TheNewsGuru

Tag: Air Peace

  • FAAN opens airspace for flights after Air Peace incident

    FAAN opens airspace for flights after Air Peace incident

    The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) says the airspace has been opened for flight operations after a Port Harcourt runway incident involving an Air Peace flight P47190 from Lagos.

    This is contained in an updated statement signed by the Director, Public Affairs and Consumer Protection at FAAN, Mrs Obiageli Orah on Sunday in Lagos.

    The incident occured Sunday morning and FAAN had earlier confirmed that there was no casualty recorded in the incident.

    Orah said that the Landing distance was now 2700 metres instead of the stipulated 3000 metres.

    According to Orah, the aircraft with registration number 5N-BQQ, departed from Lagos (LOS) and landed at Port Harcourt International Airport (PHIA) at approximately 7.45 a.m.

    It said that the aircraft overshot runway 03 upon landing.

    “We are relieved to report that there were no casualties. Evacuation of the 127 passengers has been completed safely with no casualties.

    “In the interim, please plan for flight delays for any departing flights to Port Harcourt”.

    It also said that further details would be provided when available.

    She also reaffirmed FAAN’s commitment to the safety and security of the passengers.

  • FAAN reacts as Air Peace opens up on near-air mishap

    FAAN reacts as Air Peace opens up on near-air mishap

    The management of Air Peace has confirmed that Flight P47190, from Lagos to Port Harcourt, skidded off the runway after landing safely on Sunday morning.

    This is confirmed in a statement signed by the airline’s spokesperson, Efe Osifo-Whiskey, and released to journalists in Lagos on Sunday.

    Osifo-Whiskey stated that the aircraft slightly veered off the runway after landing, but there was no damage to the aircraft.

    “All passengers disembarked safely and calmly. No injuries were recorded in the process,” he said.

    He added that Air Peace remains committed to upholding the highest safety standards in all its flight operations.

    According to him, the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority and the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria have been duly notified.

    “An appropriate investigation will be conducted on the aircraft,” Osifo-Whiskey noted.

    No casualty recorded in Air Peace’s Port Harcourt runway incident – FAAN

    Meanwhile, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has confirmed that no casualty is recorded in the Port Harcourt runway incident involving Air Peace’s flight P47190 from Lagos.

    This is contained in a statement signed by the Director, Public Affairs and Consumer Protection at FAAN, Mrs Obiageli Orah, on Sunday in Lagos.

    The incident occurred on Sunday morning.

    According to Orah, the aircraft, with registration number 5N-BQQ, departed Lagos (LOS) and landed at the Port Harcourt International Airport (PHIA), at approximately 7.45 a.m.

    She said that the aircraft overshot runway 03 upon landing.

    Orah stated: “We are relieved to report that there were no casualties. Evacuation of the 127 passengers has been completed safely with no casualties.

    “In the interim, please plan for flight delays for any departing flights to Port Harcourt.”

    She also said that further details would be provided when available.

    Orah also reaffirmed FAAN’s commitment to the safety and security of the passengers.

  • Panic as Air Peace skids off runway in Port Harcourt

    Panic as Air Peace skids off runway in Port Harcourt

    An aircraft belonging to Air Peace Airlines on Sunday morning experienced an excursion and skidded off the Port Harcourt International Airport in Rivers State.

    TheNewsGuru reports that Osifo-whiskey Efe, in a statement by the spokesman of Air Peace, titled, ‘Runway Excursion Of Flight P47190,’ disclosed that the aircraft veered slightly off the runway without any damage.

    According to him, all passengers disembarked safely and calmly, and no injuries were reported.

    “Air Peace confirms that Flight P47190, operating from Lagos to Port Harcourt this morning, had a runway excursion after landing safely at the Port Harcourt International Airport.

    “The aircraft veered slightly off the runway without any damage. All passengers disembarked safely and calmly, and no injuries were reported.

    “We reassure the flying public of our unflinching commitment to maintaining the highest safety standards in all our operations,” Osifo-whiskey stated.

  • Air Peace to begin Abuja-London flight in October

    Air Peace to begin Abuja-London flight in October

    Air Peace Airline has announced the commencement of Abuja to Heathrow Airport in London on Oct. 26 after receiving grant from the British authority.

