Air Peace, West Africa's largest airline, yesterday placed a firm order for five Embraer E175 aircraft.

This strategic decision marks a significant step forward and is in alignment with Air Peace's ongoing strategy of modernising its fleet.

This acquisition is in line with Air Peace's determination to become the operator of the largest and youngest fleet of aircraft in Africa.

It reinforces Air Peace's commitment to enhancing its domestic and regional network connectivity and paves the way for further regional expansion, the airline said.

Deliveries of the 88-seat aircraft start in 2024, according to the airline with the value of the order, at list price, worth US$288.3m (over N226bn at N785 to a dollar).

The order was signed during the 7th African Aviation Summit and Exhibition in Abuja.

Already an operator of Embraer's newest and largest jet, the E195-E2, these smaller aircraft will complement the airlines' existing fleet, allowing Air Peace to dynamically match capacity to demand, protecting yields and route viability.

The Chairman and CEO of Air Peace, Mr Allen Onyema, said: "This is another important step in helping to realise our ambition to connect the whole of Nigeria with the entire African continent, while also feeding passengers into long-haul flights from our Lagos hub.

"The acquisition enables us to continue delivering on our 'no-city-left-behind' initiative - connectivity is what our passengers, and Africa, demand. The deal also paves the way to establish local maintenance capabilities in Nigeria, with direct support from Embraer."