Nigeria's largest private airline, Lagos hub, Boeing 777 widebody belly capacity linking West Africa and intercontinental routes
Air Peace is Nigeria's largest private airline, founded in 2013 and hubbed at Lagos Murtala Muhammed Airport, with a fleet of Boeing 737, Embraer E195-E2 and Boeing 777 widebody aircraft. It carries freight in passenger belly holds and once flew Lagos to Guangzhou; it has no scheduled nonstop service to China today.
Air Peace is Nigeria's largest private airline, founded in 2013 and headquartered at Lagos Murtala Muhammed International Airport (LOS), its main hub. Its IATA two-letter code is P4, its ICAO three-letter code APK and its radio call sign PEACE. The airline's website is flyairpeace.com.
The fleet covers the Boeing 737 family, Embraer E195-E2 regional jets and Boeing 777 widebody aircraft, about 29 aircraft in service on Nigerian domestic, West African and intercontinental destinations. Boeing 777s fly long sectors such as Lagos to London; Boeing 737s and E195-E2s fly domestic and West African regional routes.
On cargo, Air Peace uses passenger belly holds. The Boeing 777 widebody offers the largest belly payload, while 737s and E195-E2s carry domestic and regional belly freight. The airline operates no dedicated freighters. On the China route it previously flew Lagos to Guangzhou with the Boeing 777, one flight a week with a technical stop in Mumbai; that scheduled service has not run continuously since late 2023 and there is no scheduled nonstop China flight today.
The Air Peace fleet is more varied than most West African private carriers. Boeing 777 widebodies fly long intercontinental routes and their belly holds take ULDs, making them the largest cargo capacity in the fleet; Boeing 737s and Embraer E195-E2s fly Nigerian domestic and West African regional routes with belly freight.
Widebody twinjet on long sectors such as Lagos to London, with the largest belly payload in the fleet; the former Guangzhou route was flown with this type.
The narrowbody workhorse on high-frequency domestic routes such as Lagos to Abuja and Port Harcourt, with belly holds taking loose cargo and small ULDs.
New-generation regional jet on Nigerian domestic and West African points, with limited belly cargo capacity.
The airline operates no dedicated freighters; all cargo moves in passenger belly holds. Available belly payload moves with passenger load factors and is confirmed by the carrier on the day of booking.
The schematic is centred on Lagos, with spokes to Nigerian domestic and nearby West African points and a dashed line for the former Lagos to Guangzhou intercontinental route, which is not operating on a scheduled basis.
Air Peace has no scheduled nonstop service to China. Air cargo exported from China to Nigeria currently flies from a Chinese airport through a transfer hub such as Istanbul, Dubai, Addis Ababa or Doha to Lagos, with one transfer for the whole journey. Boeing 777 belly capacity can carry long-haul loads out of Lagos.
Lagos is Nigeria's largest city and commercial centre and the gateway and regional distribution centre for Chinese goods entering West Africa. Machinery and electrical products, telecom equipment, textiles and apparel, footwear and consumer goods exported from China are cleared at Lagos after the transfer and distributed across Nigeria and neighbouring West African countries.
Air Peace previously flew Lagos to Guangzhou Baiyun Airport with the Boeing 777-300, one flight a week with a technical stop in Mumbai, a rare attempt at a nonstop China service by a West African carrier. Published flight records show the last scheduled operation in late 2023, with no continuous resumption since.
For Chinese shippers, the Lagos lane is led by transfer carriers that are still operating. Goodhope books the export cargo to the transfer hub, connects it to Lagos and tracks the whole journey as one job.
Air cargo exported from China to Nigeria is mainly high-value, time-sensitive machinery, telecom, electronics and consumer goods. Nigeria applies conformity assessment and pre-shipment inspection such as SONCAP to imports, and the certificates must be in place before shipment. Customs documents must agree with the commercial invoice and packing list.
Cargo with special attributes such as lithium batteries, magnetic goods and liquids must be declared under the IATA dangerous goods regulations. Foreign exchange and payment conditions in Nigeria are volatile, so Chinese exporters should use a secure payment method and confirm the consignee's import credentials before dispatch. High-value cargo should carry cargo insurance.
Goodhope Logistics (China) Limited has long handled air freight from China to West Africa and can arrange the whole job from a Chinese airport to Lagos with onward distribution in Nigeria and West Africa. Schedules and rates are confirmed by the carrier on the day of booking.
Nigeria is one of Africa's most populous countries and largest economies, and Lagos is its commercial centre and biggest port city. Lagos Murtala Muhammed International Airport is one of West Africa's busiest hubs, linking Nigerian cities, neighbouring West African countries and Europe. Air Peace is based at Lagos and is the largest private carrier at the airport.