    The Chairman of the airline, Dr Allen Onyema, made the announcement at a news conference on Wednesday in Lagos.

    Onyema disclosed that the grant was as a result of the confidence the international aviation community has in the airline.

    He also announced that before the end of year, the airline would add Congo, Garbon and Brazzaville to its schedule.

    Onyema said that the flights from Abuja to London Heathrow would be four times weekly, with
    Lagos to London Gatwick three time daily.

    He also said there would be direct flights to the Caribbean, particularly Antigua in September and later, to Barbados.

    The airline boss assured increased fleet capacity of Boeing 777, wide bodied aircraft acquisition as a result of the dry lease financing, among other new aircraft to match the schedules.

    According to him, the airline has 36 outrightly purchased aircraft and four on wet lease, with new aircraft expected soon.

    He assured passengers of on-time services, saying “since May 12, we have posted over 85 per cent on-time performance.

    “For the new Air Peace you are about to see, we assure our passengers of on-time services and we are upgrading our Customer Service.”

    On flight delays and cancellations, Onyema said 94 per cent were not caused by the airline but external forces.

    He identified the causes as: weather, infrastructure, bird strikes, inadequate landing equipment, sunset airports, unruly passengers, animal strikes, among others.

    He explained that “in the last five years, we recorded 100 bird strikes; this year alone, over 30 bird strikes, these strikes will affect other flights scheduled for that day.

    “We do not cancel for the fun of it, we cancel when necessary”, he said.

    Onyema noted that the airline has international validations because of its safety measures.

    He also announced that the airline would restart China route soon, as well as other regional and international routes.

    He commended President Bola Tinubu and the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Mr Festus Keyamo, for ensuring ease of doing business in the industry.

    He added that “the sector had never had it so good, as Nigeria would soon take delivery of dry lease aircraft as a result of the doggedness of the minister.”

    He expressed the hope that Nigerians would patronise and support the airline.

  • FCCPC summons Air Peace

    FCCPC summons Air Peace

    The Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) has summoned the management of Air Peace Limited following myriad of consumer complaints from across the country regarding non-refund of ticket fares.

    A statement by Mr Ondaje Ijagwu, Director, Corporate Affairs of the Commission in Abuja on Monday, said the airline had failed to refund its customers even in instances where it cancelled its flight operations.

    He said the airline’s actions potentially contravened Sections 130(1)(a) and (b), and 130(2)(b) of the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Act (FCCPA) 2018.

    Ijagwu said the FCCPA guaranteed consumers the right to timely refunds where advance bookings, reservations, or orders were unfulfilled due to service-provider’s failure.

    The director said the summon dated June 13, would require Air Peace to appear before the Commission’s headquarters.

    ”This provision enshrines the principle of fair dealing and safeguards consumers against unfair, unjust, or unreasonable practices by service-providers.

    ”In a formal summons dated June 13, 2025, the Commission, invoking Sections 32 and 33 of the FCCPA 2018, requires Air Peace to appear before the Commission at its Abuja Headquarters on June 23.

    ”Specifically, Section 33(3) of the FCCPA mandates compliance and failure attracts severe sanctions including fines or imprisonment.

    ”The airline is further directed to produce documentary evidence including complaint log for refunds over the past twelve (12) months.

    ”Others are  total records of processed refunds to date, list of cancelled flights on all routes within the past twelve (12) months, and remedial actions taken to mitigate consumer hardship resulting from cancelled flights,” he said.

    Ijagwu said the FCCPC had in 2024, commenced inquiries into separate allegations of exploitative ticket pricing, including substantial price hikes for advance bookings on certain domestic routes by Air Peace.

    He said the airline in response to the inquiry, instituted legal proceedings seeking to restrain the Commission from continuing its inquiry.

    The director said the summon was a different matter from the inquiry.

  • You’re a blatant liar – Again, Air Peace tackles Oshiomhole

    You’re a blatant liar – Again, Air Peace tackles Oshiomhole

    Nigeria’s domestic airline, Air Peace, has challenged  former Edo State Governor and the senator representing the Edo North senatorial district, Adams Oshiomhole,  to provide evidence that its staff extorted passengers at the Lagos airport.

