May 03, (THEWILL) – West and Central Africa’s leading carrier, Air Peace, has clarified that recent flight delays and cancellations within its domestic operations are primarily due to safety considerations, not aircraft shortages.
The airline’s response comes on the heels of concerns raised by the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) over what it described as “chronic delays and cancellations” in the airline’s services.
In a statement issued on Friday and signed by its management, Air Peace reaffirmed its unwavering commitment to safety, noting that every operational decision is guided by a strong safety-first policy.
“At Air Peace, safety is and will always remain our cardinal priority. The delays and cancellations are dictated by safety considerations. We fully empathize with our esteemed passengers who experience inconvenience or disrupted plans. However, we do not regret taking decisions rooted in the protection of human lives and strict adherence to safety standards,” the airline said.
The airline added that it will not operate any flight if weather conditions, technical parameters, or other operational standards fall short of what is deemed safe.
Air Peace also addressed claims allegedly attributed to the NCAA, which suggested that the airline should reduce the scope of its operations to match available aircraft. It refuted any suggestion of fleet inadequacy.
“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.”
Citing a recent incident, the airline revealed that one of its aircraft suffered a bird strike while landing in Enugu, damaging the engine.
The aircraft, which had been scheduled to service multiple routes that day, was immediately grounded in line with safety protocols, resulting in ripple effects across operations.
“This kind of situation is beyond the control of any airline, but our priority remains the safety of our passengers,” the airline stated.
Air Peace further emphasised that all its decisions — whether to delay, cancel, or suspend flights — are made with the safety of passengers and crew in mind.
It added, “We do not cancel any flight for the fun of it. It is not our policy to delay or cancel flights without due cause. When we do, we are often the greater financial losers. We will never sacrifice safety for convenience, comfort, speed, or profit.”
The airline assured its passengers of its continued commitment to operating with professionalism, integrity, and a strict adherence to safety standards.
Anthony Awunor, is a business correspondent who holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Linguistics (UNILAG). He is also an alumnus of the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology (NCAT), Zaria Kaduna State. He lives in Lagos.
