Management of Nigeria and West Africa largest carrier, Air Peace Limited has responded to the allegations of air transport infractions raised against it by SaharaReporters, saying, the hallmarks of the report ia a deliberate attempt to malign Air Peace and the Nigerian government, using unanimous sources .
Reacting to the alleged air transport infractions, the airline affirmed that the issue of scam raised by the media outfit is an imagination of the writers on the airline’s proposed operations on the Lagos – São Paulo route.
“The allegation of a ‘scam’ is false, sensational, and dishonest. At no time did Air Peace or the Federal Government of Nigeria defraud Nigerians in Brazil or elsewhere regarding the Lagos–São Paulo route,” said the airline.
On allegation of using signing of a Memorandum of Understanding to deceive intending passengers, Air Peace insisted that such a process neither amount to flight schedule nor selling of tickets for flight operations on the route, but to deepening the bilateral agreement between the two countries.
Thr airline clarified: “A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) is not a flight launch. An MoU is a statement of intent between governments to deepen bilateral cooperation. It is neither a ticket sale nor a flight schedule, and it does not constitute a guarantee of immediate commencement of operations. In aviation practice, several mandatory processes must be concluded after an MoU before any flight can operate.
Equally, the management of the Nigerian leading carrier insisted that the claim by SaharaReporters that the airline passengers got stranded, was illogical since there was no ticket sold, no flight date announced and ferrying of passengers.
“No Nigerian was ‘stranded’ by Air Peace. No tickets were sold, no booking platform was opened, and no flight date was announced. It is therefore illogical to claim that passengers were stranded by a flight that was never placed on sale. What exists here is self-imposed expectation, not deception,” the airline cleared.
Addressing the ignorance of n SaharaReporters on international long-haul operations, the airline explained, that such an operation require multiple regulatory and operational approvals that cannot be fast-tracked by publicity or political goodwill.
Some of the approvals according to Air Peace, include, but not limited to:
• Bilateral Air Services Agreement (BASA) implementation frameworks
• Approval from Brazil’s civil aviation authority (ANAC)
• Slot allocations at São Paulo airports
• Safety, insurance, and ETOPS certifications
• Aircraft deployment planning and route economics.
On the issue of capacity, Air Peace asserted that it has the requisite equipment to operate the route. The airline currently has four Boeing 777-200/300 aircraft in its fleet. Two are deployed on the London Heathrow and London Gatwick routes, while the remaining two are on standby for deployment to other long-haul destinations, including São Paulo, upon completion of all regulatory and commercial processes.
It therefore affirmed that until these requirements are fully met, no responsible airline would announce ticket sales or commence operations.
On the claim on commencement date, the management of the airline said, “Air Peace never made a binding commercial commitment to a fixed commencement date. Statements of intention or optimism must not be misrepresented as guarantees. Airlines routinely study and prepare international routes for extended periods before launch.” It continued “By way of example, Air Peace’s London operations took approximately seven years from conception to execution.”
Responding to the claim that the Nigerian biggest airline was instrumental to high cost of connecting international flights, the management of the airline described the allegations as baseless because, Air Peace does not control foreign airlines or global pricing structures.. it explained further that The existence of an MoU does not, and cannot, automatically reduce international airfares.
Air Peace therefore considered the said report as a deliberate act of blackmail against the airline and the Federal Government of Nigeria, sponsored by vested interests within Nigeria.
For the avoidance of doubt and in the interest of the public, as of today, Air Peace remains the only airline in Nigeria and the West African sub-region with the capacity to undertake transoceanic flight operations using its own wide-body fleet. This reality explains the sustained smear campaign targeted at the airline and, by extension, the Nigerian government.
The airline explained further that despite the commencement of the processes toward the Lagos–São Paulo route as far back as last year, it has been engaging relevant Nigerian authorities, cooperating with the Brazilian government, and working with stakeholders in Brazil to bring the operation to fruition
It aso insisted that all required processes must be fully concluded before the commencement of flights, affirming that “Aviation is not a cut-and-paste business, and the safety of passengers, crew, and equipment remains a sine qua non.”
The Management of AirPeace Limited however cautioned that it is unacceptable for individuals or groups to attempt to undermine a Nigerian business through falsehoods and media manipulation in the hope of gaining a competitive advantage—one that will never materialise.
It therefore called on SaharaReporters’ to desist from Turning diplomacy into alleged “fraud”; Rebranding patience and due process as “stranding”; Substituting verifiable facts with anonymous emotion. and Ignoring aviation realities to manufacture outrage. An approach which it condemned as not journalism; but agitational storytelling.
