Nigerian carrier Air Peace on Wednesday said it has signed a firm order with Embraer for 10 E195-E2 aircraft, making the carrier the first to operate the E2 in Africa.

The deal, valued at $2.12 billion, also includes options for another 20 units of the aircraft type. It is unclear when deliveries will take place but have been added to the 2019 backlog.

This was disclosed in a twitter message by Air Peace on Wednesday.

Commenting on the deal, Air Peace Chairman/CEO Mr. Allen Onyema emphasised why he chose the E195-E2 at the unveiling of the agreement at an African airline seminar organised by the airframer in Mauritius.

According to him,“Embraer’s new E195-E2 presents us with a marvel of an economic performance. It’s also great that we will be the first E2 operator on the African continent. We already have the ERJ145s in our fleet, so we understand the high standards of Embraer products.”

Arjan Meijer, the Chief Commercial Officer of Embraer also commented on the deal.

“Air Peace embodies the kind of pioneering spirit that Embraer loves. The airline was established to bring highly skilled work opportunities to the people of Nigeria and to boost connectivity, which in turn significantly contributed to the economy in the region.”

“Air Peace has delivered successfully on both aims and has become a fast growing successful airline. It’s great to now have them onboard the E2 as well.”

Meijer also noted how strong market demand in Africa is becoming and why it is important to secure as much as possible.

“The market in Africa presents significant opportunities for airlines to deliver the connectivity that the whole continent needs. Aircraft however must be right-sized to develop those routes profitably; more than 90 per cent of intra-African flights depart with fewer than 150 passengers onboard. And more than 70 per cent of markets are served with less than one flight per day.”

The airline’s relationship with the manufacturer has been very significant over the last five years since its launch.
It has launched a subsidiary, dubbed Air Peace Hopper, where six ERJ145 aircraft operated on short-thin routes.
Leading success with the “undeniable economic benefits of right-sizing aircraft for the mission, was a key factor in selecting the E2”.

These aircraft will ultimately be used to penetrate the untapped demand for air travel in the continent.
It will be interesting to see where in particular the carrier decides to operate the aircraft to.
Bearing in mind how fast the airline has grown in the last five years, it remains clear that with these aircraft on order, Air Peace is set to become a disruptive force in Africa.

Recall that Air Peace already uses Embraer ERJ-145s, with six of the type in its Hopper subsidiary and had last year signed for a fleet renewal programme that included 10 Boeing 737 Max jets.