    TheNewsGuru reports that the senator had accused the airline of denying him and other passengers boarding access for a Lagos–Abuja flight, despite completing online check-in.

    He claimed the airline instead resold seats at inflated prices to walk-in passengers, sparking outrage and flight disruption at the Murtala Muhammed Airport Terminal 1.

    But in a swift statement released Wednesday night, Air Peace dismissed the senator’s claims, describing his claims as “deliberate falsehood,” insisting that no passenger was extorted and no tickets were sold after check-in closed.

    “The Senator lied blatantly when he accused Air Peace of extorting its passengers,” the airline said. “We challenge Senator Oshiomhole to bring one evidence of a passenger that was extorted.”

    The airline also denied claims of overbooking, stating that the aircraft eventually departed with more than 30 empty seats.

    “It would have been in our interest to carry Oshiomhole and those others who missed their flights for lateness on this flight, instead of flying many empty seats,” the statement noted. “But we will never sacrifice our strict on-time performance for monetary gains.”

    Refuting Oshiomhole’s narrative of standing up for stranded passengers, Air Peace said the senator’s conduct at the airport was disruptive and self-serving.

    “It’s absolutely false that he was offered preferential treatment and that he was fighting for others. Senator Oshiomhole was not fighting for anyone. He came to the airport late and was told that he was late. He then began to foment trouble,” the airline alleged.

    According to the statement, Oshiomhole allegedly jumped on the baggage conveyor belt, blocked check-in counters, and incited other passengers against the airline.

    Air Peace called on the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) to release CCTV footage from the terminal to clarify the events.

    “His accusation of extortion is very defamatory. His conduct was very violent, unbecoming, unfortunate and above all, shameful,” the statement concluded.

  • Why I disrupted operations at Lagos airport – Oshiomhole explains clash with Air Peace officials

    Why I disrupted operations at Lagos airport – Oshiomhole explains clash with Air Peace officials

    Former Edo State Governor and the senator representing the Edo North senatorial district, Adams Oshiomhole, has condemned domestic airline Air Peace for barring checked-in passengers from boarding its flight on Wednesday morning at Lagos’ Murtala Muhammed Airport Terminal 1.

    TheNewsGuru reports that in a video that circulated on social media, the senator was seen confronting airport officials over the treatment of passengers.

    Sources at the airport had claimed that Oshiomhole obstructed the entrance to the Zulu Terminal of the General Aviation Terminal (GAT) after arriving at the terminal significantly past the scheduled departure time of his flight.

    They claimed that Oshiomhole was supposed to take an early morning Air Peace flight, with a departure time set for 6:30 am.

    Air Peace, in a statement to journalists, condemned Oshiomhole for what it described as the “unruly and disruptive conduct.

    But speaking, Oshiomhole offered detailed insight into the events that triggered the commotion.

    “I booked Air Peace… They delayed the flight for over five hours. In the end, they announced a cancellation. I had to get another ticket,” the former Edo State governor recounted.

    “Yesterday, I booked a flight for 6:30 a.m. I checked in online with two Ghanaians who were with me. I got to the airport by 6:05 a.m., only to be told the counter had closed.”

    Despite having no luggage and presenting proof of his online check-in, Oshiomhole said he was denied boarding while watching others being allowed through.

    “I noticed they were still taking in other people, even as they told me the gate had closed,” he said. “What is the point of online check-in if you can’t board with it?”

    According to him, other passengers shared similar experiences. He cited the case of a woman with an infant who was also turned back despite arriving early, only to be told the flight was full while tickets were being sold to others for ₦200,000 to ₦300,000.

    He said: “The woman had paid ₦146,000 online and got there before 6 a.m. They told her she was late. Later, they said she could board the next flight if she paid another ₦109,100. That’s over ₦250,000 for a one-hour flight.”

  • Air Peace boss reacts after returning trafficked women from Abidjan

    Air Peace boss reacts after returning trafficked women from Abidjan

    Dr Allen Onyema, Chairman, Air Peace Ltd., has described human trafficking as a blight on Nigeria’s shared humanity.

    Onyema said this as his airline executed a free-of-charge return of 78 trafficked Nigerian women from Abidjan.

    This is contained in a statement by  the airline’s spokesman, Mr Efe Ovie-Whiskey,  on Sunday in Lagos.

