West and Central Africa’s leading airline Air Peace has issued a strong statement in response to concerns raised by the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) regarding alleged “chronic delays and cancellations” in its domestic operations.

While acknowledging the NCAA’s crucial role in maintaining safety standards, Air Peace vehemently asserted that its operational decisions leading to disruptions are solely dictated by safety considerations and not due to a shortage of aircraft.

In a statement released by its management on Friday, Air Peace emphasised that “safety is and will always remain our cardinal priority.” The airline expressed empathy for passengers inconvenienced by flight delays and cancellations but firmly stated it would “not regret taking operational decisions rooted in the protection of human lives and in strict adherence to safety standards.”

The statement directly addressed a reported recommendation from the NCAA for Air Peace to reduce its operational size to match its available aircraft. Air Peace clarified that it possesses “more aircraft available than are currently rostered for daily operations,” thereby refuting any suggestion that fleet shortage is the cause of the disruptions.

The airline provided a specific example of an incident on Friday where one of its aircraft sustained engine damage due to a bird strike while landing in Enugu. This incident, Air Peace explained, led to the immediate grounding of the aircraft and a subsequent ripple effect of delays and cancellations across multiple routes it was scheduled to service.

The airline stressed that such events are “completely beyond the control of any airline,” but safety protocols necessitate grounding the affected aircraft.

“Every decision Air Peace has taken since the inception of this airline, whether resulting in a delay, cancellation, or suspension of flight, has been taken in the best interest of safety,” the management stated. “And 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. 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.”

Air Peace concluded its statement by reiterating its commitment to serving passengers with “dignity, professionalism, and above all, unwavering adherence to safety standards.”

Below is the statement in full…

RE: NCAA’s Statement on Air Peace Flight Operations

The attention of Air Peace has been drawn to a statement allegedly released by the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), calling on the airline to “improve its domestic operations” due to alleged chronic delays and cancellations. As a proudly Nigerian airline, we deeply appreciate the NCAA’s consistent efforts in ensuring that all airlines operating within the country, including Air Peace, adhere strictly to global safety standards and regulatory compliance. While we hold the NCAA in the highest regard as the regulatory authority overseeing aviation in Nigeria, we believe it is essential to set the record straight.

At Air Peace, safety is and will always remain our cardinal priority. These delays and cancellations are dictated by safety considerations. We fully empathize with our esteemed passengers who experience discomfort, inconvenience, or disrupted plans due to flight delays or cancellations. However, we do not regret taking operational decisions rooted in the protection of human lives and in strict adherence to safety standards. If weather conditions, technical parameters, or operational standards fall short of what is safe, we will not operate that flight.

It is also important to clarify a key statement allegedly credited to the NCAA, that Air Peace should reduce the size of its operations to align with available aircraft. While we understand the spirit of that recommendation, we must clearly state that Air Peace has more aircraft available than are currently rostered for daily operations. Therefore, any delays or cancellations we’ve experienced have absolutely nothing to do with fleet shortage.

For instance, today, 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. This aircraft had been scheduled to service multiple routes today, and its unavailability has had a direct ripple effect on operations for those 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 a delay, cancellation, or suspension of flight, has been taken in the best interest of safety. And 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. 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.

We remain focused on serving our passengers with dignity, professionalism, and above all, unwavering adherence to safety standards. (AriseNews TV)