Air Peace, a flagship local Nigerian airline, is partnering with aircraft manufacturing giant, The Boeing Company and Cranfield University, a distinguished UK postgraduate institution renowned for its cutting-edge expertise, advanced facilities and exceptional industry collaborations.
The strategic alliance according to the Head Media Communications of AirPeace, Dr. While Ndiulo aims to bolster the airline’s safety culture and elevate its operational excellence, setting new benchmarks in the Nigerian aviation ecosystem.
His words; “Under the framework of the Boeing Global Learning Institute (BGLI) and themed ‘Advanced Leadership in Safety Excellence,’ the global aerospace leader organised an intensive five-day, in-person training for the airline’s executives, postholders and departmental leaders”.
He noted that the programme was designed to enhance safety leadership skills, transform workplace safety culture and provide practical tools for implementing these insights.
The initiative according to him highlighted a commitment to continuous improvement and a strengthened culture of safety across the organisation.
Adding that the partnership between Air Peace and Boeing is rooted in a mutual dedication to redefining the future of aviation leadership.
Recognising that an unflinching commitment to safety is the cornerstone of its success, Air Peace has continuously championed this vision.
The programme seeks to build on that foundation, empowering executives to lead with confidence, navigate risks with precision and cultivate high-performing teams that place safety at the heart of every operation.
Commenting on the initiative, Harry Magui, Senior Organisational Consultant and Programme Manager, Boeing Global Learning Institute said: “the Boeing company has long recognised the importance of supporting continuous learning of our aviation partners.
To that end, the Boeing Global Learning Institute designs and delivers numerous learning programmes to both emerging and established leaders of our partners.
“These efforts aim to develop leadership, business, and technical skills so that our partners can improve their business processes, increase operational efficiency and enable leaders to strengthen their teams to ultimately grow their business”.
Highlighting the remarkable strides Air Peace has made in embedding safety as a fundamental precondition rather than merely a priority, Magui said:
“We’re here to partner with our great partner, Air Peace who have been phenomenal in advancing the Aviation Industry in Nigeria, so we are here to support them to harness more opportunities in the future with the Advanced Leadership in Safety Excellence Training for all its top leadership within the organisation.”
In his remarks, Prof Graham Braithwaite, Head of Aerospace, Cranfield University, stated; “This collaboration ensured that the training directly addresses the challenges Air Peace faces, culminating in real-world capstone projects that would have a lasting impact.”
Corroborating Prof. Braithwaite’s, Dr. Fabian Steinmann, Lecturer, Organisational Resilience and Change, Cranfield School of Management, who was excited at the great progress Air Peace made over the years, said that they are happy to learn and share knowledge and find ways to strengthen the system, making it robust and flexible to adapt to the ever-changing environment.
“Safety is at the heart of everything we do at Cranfield so the privilege we have is that we travelled around the world, picked up the good practices, learned more about the culture and the operation in various countries so we’re here to facilitate that exchange with Nigeria and Air Peace to see how we share some of the good practices and lessons learned from all around the world and translate them into their operation.”
The programme’s curriculum was meticulously designed to integrate theoretical knowledge with practical application.
In the initial phase, insightful discussions led by Professor Braithwaite and Dr. Steinmann set the tone by harmonising Air Peace leadership’s operational expertise with the program’s goals.
The second phase offered participants exclusive access to experts from Cranfield University and Boeing, equipping them with cutting-edge tools and strategies for advancing safety leadership. Beyond the classroom, the program empowered participants to translate their learnings into actionable improvements within their teams, fostering a ripple effect that would reinforce safety systems throughout the organization.
“This class is quite essential and we’re lucky to have our resource persons impact knowledge on us. It is a well-structured training and especially for Air Peace because of where we are now and where we hope to go in the future. The whole essence of this class is to reinforce what we know before and be exposed to other avenues of learning.
The aviation industry is ever-changing and dynamic, and Air Peace has to be abreast of such developments,” says Captain Godfrey Ogbogu, Safety Manager at Air Peace.
He noted that Air Peace’s commitment to safety and operational excellence has never been more evident, adding that the partnership has not only cultivated a deeper understanding of safety leadership but also laid the groundwork for a more resilient, accountable, and innovative workforce, poised to tackle the evolving challenges of the aviation industry.
The program placed a strong emphasis on accountability, incorporating two follow-up review sessions to ensure participants’ ongoing leadership development and the advancement of their safety projects.
This balanced focus on individual growth and organizational impact solidified safety as a key driver of Air Peace’s operational strategy, keeping it at the forefront of the airline’s priorities.