    According to the chairman, transporting the trafficked Nigerian women from Félix Houphouët-Boigny International Airport, Abidjan to Lagos is a legacy of the airline’s humanitarian intervention and national service.

    Recall that in April, Onyema publicly promised to transport the trafficked women at no cost. He also offerred them medical and psychosocial support.

    “Human trafficking is a blight on our shared humanity. These women were lured with promises but they  ended up in misery.

    “As an airline of the people, we cannot stand by while Nigerians suffer abroad. We will always rise to the occasion because love for country and for humanity must compel action.

    “We will continue to stand in the gap when Nigerians are in distress, whether in Africa or beyond. We are not just flying aircraft, we are about lifting lives.

    “Our aircraft will always be available for noble causes. The suffering of our people anywhere in the world should concern us all,” he said.

    Air Peace collaborated with the Office of the Chargée d’Affaires of the Nigerian Embassy in Abidjan and the Nigerian Community in Côte d’Ivoire, in returning the women.

    The flight, operated on the airline’s wide-body Boeing 737 aircraft with registration 5N-BQV, departed the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, at 2.14 p.m. on Friday and touched down back in Lagos at 10.46 p.m. on the same Friday.

  • Air Peace passengers stranded as antelope grounds aircraft

    Air Peace passengers stranded as antelope grounds aircraft

    A large antelope has grounded an aircraft belonging to Air Peace, resulting in the disruption of scheduled flights and leaving passengers infuriated.

    It was gathered that the Air Peace aircraft collided with the antelope on Saturday while taxiing on the runway of the Asaba International Airport, Asaba, the capital of Delta State.

    The incident, which decimated the animal, resulted in the aircraft being marked Aircraft on Ground (AOG).

    TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has confirmed the unforeseen incident.

    NCAA’s Director of Public Affairs & Consumer Protection, Mr. Michael Achimugu, who confirmed the incident, stressed incidents like this are part of the challenges that lead to flight disruptions.

    “Incidents like this are literal illustrations of the disruptions not caused by the airlines (domestic or international),” Achimugu said.

    He, however, noted: “this explainer is for illustration purpose, not to excuse airlines when they fail to do their duties to passengers”.

    He went further to note that even with situations like this, the airline still owes its passengers refund and other forms of care they are entitled to.

    The NCAA Director stressed that Air Peace could still be sanctioned if they fail to provide information, refund and other forms of care passengers are entitled to.

    “Monitoring reports yesterday indicated that an Air Peace aircraft ran into a large antelope, decimating the animal and leaving the aircraft AOG (aircraft on ground).

    “As a result, flights meant to be operated by this aircraft would naturally be disrupted, even though engineers are on the ground to assess and fix the plane. Passengers waiting would naturally be infuriated.

    “Incidents like this are literal illustrations of the disruptions NOT caused by the airlines (domestic or international).

    “This explainer is for illustration purpose, not to excuse airlines when they fail to do their duties to passengers.

    “Even with situations like this, the airline still owes its passengers the information, refund, and other forms of care they are entitled to, and can still be sanctioned if they fail to provide same,” the NCAA Director stated.

  • Air Peace gives reason for flight cancellations

    Air Peace gives reason for flight cancellations

    Air Peace on Saturday said it had no regret cancelling or delaying flights to ensure safety of human lives in adherence to air safety standards.

    This is contained in a statement by the Head of Corporate Communications at Air Peace, Dr Ejike Ndiulo, in Lagos.

    While empathising with passengers who experienced inconveniences from its flight cancellations and delays, Air Peace said the disruptions were due to safety considerations.

    According to the airline, if weather conditions, technical parameters or operational standards fall short of safety standards,  flights will not be operated.

    “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,” it said.

    It thanked the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) for requesting improvement in its domestic operations.

    The airline praised the authority’s efforts in ensuring airline operators’ adherence to global safety standards.

    Air Peace, however, said that it was also important to clarify that it had more aircraft  than were being rostered for daily operations.

    “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,” it said.

    Air Peace said that the aircraft was scheduled to service multiple routes, noting that its unavailability had had a ripple effect on flight operations for the routes.

    “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.”

    NAN reports that the NCAA had on Friday held a meeting with the management of the airline on the number of complaints it received on its flight disruptions.