The Director-General of the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Chris Najomo, has defended Air Peace against allegations that the airline abandoned passengers in London following a flight disruption caused by a bird strike on May 1.
Speaking during a stakeholders’ engagement on digital transformation at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Najomo dismissed reports that passengers were stranded in the United Kingdom, insisting that the airline acted responsibly and complied fully with aviation safety procedures.
According to him, all affected passengers were accommodated at a Hilton Hotel near Gatwick Airport after the aircraft suffered a bird strike discovered during a post-landing inspection.
“There was no case of abandonment. The passengers were taken care of. In fact, my wife was on that flight and they were all accommodated by Air Peace,” Najomo told journalists.
The NCAA boss explained that the aircraft had landed safely in London and passengers had already disembarked when the pilot conducted a routine ramp inspection and detected signs of a bird strike.
He said the airline immediately contacted Boeing, which advised that the aircraft should be grounded pending further checks.
Najomo stated that Air Peace promptly informed passengers of the development and offered alternatives, including hotel accommodation and arrangements to place passengers on the next available Air Peace flight arriving from Abuja later that day.
“Delays and cancellations happen to all airlines. What happened to Air Peace was taken out of context, and it is unfair. No airline deliberately leaves its passengers stranded,” he said.
The NCAA director-general also criticised individuals who circulated viral videos about the incident, questioning what additional steps the airline could reasonably have taken under the circumstances.
“At this point, what did you expect Air Peace to do? I am not here to defend Air Peace. If they go wrong, I will criticise them. But the NCAA investigated this incident and found that Air Peace did the right thing and followed all necessary protocols,” he added.
Najomo further condemned what he described as attempts to “de-market” Nigeria’s leading indigenous carrier, urging Nigerians to support local airlines instead of amplifying negative narratives.
“We should support our own. Incidents like this happen globally. It happened to Delta. It happened to British Airways. Nobody made noise about it or posted endless videos online. Why should Air Peace be treated differently?” he said.
He cited Delta Air Lines and British Airways as examples of international airlines that had also experienced operational disruptions arising from technical and environmental factors.
Najomo also linked recent disruptions in the aviation industry to the rising global cost of aviation fuel, worsened by ongoing tensions in the Middle East.
According to him, airlines worldwide are struggling with increasing operational expenses, forcing many carriers to reduce routes and cut in-flight services in order to remain financially viable.