For Chinese shippers the gateway value of Lagos is that it is the landing point for Chinese goods entering Nigeria and the West African interior. Cargo arriving at Lagos by transfer is cleared and distributed by road to major Nigerian cities and on to landlocked neighbours such as Niger and Chad. That position makes Lagos a key transfer point for Chinese exports to West Africa.
The Nigerian aviation market has long faced foreign exchange shortages, aircraft maintenance and spares supply problems, and carrier capacity fluctuates. Chinese exporters should check the status of the destination airport and the operating capacity of the transfer carrier before dispatch rather than relying on a single airline with unstable capacity.
Chinese exports to Nigeria are dominated by machinery and electrical products, telecom equipment, consumer electronics, textiles and apparel, footwear, furniture and consumer goods. Nigeria's domestic manufacturing is limited and much industrial and consumer goods are imported, with China among its main sources. High-value, time-sensitive cargo flies; bulk low-value cargo goes by sea.
Air-eligible categories include telecom base stations and parts, finished electronics and components, auto parts, pharmaceuticals and medical devices, and retail replenishment. Chinese exporters often use Lagos as a distribution centre, clearing air cargo and then selling it into Nigeria and neighbouring West African countries.
In the other direction, Nigerian exports to China are mainly crude oil, LNG and agricultural products, mostly by sea or through energy carrier systems, so the flows are not symmetrical with Chinese consumer goods exports to Nigeria. Belly space from China to Nigeria is relatively ample, while return cargo toward China is limited.
Nigeria applies a conformity assessment procedure to most imports, requiring a SONCAP certificate before shipment to show the product meets Nigerian standards and technical regulations. Chinese exporters must have the goods inspected by an accredited body and the certificate issued before dispatch, or the cargo may be refused or fined on arrival.
Customs documents include the commercial invoice, packing list, bill of lading or air waybill, SONCAP certificate and Form M, the import declaration the Nigerian importer opens at a bank. The details must be consistent, and the document list should be checked with the consignee before dispatch. Goodhope flags the requirements at booking and helps shippers prepare compliant documents.
For first shipments to Nigeria, a small trial order is advisable to confirm that clearance and the consignee's credentials work before shipping in volume. High-value cargo should carry air cargo insurance to cover value at risk in transit and at clearance.
Confirm commodity, weight and volume, final destination, and whether SONCAP is needed and whether the cargo has special attributes.
Goodhope books the export cargo to a transfer hub such as Istanbul, Dubai or Addis Ababa and connects it to Lagos.
On arrival at Lagos the cargo is cleared and moved by road to its final destination in Nigeria or a neighbouring West African country.
Given how much carrier capacity in the Nigeria lane fluctuates, Chinese export cargo should not depend on a single carrier. When planning Lagos routings Goodhope compares operating capacity at hubs such as Istanbul, Dubai and Addis Ababa and keeps a fallback path, so a schedule change at one transfer carrier allows a quick switch to another hub.
In peak season and ahead of Nigeria's Christmas retail period, belly space to Lagos tightens, so Chinese shippers should book early. Exporters supplying Nigeria regularly can lock steady transfer space through annual arrangements. Accepted commodities, rates and schedules are confirmed by the carrier on the day of booking.
Goodhope Logistics (China) Limited follows the West African air cargo market and provides Chinese exporters with booking and distribution plans from China to Lagos and across West Africa, stating the carrier for each leg and the risks involved.
To issue a China-Nigeria air freight plan quickly, shippers should provide at enquiry: commodity name, main components and use, weight and dimensions per piece, total volume and gross weight, final destination city, preferred departure airport and deadline, whether the cargo contains batteries or magnetic material, and whether SONCAP is already arranged. The fuller the information, the more accurately Goodhope can match a transfer routing.
After departure the shipper can track the shipment on the air waybill number. Goodhope reports each milestone as the cargo departs China, connects at the hub, arrives at Lagos and clears customs, and notifies the shipper immediately of transfer delays or clearance problems at destination and helps adjust the onward plan.
On arrival at Lagos Murtala Muhammed Airport, a local customs broker handles import clearance. Nigerian customs requires import declarations, with the SONCAP certificate and Form M as key documents. Clearance speed directly affects total transit time, so shippers should settle documents with the consignee before dispatch.
After clearance cargo moves by road from Lagos to major Nigerian cities including Abuja, Port Harcourt and Kano, and some continues by road to landlocked neighbours such as Niger and Chad. As a West African gateway, Lagos distributes well beyond Nigeria itself.
Last-mile delivery is handled by local agents. Goodhope works with an agent network in Lagos that can handle pickup, warehousing and delivery after clearance, and cargo needing temporary storage or depalletising and distribution can be handled at a local warehouse.
Air Peace is one of the few private West African carriers operating Boeing 777 widebodies. It flies the 777-300 and 777-200ER on long sectors such as Lagos to London, and the widebody belly hold is its largest cargo capacity. The former Lagos to Guangzhou route was flown with the 777-300, one flight a week with a technical stop in Mumbai.
