, 848; Virgin Atlantic – ($927.99) ₦1.1m; Royal Air Moroc – ($456.99) ₦569,422; RwandAir – ($545.35) ₦679,070; Ethiopian Air – ($543.84) ₦677, 824; Turkish Airlines – ($647.84) ₦807, 408; Air France – ($915.99) ₦1.1m; and KLM – ($927.84) ₦1.1m.
These new flight fares announced by foreign airlines betray one of their tactics to stop Air Peace from strident advance to a route the concert of oppositions regard as their exclusive terrain.
As one aviation industry stakeholder said “introducimg even much lower tariffs than those honestly offered by Air Peace on entry implies that they wilfully conspired to ripoff Nigerians ab initio. They ought to refund those they have cheated.”
Thus, the indigenous carrier seemed to have been caught in a bedlam of conspiracy by major international airlines like British Airways, and Virgin Atlantic, which before now had the exclusive advantage of operating direct flights from Lagos to London.
The foreign airlines which now have to contend with Air Peace for passengers, are seriously bothered by the relative ease at which the airline had been able to settle down to business, as well as its continued encroachment on their territories. This is the crux of the matter.
Central to Air Peace’s ethos is a commitment to social responsibility, echoing a broader trend towards corporate citizenship within the capitalist paradigm.
By offering affordable fares and localized services, the airline fosters a sense of national pride among passengers while simultaneously challenging the status quo of exorbitant pricing and foreign hegemony.
As Air Peace charts its course from the bustling Murtala Mohammed International Airport to the iconic Gatwick Airport, the narrative of patriotism in capitalism unfolds with renewed vigor.
It is a narrative that transcends mere economics, speaking to the indomitable spirit of a nation striving for self-determination in an ever-evolving global economy.
In the crucible of competition, Air Peace emerges not only as a commercial enterprise but as a standard-bearer of Nigerian ingenuity and resilience. As the journey unfolds, the echoes of patriotism in capitalism resound, reminding us that in the pursuit of economic prosperity, national identity remains an ever-present lodestar guiding the course of nations and businesses alike.
The least Nigerian government and its citizens alike have to do is to reciprocate this spirit of patriotism by patronising the indigenous carrier despite the slight difference in fares offered by the foreign competitors who had cheated them blind until Air Peace entered the foray and crashed the fares.
Amidst the tempest of global competition and conspiracy, Air Peace’s commitment to serving Nigerian interests has remained unwavering. At different times, the airline has demonstrated unalloyed patriotism in business operations by rising to the occasion to serve interest of Nigerians.
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