Air Peace has refuted claims suggesting that recent flight delays and cancellations were due to a shortage of aircraft.
Gatekeepers News reports that Air Prace noted that safety concerns were the primary reason behind the disruptions.
Recall that on 2 May, NCAA asked Air Peace to improve its domestic operations amid increasing passenger complaints about frequent delays and cancellations.
NCAA Director-General, Chris Najomo recommended that the airline reduce its flight schedule to align with available aircraft and better manage its operations.
In a statement, Ejike Ndiulo, Head of Corporate Communications at Air Peace, clarified that the airline will never operate any flight when weather conditions, technical parameters, or operational standards fall short of safety requirements.
Expressing regret over the inconvenience caused to passengers, the airline stressed that all affected flights were disrupted solely for passenger safety.
Air Peace said, “It is not our policy to delay or cancel flights without due cause, and when we do, we are often the greater loser financially.”
“We will never sacrifice safety for convenience, comfort, speed or profit.”
The airline commended Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) for requesting improvements in its domestic operations. It praised the regulator for its commitment to enforcing global safety standards across the aviation sector.
Air Peace further dismissed claims that it was experiencing a shortage of aircraft, noting that it has sufficient aircraft to support its schedule.
It added, “Therefore, any delays or cancellations we have experienced have absolutely nothing to do with fleet shortage.”
“For instance, on Friday, one of our aircraft experienced a bird strike, which damaged the engine while landing in Enugu.”
“The aircraft was immediately grounded and withdrawn from operation in accordance with safety protocol.”
Air Peace noted that the aircraft
was assigned to operate on several routes, but its withdrawal disrupted flight schedules.
It added, “This kind of situation is completely beyond the control of any airline, but again, our priority is the safety of our passengers.”
“It is to be stated that every decision Air Peace has taken since the inception of this airline, whether resulting in delay, cancellation or suspension of a flight, has been taken in the best interest of safety.”
“If such situations occur again, we will do the same because we are not ready to compromise safety. We do not cancel any flight for the fun of it.”
