NCAA Sends Important Message to Air Peace Over Flight Cancellation
- The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority's Director General, Chris Najomo directed Air Peace to enhance its domestic flight operations
- This is in reaction to a significant spike in customer complaints over the airline's overall inefficiency and rude conduct
- To alleviate the situation, Najomo recommended that the airline scale back operations to the number of aircraft it already operates
Legit.ng journalist Zainab Iwayemi has 5-year-experience covering the Economy, Technology, and Capital Market.
In response to a recent surge in passenger complaints about unprofessional behaviour and the general inefficiency of the airline's operations, Chris Najomo, Director General of the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), has ordered Air Peace to improve its domestic flight operations.
Source: Getty Images
In an NCAA statement posted on X (previously Twitter) on Friday, Najomo suggested that the airline reduce its operations to the number of aircraft it currently has in order to lessen the crisis.
“The DGCA, Capt. Chris Najomo has directed Air Peace to immediately improve its domestic operations owing to complaints of chronic flight delays and cancellations by the travelling public,” the statement said.
Passengers disappointed
Many travellers have recently voiced their displeasure with Air Peace's flight schedules, which are plagued by frequent cancellations, delays, and disruptions.
Given the disappointments and annoyances that travellers have encountered at airports, some Nigerians have urged the appropriate authorities to look into the activities of Air Peace.
Due to a string of flight cancellations and reschedulings, Mike Adeyemi, a passenger on Air Peace, described last month how he and his family ended himself stuck in the Lagos Airport.
“I booked a flight from Lagos to Kano for 2:00 P.M. for the 10th of April 2025. Airpeace moved the flight to 6pm, then a day later to 10 p.m on the day of the flight moved it again till 11:30 P.M. and as I am typing this message 12:25 a.m. on the 11th of April we are still stranded at the airport. I have my mother in law, sister in law who flew in a day before from the UK for a wedding helplessly at the airport,” the passenger wrote in a message to PREMIUM TIMES.
He went further to state that: “No society should allow its businesses (Airpeace) to treat people like commodities. I feel so ashamed and helpless right now, I also feel so horrible knowing this email may not mean much to me but I am sending nonetheless.”
I believe collectively we can do better as a society and hold business leaders to a better standard. The funny thing is here at the airport I can see people of other nationalities wondering, this is wrong and painful to see,” Mr Adeyemi noted.
He explained that they did not depart the Lagos airport until 2:00 a.m on the 11 April, for a flight that was originally booked for 2:00 p.m 10 April.
“It greatly affected us psychologically and emotionally as we have an aged woman who is almost 70 years old with us,” he narrated, stating that he believed Air Peace’s action was a deliberate attempt to short change passengers for economic advantage because it is now a regular occurrence.
“It was a nightmare really, I hope the government, civil aviation authorities take adequate steps to resolve it all,” Mr Adeyemi told PREMIUM TIMES.
This week, several Air Peace’s passengers took to social media to vent their frustration over Air Peace’s inefficiency with flight schedules.
He said
“We were kept up till about 2am with no logical explanation for the extended delay and eventual cancellation of the flight.”
“This airline jeopardised our welfare and safety for the flimsiest of reasons. This level of incompetence and horrible customer service experience has to be the worst in my life.
Many consumers, however, urged the NCAA to take punitive action against Air Peace for ongoing abuse and violations of consumer protection rules by calling on regulatory authorities on the X platform.
Source: Getty Images
According to a statement released by the NCAA on Friday, Najumo handed the order to Air Peace while meeting with some of the airline's management in Abuja.
According to the report, airline representatives at the meeting admitted that they face some difficulties that are common in the sector, but they are working nonstop to address them.
However, in response, Mr. Najumo claimed that airline operators must adhere to the rules and international best practices, even though the NCAA will still support the airlines.
Air Peace was one of five airlines that the NCAA sanctioned in December of last year for breaking national regulations.
NCAA sanctions Air Peace, Arik Air, 3 others airlines
Legit.ng reported that a number of airlines that have been sanctioned by the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority have contacted the regulatory agency to request a meeting so they may provide proof that they have fixed the problems that led to their penalties.
The impacted airlines have been offered the choice to either pay the fines or challenge the ruling, according to Michael Achimugu, the NCAA's Director for Consumer Protection and Public Affairs, who verified the situation.
He underlined that immediate payment of fines is not required and noted that the process is ongoing.
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Source: Legit.ng