The Boeing 777 belly hold takes standard ULDs and suits consignment loads, but Air Peace 777 long-haul flying currently links Europe and does not serve China nonstop. The Lagos leg of cargo exported from China to Nigeria is connected by other long-haul carriers or regional flights, not by Air Peace nonstop.
For Chinese shippers watching West African carrier capacity, the point is clear: Air Peace matters for its Lagos hub and its Nigerian domestic and West African network, not as a nonstop carrier from China to Lagos. The China to Lagos leg is led by transfer carriers.
Given how the Nigeria lane works, Goodhope states plainly at quotation stage that Air Peace has no scheduled nonstop service to China, that the former Guangzhou route has stopped, and that the whole China to Lagos journey is flown by transfer carriers. Goodhope makes no nonstop commitment in the airline's name.
During booking and transport Goodhope keeps track of operating capacity and destination clearance requirements and discusses adjustments with the shipper as soon as a routing or clearance condition changes. High-value urgent shipments take the fastest transfer routing; cost-sensitive cargo is compared across hubs before a decision.
Air freight from China to Nigeria is a lane with volatile capacity, so shippers should build buffer into their shipping rhythm, book early in peak season and prepare the consignee's credentials and payment terms in advance. Goodhope arranges workable West Africa air freight based on current operating capacity and conditions at destination.
Lagos is not only Nigeria's gateway but West Africa's regional distribution centre. After clearance, Chinese export cargo can reach Benin, Togo, Ghana and Côte d'Ivoire and landlocked countries such as Niger and Chad by road. For Chinese exporters selling across West Africa, Lagos is an efficient regional landing point.
Goodhope has partner agents in Lagos and major West African cities, providing clearance, warehousing, depalletising and last-mile delivery as one service. Cargo that needs temporary storage or re-distribution in Lagos can be handled at a local warehouse and delivered in batches as the shipper requires.
Road conditions and security vary across West Africa, so last-mile transit times must be assessed for each destination. Goodhope states the delivery cycle and cautions for each destination in the plan so shippers can schedule downstream delivery.
Goodhope Logistics (China) Limited is based in Shenzhen and serves exporters nationwide on West Africa air freight. Cargo can be handed over at major airports such as Guangzhou, Shenzhen and Shanghai, and Goodhope books, tracks and reports as one job, joining the China airport leg, the transfer hub leg and the Lagos leg.
For shippers targeting Nigeria and West Africa, the Lagos gateway is one of our standard products. We can also switch between transit hub options according to actual volume and transit-time requirements, balancing cost, speed and reliability for cargo exported from China. Exporters that supply Nigeria year round can lock in stable connecting capacity through an annual arrangement. The commodities that can be accepted, the freight rates and the schedules are subject to confirmation by the carrier on the day of booking.
There is no scheduled direct service to China at present. Air Peace previously operated a Lagos to Guangzhou route, but it has not been restored on a sustained basis since late 2023, and connecting carriers now handle the leg.
The head office and main hub are at Murtala Muhammed International Airport (LOS) in Lagos, Nigeria.
No. Cargo moves in the belly holds of Boeing 777, 737 and E195-E2 passenger aircraft, with the 777 widebody offering the largest belly tonnage.
Cargo leaves a Chinese airport, connects through a hub such as Istanbul, Dubai or Addis Ababa, and then flies on to Lagos.
Boeing 737 family aircraft, Embraer E195-E2s and Boeing 777 widebodies, about 29 aircraft serving roughly 20 destinations.
Mainly machinery and electrical products, telecom equipment, textiles and apparel, footwear and consumer goods. SONCAP and similar certificates must be obtained before shipment.
Founded in 2013, it is Nigeria's largest private airline and operates mainly from Lagos.
Foreign exchange and settlement can be volatile. Secure payment terms, confirm the consignee's import credentials, insure high-value cargo, and complete the SONCAP certificate before shipment.
The information here is for reference only and does not constitute a contract of carriage or a commercial commitment. Air Peace route schedules, fleet configuration and belly capacity may change with operating decisions without notice; actual schedules, rates and the commodities that can be accepted are subject to confirmation by the carrier or the relevant authority on the day of booking.
For details of air freight services from China to Nigeria and on to Lagos, or for help with a booking, contact:
Goodhope Logistics (China) Limited (Goodhope Freight)
Website: goodhope86.com. Enquiries about bookings from China to Nigeria and West Africa are welcome by phone or email, and we will propose a workable transport plan based on the latest available operating capacity.
Air Peace and related marks are registered trademarks or trademarks of Air Peace Limited. The names are used here for identification and explanation only and do not imply any agency, partnership or affiliation between this company and Air Peace. Other airline names and marks mentioned are the trademarks of their respective owners.