West Africa's largest airline, Air Peace, has placed a firm order for five Embraer E175 aircraft worth $288.3m.

This move according to the airline marks a significant step forward and is in alignment with its 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. Deliveries of the 88 seat aircraft start in 2024. The value of the order, at list price, is $288.3 million.

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 match capacity to demand, protecting yields and route viability.

Commenting on the development, Air Peace, Chairman, Mr Allen Onyema, said: "This is another important step in helping to realize 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." Also, the Vice President, Sales and Marketing, Head of Africa & Middle East Region, Commercial Aviation, Stephan Hannemann, said: "Air Peace's strategic and innovative approach continues to make them a powerhouse of aviation success in West Africa. Already an E2 operator, it now makes sense to upgauge their ERJ145 fleet, offering passengers more seats and comfort with the E175.